CONTINENT SPANNER U.S. ROUTE 6 RECOGNIZED AS HISTORIC.

Byline: JIM SKEEN Staff Writer

PALMDALE -- Lancaster and Palmdale officials joined Tuesday to celebrate a piece of the Antelope Valley's past -- historic Route 6.

The two cities are placing signs recognizing 3,650-mile-long U.S. Route 6, which is the nation's longest contiguous highway, as historic. Route 6 runs from Long Beach to Provincetown, Mass., with a portion of the route along Sierra Highway from Santa Clarita through the Antelope Valley.

``This is one more invaluable piece of our history, one more reason for our residents to be proud of their community and the richness of its past,'' Lancaster Mayor Henry Hearns said.

On Tuesday, Hearns and Palmdale Mayor Jim Ledford met at Palmdale's Transportation Center to showcase the joint effort to recognize the old route. One of the signs that went up was placed at the south entrance of the center, which sits on what used to be a portion of the route.

``This is an opportunity to rediscover where we came from,'' Ledford said.

The cities are recognizing the route at the urging of former Lancaster Mayor Fred Hann, a retired firefighter. Hann is trying to build up interest in the old route to draw tourists and motorists in much the same way Route 66 has become an attraction.

Hann's interest in the route took off five or six years ago. He likes to travel the nation's historic routes and kept seeing references to Route 6.

Hann's interest led him to the U.S. Route 6 Tourist Association, a nonprofit organization promoting economic development and cultural preservation of inner cities, small towns and rural communities located along the route. Hann now serves as the association's executive director for California.

``What we are hoping is to get recognition all the way from Bishop to Long Beach,'' Hann said.

Russ Lombard, president of the association, said the effort to recognize the route along the 14 states it crosses actually began as a class project by three high school girls in 2000. The girls asked Lombard for a project idea, and he suggested the route, which he had traveled as a youngster in Pasadena.

Lombard said he told the girls how the nation's interstate system has killed the economies of communities along the old highway routes.

``All these old towns are either dying or have ceased to exist,'' Lombard said. ``Why not send some tourism their way?''

The route has been known by many names over the years, including the Roosevelt Highway, after President Theodore Roosevelt, and the Midland Trail Roadway. Its official title is the Grand Army of the Republic Highway, named after an organization of Union Civil War veterans.

According to the association, the highway began in the 1920s as a short route between Provincetown and Brewster, N.Y. Over the years, it was extended westward, eventually ending in Long Beach.

james.skeen@dailynews

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Photo:

At 3,650 miles long, U.S. Route 6, the nation's longest contiguous highway, runs from Long Beach to Provincetown, Mass., via the Antelope Valley.

Map:

Historic U.S. Route 6

At 3,650 miles long, U.S. Route 6, the nation's longest contigouos highway, runs from Long Beach to Provincetown, Mass., via the Antelope Valley.