Founded in 1882, Ash Fork, Arizona, became a junction point of the Old Trails route, later Route 66, and the Grand Canyon–Nogales Highways, U.S. 89, which led to the southern sections of the state. Lewis Avenue carried both westbound and eastbound Route 66 traffic until the 1950s, when Park Avenue took over eastbound traffic and the two avenues became one-way streets. The route and its many visitors sustained many local businesses. Ash Fork retains business structures typical of the early automobile route, including gas stations, motels, restaurants, grocery stores, and gift shops serving travelers, and some homes and business structures along the route are eligible for the National Register of Historic Places.