Father Cyprian Vabre
A French priest who helped bring Route 66 through Flagstaff. He died two years before the road got its number.
⛪Book Your TourThe History
Father Cyprian Vabre was born in Nant, a small town in southern France. He came to Arizona Territory in 1896 driven by a single ambition: to serve as a missionary to the Native American communities. The Catholic Church assigned him to Flagstaff instead.
Vabre became a tireless advocate for routing the highway through Flagstaff. He died in 1924, two years before Route 66 was officially commissioned. He never saw the road get its number.
Historical Figures at This Stop
The Route 66 Story
The fight to get Route 66 routed through Flagstaff was not automatic. Other towns lobbied hard. What a French priest did to tip the balance, and why it cost him, is a story that deserves to be told standing where he lived.
The rest of this story? You will hear it on the tour.
This Is Stop 08 of 16
on the Route 66 Walking Tour of Flagstaff.