Seligman, Arizona was founded in 1886 at the junction of the railroad from Prescott to the Santa Fe Railroad's main line. It was known as Prescott Junction until it was renamed after Jesse Seligman, a prominent New York Banker responsible for financing railroad construction and companies. The railroad played a big part of Seligman's community for the next hundred years by establishing repair facilities and the famous Harvey House.

Seligman, the birthplace of Historic Route 66, is a small unincorporated town situated in the beautiful Upland Mountains of Northern Arizona. In 1987, the State of Arizona dedicated old U.S. Route 66 from Seligman to Kingman as Historic Route 66, due to the efforts of the Seligman Chamber of Commerce. The dedication will assure the preservation of the longest remaining stretch of Old Route 66 left in The United States.