Pecos River Bridge
Best viewed from Hwy 54 between Riverside & 1st
Santa Rosa, NM 88435
Santa Rosa’s stretch of Route 66 was forever memorialized in American film history with the film adaptation of Steinbeck’s epic novel, The Grapes of Wrath. The memorable train scene in the 1940 movie, where Henry Fonda (interpreting Tom Joad) watches as a freight train steams over the Pecos River railroad bridge in the center of town, was filmed right in Santa Rosa.
The photo at right was a location shot taken for the studio prior to the movie being filmed.
Pecos River Bridge in 1939
The area surrounding the bridge has changed over the years. Notice the smaller bridge in the foreground in this photo from the 1950s. Note also the healthy flow of the river, indicating this picture was taken at a time of runoff from heavy rains.
Pecos River Bridge about mid-1950s
Pecos River Bridge in 1978
