19 November 2007

FLAGSTAFF, ARIZONA

FOUNDED 1876 –

Why did people come to Flagstaff years ago? They came because water was available for people, crops, and animals. They came to the San Francisco Peaks for religious reasons. They came for the lumber to build their villages. They came to enjoy the beauty of the Peaks.

One thousand years ago the Pueblo people built elaborate cities like Wupatki. The people worked in the fields, growing corn, squash, beans, and cotton. They probably loved to listen to the traders who came to their village from the south and brought wonderful seashells. The children played with clay figurines, miniature people, dogs, and houses.

When the Spanish conquistadors--who were soldiers and explorers searching for gold--entered Northern Arizona in 1540, they wrote in their diaries about meeting the Hopi, Yavapai, and Havasupai Indians, who gathered pinon nuts and hunted mule deer near the Peaks.

Flagstaff became a permanent settlement when Thomas F. McMillan built his cabin on the west side of town. 1880, the town opened its doors to their post office. The town of Flagstaff and its geological location (35 degrees "1157" North, 111"3752" West) attracted the railroad industry. Their early economy was based on timber, sheep, and cattle. By 1886, Flagstaff was the largest city on the railroad line between Albuquerque and the west coast of the United States. In 1894, the famous astronomer Percival Lowell had his observatory (Lowell Observatory) built on top of a nearby hill overlooking the west side of Flagstaff. Percival was delighted because of its elevation.

In 1930, the planet Pluto was discovered by using one of the observatory’s telescope. In homage to the city's importance in the field of astronomy, asteroid2118 Flagstaff is named for the city, and 6582 Flag symphony for the Flagstaff Symphony Orchestra. In the 1960s, during the Apollo program, the observatory’s telescope was used for mapping the moon in preparation for lunar expeditions and for a safe place to land the craft. 1899, the Northern Arizona Normal School was established, renamed Northern Arizona University in 1966. The Babbitt family owned most of the town’s businesses back then. Flagstaff's cultural history received a significant boost on April 11, 1899, when the Flagstaff Symphony made its concert debut at Babbitt's Opera House. The orchestra continues today as the Flagstaff Symphony Orchestra, with its primary venue at the Ardrey Auditorium on the campus of Northern Arizona University.

The city grew rapidly, primarily attributable to its location along the east-west transcontinental railroad line in the United States. In the 1880s, the railroads purchased land in the west from the federal government, which was then sold to individuals to help finance the railroad projects. By the 1890s, Flagstaff found itself located along one of the busiest railroad corridors in the U.S., with 80-100 trains traveling through the city every day, destined for Chicago, Los Angeles, and elsewhere.

Flagstaff has many historical sites and activities, the city lies near the southwestern edge of the Colorado Plateau and along the western side of the largest contiguous ponderosa pine forest in the continental United States. Flagstaff is located adjacent to Mount Elden, just south of the San Francisco Peaks, the highest mountain range in the state of Arizona, and Humphreys Peak is the highest point in Arizona at 12,633 feet (3,850 m) and is located about 10 miles (16 km) north of Flagstaff. The annual Navajo festival usually kicks off around July, with Native American dancers, singers and artists from surrounding parts of Arizona. This is one event that visitors all over our country come to see from hundreds of miles away. During the winter months the landscape is generally covered with a thick blanket of snow ranging from two (2) to eight (8) inches. The peaks of the San Francisco Mountains can also be seen capped with snow.

The visitor can find many things to do for fun during the different seasons here. In the winter, it generally snows for skiing, bob-sledding and ice boarding are popular. The weather is generally cold to cool and that the city’s pure fresh air will sometimes cause a smoker to gag after breathing in such pure air. Flagstaff at one time was known to have the freshest air in the world. The atmosphere is friendly, and Just walking around the city is fun and relaxing. During the summer months, one can hike, explore the ice caves, visit the Lowell observatory, shop the numerous stores, or drive north to the Grand Canyon or Page, Arizona. In Flagstaff, there is always something to do. Remember to bring your camera and plenty of film.

I always enjoyed hiking up Mount Elden and looking back upon the city below. In the winter, the site was breathtaking. I never did get the chance to climb the nearby San Francisco Peaks to the North. Sometimes during the winter it can be difficult driving because of the ice patches found on some of the roadways, but the city and state usually keep them clear. The parks are fun and beautiful too, that there is plenty to learn from the Park rangers and posted information there. Anyway, visiting Flagstaff is always a great experience for me. A lot can be said about Flagstaff, but being there is far better.

Jim Heitmeyer . Author . Writer . Graphic Designer