Flagstaff
Historical Background

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The first settlers in Flagstaff, drawn to the cool pine forests around 15,000 to 20,000 years ago, shared the land with bison, antelope and camel, supporting their people by hunting and foraging, until they settled into an agricultural way of life, surviving on a diet of beans, squash and corn.

From those early settlers, the Sinagua evolved, a tribe that moved into the area of present-day Flagstaff and south to Oak Creek Canyon around the year 1,000 CE. Their name is derived from the Spanish for "no water," a reference to the leaky, porous limestone cliffs where the tribe built dwellings that were noted by the first Spanish explorers. The Sinagua constructed an elaborate system of irrigation and adobe pueblos in the nooks and niches of protective cliffs such as Walnut Canyon, but by the time the Spaniards came to the region in the 16th Century, the Sinagua had already abandoned their homes for reasons that are still unclear. Historians debate whether they were driven away by drought, disease or hostile Athabascan tribes invading from the north. Hundreds of ruins like those at Wupatki National Monument have been found to prove the tribe existed, but nothing remains to confirm why they left.

European settlers did not move into the area until the 1870s, soon after the Apaches had been driven to southeastern Arizona. A few colonizers arrived in 1876 and established a settlement called Agassiz near San Francisco Peaks but, lacking the knowledge and technology of the Sinagua, decided that the area was not good for farming. A sheepherder named Thomas Forsythe MacMillan eventually arrived in the area and concluded that it was a great land for raising sheep. By 1880, the area's population had grown to 67.

Two years later, the Atlantic and Pacific Railroad (now the Santa Fe) arrived, and the town's future was secured. The sound of trains has remained Flagstaff's acoustic trademark, as any visitor will confirm after listening to the whistle of the many freight trains that pass through Flagstaff every day.

According to local lore, the town acquired its name from a pole that may or may not have ever existed. Some say that a Ponderosa pine tree was stripped and a flag hoisted on July 4, 1876, to mark the Centennial of US Independence, while others insist that it was used as a marker to guide travelers west. No matter what happened, the pole is lost forever, as it was turned into firewood for one of the many saloons. What we know for sure is that the name Flagstaff was selected by a group of citizens meeting at a tent store in 1881.

In 1886 and 1888, fires destroyed the settlement. Fortunately, enough lumber was around for rebuilding, and in 1891, Flagstaff became seat of the newly created Coconino County. In 1894, the city was incorporated and Lowell Observatory was established, which was destined to become one of the leading astronomy institutions in the world.

Lumber quickly grew into the main industry in Coconino Forest, making some entrepreneurs very rich in the process, notably lumber magnate Michael Riordan, whose legacy is well preserved in his mansion at Riordan State Historic Park. Riordan also gained some notoriety for being one of the first known pot-hunters, exploring and looting the Walnut Canyon ruins until local citizens became alarmed at the extent of the destruction wreaked on the cliff dwellings. The Chamber of Commerce, acknowledging the tourist value of the ruins, denounced the mutilation in 1891, and in 1904, the site became part of the San Francisco Mountain Preserve.

While timber remains one of the mainstays of Flagstaff's economy and the county provides more than half of Arizona's domestic sheep, tourism has now become the city's most important enterprise. Located at an altitude of more than 7,000 feet, in close proximity to the Grand Canyon, Flagstaff has long attracted health seekers as well as people from around the world eager to explore its natural beauty.

In 1912, Flagstaff just barely missed the opportunity to become the movie capital of the world, when director Cecil B. DeMille came looking for a location where outdoor shooting was possible all year round. Unfortunately, a snow flurry descending on the town convinced him that this was not the place, and he moved further west to a region with more agreeable weather. However, Flagstaff has been frequently featured in film and TV productions since. One room at The Monte Vista Hotel was actually used for a scene in the movie Casablanca, and you can spend the night there, too.

The foundation of Normal School in 1899, the precursor to Northern Arizona University (NAU), added a new cultural and intellectual dimension to this timber town, and metropolitan Flagstaff has since developed into the main center of cultural activity in Northern Arizona. Numerous events and festivals, such as the Coconino County Fair and the Flagstaff Winterfest, attract enough visitors to create serious traffic congestion during summer months. NAU itself, which is now the town's biggest employer, hosts a variety of art and music events throughout the year.

While most of the shopping has moved to the suburbs, new cafes and specialty stores have sprung up inside well-tended old structures in the historic downtown district. With a population of 65,000 and growing, Flagstaff suffers from symptoms of urban sprawl, but there is little of the downtown sleaziness and scruffiness that characterizes many other cities trying to cope with the problems of rapid growth. The restoration and expansion of downtown Flagstaff is on going, and the best way to keep current and get a feel for the history of this town is to get out of the car and take a leisurely walk around the historic district along Santa Fe Avenue, the street also known as Route 66.