Monday, April 1, 2019

Arizona 2001


Things are quiet here as far as travel goes.  That forces me to go back in time, to previous travel, and the first stop below is a ghost town called Two Guns, Arizona.  This and the following pictures were taken during a trip west in 2001.

This town has had its ups and downs over the years.  Wikipedia gives the following details:

As white settlers began to populate the area in the mid-19th century, Two Guns was recognized as an ideal place to cross Canyon Diablo, first by wagon, then later by vehicle.

It was the site of a mass murder of Apaches by their Navajo enemies in 1878.
During the winter of 1879-80, Billy the Kid and his outlaw gang hid in the ruins of a stone house and corral on the west rim of Canyon Diablo, across from Two Guns.

In 1880, long before Two Guns was established as a settlement, the construction of the Santa Fe Railway was progressing across northern Arizona. At the location where the rail line crossed Canyon Diablo, about 3 mi (4.8 km) north of Two Guns, construction was delayed while a trestle was built. A settlement populated by male work crews was established near the construction site and was named Canyon Diablo, after the nearby canyon. The settlement "quickly became a wild and lawless place as drifters, gamblers, and outlaws made their way to town". Four men employed by the Hashknife Ranch robbed the train at Canyon Diablo in 1889, then fled on horseback with $100,000 in currency, 2,500 new silver dollars, $40,000 in gold coins, as well as silver watches, jewelry, and diamonds. A posse led by sheriff Buckey O'Neill pursued the bandits, but recovered less than $100 when the men were captured. Years later, after release from prison, one of the thieves disclosed that the stolen goods, along with their rifles, had been buried in the canyon rim near Two Guns. The location remains popular with treasure hunters.

The National Old Trails Highway (called the "Santa Fe Highway" in Arizona) was built in 1907 in Arizona, and loosely followed the railway. The highway crossed the dry river bed of Canyon Diablo at the Two Guns location, and zig-zagged up and down each embankment. In 1915, Canyon Diablo Bridge opened at the Two Guns crossing, and was used until 1938 when a new bridge was built nearby.

The first settler at Two Guns was Ed Randolph.   In 1922, Earle and Louise Cundiff purchased 320 acres  of land from Randolph at this location for $1,000, and built a store, restaurant, and gasoline pumps.  Harry E. Miller leased a property from the Cundiffs in 1925 and began extensive construction. Calling himself "Chief Crazy Thunder", Miller wanted to capitalize on the beauty of Canyon Diablo and the flow of passing tourists.  Along the canyon rim Miller erected a zoo with cages made of brick, mortar and chicken wire. A restaurant and Indian gift shop were opened For a fee, visitors were led on a tour which began at a Hopi house Miller had built, where rolls of colored piki bread was made and sold. They then followed a paved path down the side of the canyon to a soft drink stand at the bottom. Flamboyant signs were placed along the highway, and Miller named his establishment "Fort Two Guns" as an homage to silent movie actor William S. "Two Guns" Hart, with whom Miller claimed to have previously worked.

The Cundiffs applied for a post office under the name "Two Guns" in 1924, but it was refused. The post office was renamed "Canyon Lodge".

In 1926, the highway designation was changed to U.S. Route 66. That same year, Cundiff and Miller had a disagreement about the details of their lease, and Miller shot the unarmed Cundiff to death. He was later acquitted of the killing.

The interior of Miller's store burned in 1929, and soon after, Louise Cundiff built her own tourist store. The following year, Miller left the state. Cundiff remarried, and in 1934 opened the Two Guns Texaco service station along a new alignment of Route 66. Behind it they relocated the zoo (which closed prior to 1950).
In 1938, a new bridge across Canyon Diablo was built, and Route 66 began following Interstate 40 at the Two Guns location.

A more modern service station was built at Two Guns in 1963, and in the late 1960s a motel, western tavern, reptile exhibit, and new zoo were added. Later, a Shell service station was built and a KOA campground opened.  The service station burned in 1971 and Two Guns began its decline. The ruins of many former structures remain, including the trading post, campground, old cottages, zoo, and burned-out service station.


Too bad we didn't know about all of the above during our trip.  There was a lot more to see than just looking in from the road...


Next was a stop at Meteor City...at the turnoff to the well-known Meteor Crater in AZ.  Once again, Wikipedia to the rescue.

Meteor City is an abandoned tourist trap... It has an estimated elevation of 5,033 feet (1,534 m) above sea level.  Located next to Leupp Corner, it is so-named because of its proximity to Meteor Crater. Created as a tourist stop, it is the turn-off of Route 66to visit the crater. At one time the sign upon entering the town read, "Population: 1".



And lastly was a stop at the Meteor Crater itself...details from their website (yes, it's open and operating!)

The world's best preserved meteorite impact site on Earth.  Located just minutes from Interstate 40 and the old Route 66 in Northern Arizona near Winslow.  Meteor Crater is the spectacular result of a collision that rocked the American Southwest approximately 50,000 years ago with the energy of more than 20 million tons of TNT. Situated under the wide skies of the Arizona High Desert, Meteor Crater offers an interactive educational experience for the entire family in a beautiful, natural setting. The Meteor Crater Visitor Center is located on the rim of the Crater.



These destinations were memorable, ones I will never forget.  But I have more to relay - when I have the urge to write some more.

Mandy

2 comments:

  1. Mandy - you might want to check the color of your text. Coming through as hard to read.

    ReplyDelete

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