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Recent Articles from Susan Olberding
Early LDS settlements in Arizona Territory
Hearty members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints (LDS) were summoned to leave their Utah homes and settle in Arizona Territory beginning in the 1860s as LDS President Brigham Young was concerned with westward-bound wagon trains filled with non-LDS settlers wanting to move into the wide open west.
Ousting Lowell: Misdeeds of miscreant Flagstaff officials
Flagstaff’s first two decades were managed by a sound City Council determined to guide the growing town into a solid, respectable community. However, in 1906, several miscreants, led by farmer/rancher Ben Doney, got themselves elected to the City Council.
First automobile trip to the Grand Canyon
First automobile trip to the Grand Canyon People eager to see the Grand Canyon’s South Rim in 1901 traveled however they could — by foot, wagon, horse, a rollicking stage ride and railroad. Just four months after the train arrived at the South Rim, the first automobile departed Flagstaff on Saturday afternoon Jan. 4, 1902, with many townspeople present to watch, cheer and jeer.
Highway 180: A Timeless Trail
The mostly two-lane U.S. Highway 180 travels through historic, scenic and scientific regions in northern Arizona. The highway winds through Texas and New Mexico before reaching the eastern border of Arizona where it generally follows ancient paths and wagon roads that connected small communities and water sources.
‘…Going Sketching Now, Will Write Again Soon…’
The above quote is from artist Mary-Russell Ferrell Colton in a letter to her mother in Philadelphia. Colton was among the Eastern born and trained artists who relocated to Arizona in the early 20th century to experience for themselves the surreal colors in the ever-changing panorama of Arizona landscapes, the native peoples, and regional uniqueness. Their painting canvases attempted to capture wh[...]
Locating Lowell
Flagstaff was but 12 years old in 1894 and still struggling to exist, but the rough town became a topic of international attention when an eminent New Englander arrived to scout possible locations to establish an observatory. The opening of Lowell Observatory was the first of several major scientific organizations to locate in the town that was already well-known to scientists and explorers for it[...]
A forest by any other name
The July 3, 1908, edition of Flagstaff’s Coconino Sun announced: “The San Francisco Mtns and Grand Canyon(South) National Forests have been consolidated under the name of the Coconino Nation(al) Forest. While this will be confusing for a few years, it will greatly simplify the work of the Supervisor’s office.”
Navajo County Sheriff Joseph F. Woods
Etched into a piece of glass at the Navajo County Historical Society in Holbrook is the name Joseph F. Woods, sheriff, an artifact from his tenure as Navajo County sheriff.
Arizona Diary: Del Rio Springs
Del Rio Springs, near Paulden in Yavapai County, is a historic locale that has been continuously in use for thousands of years.
Veit Springs: A Home on the Mountain
An early resident in the Flagstaff area was German Ludwig Veit (pronounced Wait) who homesteaded at 8,500 feet on a slope of Mt. Agassiz, one of the peaks of San Francisco Mountain. He received a patent to the 160-acre parcel in 1891. Two springs and a relatively flat area to farm prompted Veit to select the unlikely spot where he and his family lived for two decades. Their nearest human neighbors[...]
Colter and Colton: The architect and the artist
In addition to sharing very similar names, Mary Colter and Mary-Russell Ferrell Colton both used their artistic talents to leave lasting impressions on northern Arizona.
Bringing Water to the South Rim
Common sense dictates that settlement near the south rim of the Grand Canyon should never have occurred, as the area lacks a permanent groundwater supply. As part of the Coconino Plateau, the rim slopes away from the canyon toward the southwest and precipitation drains away from the edge of the gorge. Yet the mystique and splendor of the Grand Canyon have always drawn adventurers and the curious, [...]
