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Recent Articles from Susan Olberding
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, [...]
Healer of the Lonely Dell
On Christmas Day in 1871, Emma Batchelor Lee, her soon-to-be infamous husband, and six young children arrived at a desolate location next to the Colorado River in between Grand and Glen canyons that would become their new home. She originally called the site ‘Lonely Dell,’ but the area would become better known as Lee’s Ferry.
Escaping from the Phoenix Indian School
Anglos moving into the Arizona Territory during the late 1800s believed that the Native Americans already there should be acclimated into Anglo culture. During that time, Indian boarding schools were built and native children were removed from their homes and placed into these schools. For one Hopi, however, going to the Phoenix Indian School was a choice he made reluctantly out of respect for his[...]
A Fire in their eyes: Aldo Leopold’s Arizona
Forester Aldo Leopold’s presence in the Southwest is well-documented and his status as a steward of nature continues to grow. His time in Arizona helped hone his values which are still respected and discussed today.
Kaibab Plateau – The Waterless Mountain
The road from Jacob Lake to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon is a lovely journey through grassy parks surrounded by spruce and fir trees at a an altitude of more than 8,000 feet. The pleasant coolness refreshes after travelling through the beautiful, yet harsh, high desert of the Vermillion Cliffs and House Rock Valley. The lack of streams and lakes on the plateau has limited human settlement the[...]
Whist: Rules for Women in the 1890s
Whist, a precursor to the card game bridge, was taken seriously enough in Holbrook to have rules — specifically for women — printed in the local newspaper in the mid 1890s.
The ‘Hart’ of Hart Prairie
On the western slopes of the San Francisco Peaks near Flagstaff is a beautiful area known as Hart Prairie. Its 8,500-foot elevation suggests short summers and long, cold winters, but surprisingly; it was one of the first areas around Flagstaff to be homesteaded because of its lush grasses, bountiful timber and readily available water.
Brief rise and fall of the Arizona Cattle Company
Hidden behind buildings and a school playground along busy Highway 180 in Flagstaff is one of the few remaining historic barns in Arizona. If the walls could talk, they would tell of the ranching life in the 1880s and the quick rise and fall of its probable builders, the Arizona Cattle Company.
UN rights experts criticize Arizona law
Six U.N. human rights experts say a new law on illegal immigration in Arizona could violate international standards that are binding in the U.S.
