Winslow: Exploring Arizona's wild west


Swimming holes at Lake McHood
Just 70 miles east of Flagstaff, the humble city of Winslow (pop 8,000-11,000, depending on which census figures you favor) is experiencing a subtle but steady renaissance. Once the central town of northern Arizona, Winslow was the major whistlestop on the Santa Fe Rail line for Southwest tourists and California-destined travelers. Several eras define the ambience, and elements of each can be seen and felt at this adventurous destination.

The Early Days: A Rough and Tumble Start

Winslow began as one of northern Arizona's tough, mean and drunken border towns, a stagecoach line that stretched from Flagstaff to Gallup. The cowboy towns of the late 1800's were notorious for knock-out, drag-out fist fights and drunk tanks, says La Posada Hotel manager Dan Lutzick.

"It was a rough and wild era," Lutzick begins. "People were beaten up and left for dead, lots of people were hit by the first trains, and there was a lot of the native Americans drunk culture element."

He adds that the growing popularity and luxurious appointments of the 1900's railroad revolution, twinned with construction of the glamorous La Posada Hotel, changed that early sows' ear to an enchanting silk purse.

Glory days: Winslow's Railroad Era

Winslow was, and still is, the Arizona HQ for the Santa Fe Line and a major passenger destination. Charles Lindberg himself designed the airport as the primary transcontinental stop between Chicago and LA: it's Arizona's fourth largest airport, says Lutzick.

While there are a few budget motels in town, if you are going to do the Winslow Weekend experience, it really should be at the historic La Posada Hotel.

La Posada: http://www.laposada.org/menu.htm

Built in 1929, La Posada cost a staggering $2 million to build and outfit. It was considered the Santa Fe line's premier railroad hotel. Cranky, meticulous visionary architect Mary Jane Colter was given carte blanche to create the luxe inn by railroad hotelier Fred Harvey.

Mary Colter: http://www.suite101.com/article.cfm/Sout...

The elegant inn was a showplace that welcomed the rich and famous to Arizona. The list of glitterati who stepped off the Santa Fe there is indeed daunting and includes Will Rogers, Albert Einstein, Shirley Temple, Howard Hughes, John Wayne and Clark Gable. Princes and presidents alike enjoyed the architect's theme of a gracious Basque timber-and-cattle-baron ranchero. Colter was assigned complete control over every touch, from structure, to landscaping, furniture, decorations, dinner china - even the maids' costumes.

The copyright of the article Winslow: Exploring Arizona's wild west in Southwest Outdoors is owned by Jill Florio. Permission to republish Winslow: Exploring Arizona's wild west in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

Go To Page: 1 2 3 4

Articles in this Topic    Discussions in this Topic