Photo courtesy of the Navajo County Historical Society The Blue Bird Theater opened for business Dec. 22, 1922, in the Scorse Building on Navajo Blvd. in Holbrook. The Blue Bird was the city’s first theater, and the first movie to be shown there was “What No Man Knows,” featuring Clara Kimball-Young. The theater played four Read More…
Photo courtesy of the Old Trails Museum These ladies are sitting at the switchboard in Winslow’s first telephone company office. Service was established there in 1924, and Winslow shared a book listing phone numbers with the towns of Flagstaff and Williams. The location of the first telephone service in Winslow was 216 Kinsley Ave. For Read More…
Photo courtesy of the Old Trails Museum In January 1917, this group of Winslow men set out on a three-month adventure which took them all throughout Arizona. They carried a camera that recorded many views of them camping, fishing and hunting. The story goes that they were all fired railroaders who needed something to do Read More…
Photo courtesy of the Old Trails Museum The Renegades Car Club was active in the late 1950s and early 1960s in Winslow, and regularly held drag racing events on the runways at Lindbergh Municipal Airport. Officers of the club included (top left photo, front row, left to right) Ronnie Carlson, secretary/treasurer; Johnny Pritcard, publicity officer, Read More…
Photo courtesy of the Old Trails Museum The cantata “The Awakening of Spring” was presented on May 21, 1931, in Winslow, with 400 chil-dren from Washington School making up the cast. The children were costumed to represent snow, winter wind, rain, flowers, butterflies and fairies in order to awaken Lady Spring from her long win-ter Read More…
Photo courtesy of the Navajo County Historical Society The Petrified Forest, Painted Desert and surrounding badlands have always drawn visitors to the Holbrook area, even before they were included in the national park system. Visitors and residents alike enjoyed checking out the unusual spire formations created by years of wind and rain, and thought some Read More…
Photo courtesy of the Old Trails Museum Winslow’s world famous Santa Fe Indian Band was started in 1923 by Charlie Earickson and three Indian musician friends. Colorfully garbed in bright velveteen shirts, white trousers and squaw skirts, and wearing Indian jewelry, these Santa Fe employees at times represented up to 12 different tribes. The band Read More…
Photo courtesy of the Old Trails Museum Any town hoping to grow needed a good hotel and quickly. Frederick Clair Demarest became the first businessman in Winslow when he erected a tent hotel in 1880. He began work on the Arizona Central Hotel in 1883, and the sandstone building was complete two years later. He Read More…
Photo courtesy of the Old Trails Museum The patriotism of Winslow residents was apparent on April 16, 1918, when a Liberty Bond parade was staged to raise money for World War I. The effort involved nearly the entire population and netted nearly $21,000 in war bond sales. The old Methodist Church can be seen in Read More…
Photo courtesy of the Navajo County Historical Society Swimming has always been a favorite summer pastime for Holbrook children, and in Route 66’s heyday, Howdy Hank’s trading post in Joseph City was the place to take a cool dip. These two girls appeared in print ads enticing swimmers to come cool off at the trading Read More…
