Located
at the junction
of the Rio
Puerco and
Little Colorado
rivers, Holbrook
is a high
desert town
steeped in
Wild West
history. It
is also a
good jumping
off point
for the Petrified
National Forest
and the Hopi,
Navajo and
Apache reservations
to the north.
In 1882, a
railroad station
was built
at Horsehead
Crossing and
the town's
named was
changed to
Holbrook in
honor of the
Atlantic &
Pacific Railroad
chief engineer,
H. R. Holbrook.
In time,
the town
became well-known
as a cattle
shipping
depot for
the famous
Aztec Ranch
which, at
its peak,
ran 60,000
steers.
Texan cowboys
were recruited
to manage
the herds.
As author
Marshall
Trimble
noted in
his Roadside
History
of Arizona,
"...many
of these
punches
left Texas
to seek
greener
pastures
because
they were
not wanted
in Texas
and that
a good many
others left
because
they were
wanted in
Texas."
The presence
of this
much beef
proved irresistible
to many
unsavory
characters,
and set
the scene
for one
of Arizona's
most epic
gunfights.
Holbrook,
at an elevation
of 5,080
feet, became
the county
seat of
Navajo County
in 1895.
Today, it
remains
an important
trade center
for northeastern
Arizona.
From Flagstaff,
take I-40
west 60
miles to
Holbrook.
The
Holbrook
Visitor
Center
and Museum,
located
in an
1898 yellow
brick
courthouse,
features
exhibits
on local
history,
including
the town's
old jail
cells.
(928)
524-6558.
Petrified
Forest
National
Park.
This fascinating
93,533-acre
park features
one of
the world's
largest
and most
colorful
concentrations
of petrified
wood.
(928)
524-6228.
St. George Golf Guide: Contains essential info about the golf scene in St. George, including course and hotel info.
Located
at the junction
of the Rio
Puerco and
Little Colorado
rivers, Holbrook
is a high
desert town
steeped in
Wild West
history. It
is also a
good jumping
off point
for the Petrified
National Forest
and the Hopi,
Navajo and
Apache reservations
to the north.
In 1882, a
railroad station
was built
at Horsehead
Crossing and
the town's
named was
changed to
Holbrook in
honor of the
Atlantic &
Pacific Railroad
chief engineer,
H. R. Holbrook.
