These 13 Photos Of Arizona From The Early 1900s Are Beyond Fascinating
By Monica Spencer|Published February 24, 2018
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Monica Spencer
Author
Monica is a Diné (Navajo) freelance writer and photographer based in the Southwest. Born in Gallup and raised in Phoenix, she is Tódich'ii'nii (Bitter Water People) and Tsi'naajinii (Black Streak Wood People). Monica is a staff writer for Only In Your State, photo editor for The Mesa Legend, and previously a staff writer for The Navajo Post. You can reach her at monica.d.spencer@gmail.com.
Have you ever wondered what life would have been like in previous eras? It’s always fun to imagine how your own life might have played out in a previous decade or century—who might you have been and what would your life have looked like, especially here in Arizona.
Well, life in Arizona would have been strikingly different just over a century ago. It only received statehood in 1912, there was no air conditioning, and your primary mode of transportation would have been your own feet with a horse or burro a close second. Let’s take a look at some photos of life in the early 1900s here in Arizona.
1. On Second Mesa on the Hopi reservation, a group of children sit on top of two burros in 1901. Where do you think they’re headed?
3. In a different time, people used to arrive to hotels and restaurants in style! Here’s a 1905 party arriving at the Grand Canyon’s El Tovar Hotel in a carriage and on horseback.
5. Think back to the last time you were in Williams and imagine the old train station. Now, check out this photo from 1910! What has changed in the last century?
6. Located just outside the Bartlett Hotel in Jerome is this 1910 burro train ready to head out! We find this one fascinating because very little exists of the hotel these days.
7. Logging used to be big business in Arizona’s mountainous regions, like you see in this phot from 1912 in Coconino National Forest. By the way, each of those massive logs are 16 feet long!
Those were some fascinating photos, don’t you think? Which photo stood out to you most? If you want to see more interesting photos, you might want to see some of the Great Depression. You can see a selection of photos shot around the state in 25 Rare Photos Taken In Arizona During The Great Depression.
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