roadhound Posted May 20, 2007 Report Share Posted May 20, 2007 (edited) As promised in a previous posting I am putting up a few photos from a recent trip to Arizona last April. During our stay in the Grand Canyon we took a day trip to Flagstaff and points east. In the spirit of "Keep the Show on the Road" I am attempting to provide some information about the subject matter that I have been able to gather. If there are any errors in the text below please let me know. East of Flagstaff on I-40 is the town of Two Guns. Two Guns was originally called Canyon Lodge until the name was changed by Henry "Two Gun" Miller around the time that the National Trail was renamed as Route 66. Canyon Lodge was a natural crossing point of Canyon Diablo first when wagons were heading westward and later when autos became prevelent. During the heyday of Route 66 Two Guns was a stopping point that featured overnight accomodations, food, and a zoo. Two Guns is easily visible from the highway and can be accessed from the Two Guns exit. Campground Entrance Mountain Lion Enclosure Route 66 crossing of Canyon Diablo North of Two Guns is the remains of the settlement of Canyon Diablo. Canyon Diablo originated in 1880 when construction of the railroad was halted until a bridge was built over the nearby canyon. Financial difficulties caused further delays and the bridge was finally completed in 1890. The settlement had no law enforcement and earned the reputation as being meaner than Tombstone and Dodge City combined. The shacks that lined the main street hosted saloons, gambling dens, and brothels that stayed open 24 hours a day. The main street was aptly know as "Hell Street." A stagecoach ran between Canyon Diablo and Flagstaff. When the town got its first peace officer he allegedly put the badge on at 3:00 p.m. and was laid out for burial at 8:00 p.m. Five other men also took the position none of which lasted more than a month before they too were killed. The town died after the railroad bridge was built and little of the original settlement remains today. The largest visible structure is a standing wall and foundation of a trading post built when the site was the railhead for Flagstaff and Prescott. Many car bodies lie about the area and ground is littered with broken glass and rusted tin. Canyon Diablo The Canyon Diablo site is approximately 5 miles north of I-40 on the north side of the railroad tracks. The dirt road is very rough and a high clearance vehicle is recommended. Edited May 20, 2007 by roadhound Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keep the Show on the Road! Posted May 20, 2007 Report Share Posted May 20, 2007 As promised in a previous posting I am putting up a few photos from a recent trip to Arizona last April. During our stay in the Grand Canyon we took a day trip to Flagstaff and points east. In the spirit of "Keep the Show on the Road" I am attempting to provide some information about the subject matter that I have been able to gather. If there are any errors in the text below please let me know. East of Flagstaff on I-40 is the town of Two Guns. Two Guns was originally called Canyon Lodge until the name was changed by Henry "Two Gun" Miller around the time that the National Trail was renamed as Route 66. Canyon Lodge was a natural crossing point of Canyon Diablo first when wagons were heading westward and later when autos became prevelent. During the heyday of Route 66 Two Guns was a stopping point that featured overnight accomodations, food, and a zoo. Two Guns is easily visible from the highway and can be accessed from the Two Guns exit. Campground Entrance Mountain Lion Enclosure Route 66 crossing of Canyon Diablo North of Two Guns is the remains of the settlement of Canyon Diablo. Canyon Diablo originated in 1880 when construction of the railroad was halted until a bridge was built over the nearby canyon. Financial difficulties caused further delays and the bridge was finally completed in 1890. The settlement had no law enforcement and earned the reputation as being meaner than Tombstone and Dodge City combined. The shacks that lined the main street hosted saloons, gambling dens, and brothels that stayed open 24 hours a day. The main street was aptly know as "Hell Street." A stagecoach ran between Canyon Diablo and Flagstaff. When the town got its first peace officer he allegedly put the badge on at 3:00 p.m. and was laid out for burial at 8:00 p.m. Five other men also took the position none of which lasted more than a month before they too were killed. The town died after the railroad bridge was built and little of the original settlement remains today. The largest visible structure is a standing wall and foundation of a trading post built when the site was the railhead for Flagstaff and Prescott. Many car bodies lie about the area and ground is littered with broken glass and rusted tin. Canyon Diablo The Canyon Diablo site is approximately 5 miles north of I-40 on the north side of the railroad tracks. The dirt road is very rough and a high clearance vehicle is recommended. Rick. Terrific photos! I'm not surprised. Your work is outstsnding. Folks should visit your website. It looks like you may have crossed the bridge. We didn't, but I have wondered what that structure across the canyon fron the Mountail Lion cages was. Will you be posting more of the Route 66 trip? Keep the Show on the Road! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roadhound Posted May 20, 2007 Author Report Share Posted May 20, 2007 Rick. Terrific photos! I'm not surprised. Your work is outstsnding. Folks should visit your website. It looks like you may have crossed the bridge. We didn't, but I have wondered what that structure across the canyon fron the Mountail Lion cages was. Will you be posting more of the Route 66 trip? Keep the Show on the Road! I didn't cross the bridge and explore the other side of the canyon. It may not be too apparent in the photos but the wind was blowing hard and those clouds that give the image such a dramatic look were soon upon us. As I got near the bridge, and was going to walk over it, the the rain started and I ran for the shelter of my vehicle. I did attempt to take some pictures before the rain got too heavy but they all have horizontal streaks on them caused by the raindrops falling sideways. Here's a couple of shots of the bridge. Rick Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keep the Show on the Road! Posted May 20, 2007 Report Share Posted May 20, 2007 I didn't cross the bridge and explore the other side of the canyon. It may not be too apparent in the photos but the wind was blowing hard and those clouds that give the image such a dramatic look were soon upon us. As I got near the bridge, and was going to walk over it, the the rain started and I ran for the shelter of my vehicle. I did attempt to take some pictures before the rain got too heavy but they all have horizontal streaks on them caused by the raindrops falling sideways. Here's a couple of shots of the bridge. Rick Rick, you have been holding out! The first of these two shots is superb! It makes me want to go back and see that site again. The lighting is exceptional. I really enjoyed the Mountain Lion building at Two Guns, but I didn’t cross the bridge. But about 10 minutes after we arrived, a little Volkswagen bug zoomed across the bridge to the big ruin, so I know it was safe to do so. I have said before that I dismissed Route 66 as over rated until we did the winter trip. Now I am thinking about doing it again with more care, and going further east. I hope you will add other photos. Keep the Show on the Road! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roadhound Posted May 20, 2007 Author Report Share Posted May 20, 2007 Rick, you have been holding out! The first of these two shots is superb! It makes me want to go back and see that site again. The lighting is exceptional. I really enjoyed the Mountain Lion building at Two Guns, but I didn’t cross the bridge. But about 10 minutes after we arrived, a little Volkswagen bug zoomed across the bridge to the big ruin, so I know it was safe to do so. I have said before that I dismissed Route 66 as over rated until we did the winter trip. Now I am thinking about doing it again with more care, and going further east. I hope you will add other photos. Keep the Show on the Road! Thanks for the comment and I am glad that my photos are inspiring you to revisit this site. My regret on this trip was not having enough time to thoroughly explore the area. The destination for the family was the Grand Canyon and while that was mine too I also wanted to explore some of the old roadways nearby and along the way. I hope to go back someday too and take it at a slower pace than I did this last time. Rick More photos to come. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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