Flagstaff, AZ: From Past to Present

This article is presented by the child sexual abuse lawyers of Flagstaff. We hope you learn something interesting about the city.

Summary of Flagstaff

Flagstaff is a city in northern Arizona. As the county seat of Coconino County, it is located within the San Francisco volcanic field near the southwestern border of the Colorado Plateau. The area that is now Flagstaff was once settled by the pre-Columbian culture of the Sinagua people. When they left in the early 1400s, the Yavapai tribe and Northern Tonto Apache tribes moved into the area.

In 1871, the first non-Native settlement was established by Edward Whipple in the area when a saloon on the wagon road to California. In 1876, Thomas F. McMillian constructed a cabin north of the current main town. It would be the first permanent settlement in the area. As Flagstaff grew over the decade, it became the largest city on the rail line between the west coast of the U.S. and Albuquerque. When the county of Coconino was established in 1891, it was chosen as the county seat. In 1894, the Lowell Observatory was built on Mars Hill under the recommendation of A. E. Douglass, and Flagstaff was incorporated as a town.

In the early 20th century, Flagstaff saw its first boom in tourism. It became known as the City of Seven Wonders because it was home to the following natural wonders:

• Coconino National Forest
• Grand Canyon
• Oak Creek Canyon
• San Francisco Peaks
  • The highest mountain range in Arizona and a sacred site in the Hopi culture.
• Sunset Crater
• Walnut Canyon
• Wupatki National Mountain

The construction of Route 66 was finished in 1926 and ran through the town. Within the same year, the Santa Fe Railroad developed a new depot in the area. Flagstaff became a popular tourist stop which led to tourism taking over its traditional industries. In 1928, Flagstaff was incorporated as a city. In 1930, Pluto was discovered at the Lowell Observatory. Technology from the observatory was also used by the United States Geological Survey to map the Moon for safe landing sites during the 1960s Appollo program. In 1955, the U.S. Naval Observatory Flagstaff Station was created.

During the 1970s and 1980s, baby boomers began to move their families into the city of Flagstaff. However, infrastructure did not expand as the population in the city grew. As historic buildings in the downtown area were destroyed to construct new ones, many businesses moved out of the uninviting area. Nonetheless, a decade later, the city was on its path to redevelopment. The Main Street programs for preservation-based revitalization were supported as many shops and restaurants incorporated aspects of the city's historical appeal. On October 24, 2001, the city of Flagstaff was recognized as the world's first "International Dark-Sky City" by the International Dark-Sky Association.

The name Flagstaff came from a flagstaff erected at the spring – the Antelope and Old Town Spring – at the foot of Mars Hill where McMillan's sheep camp was. Today, Flagstaff has a total area of 63.9 square miles. At the 2019 census, its population was estimated to be 75,038 people. The Rio de Flag river flows through the city.

Also take a Visit to Casas Adobes, Arizona.

Grand Canyon National Park

The Grand Canyon National Park is located in the northwestern portion of Arizona, near the city of Flagstaff. It encompasses 1,217,262 acres of unincorporated area in the counties of Coconino and Mohave. Considered one of the Wonders of the World, its main feature is the Grand Canyon, a gorge of the Colorado River. In 1979, UNESCO designated the Grand Canyon as a World Heritage Site. In 2017, more than six million visitors visited the park. On February 26, 2019, it celebrated its 100th anniversary.

Orpheum Theater

The Orpheum Theater was opened in 1911 by John Weatherford. As the first movie theater in Flagstaff, it was named the Majestic Opera House. After it collapsed due to heavy snowfall in the area, the Orpheum Theater was rebuilt in 1917 and expanded. It operated until 1999. In 2002, the Orpheum Theater reopened as a concert venue featuring a wide variety of live performances and acts. It is currently owned by Charles Smith.

Lowell Observatory

Lowell Observatory is among one of the oldest observatories in the U.S. Founded in 1894 by astronomer Percival Lowell, it was where Clyde Tombaugh discovered the dwarf planet Pluto in 1930. In 1965, the observatory was designated as a National History Landmark. TIME listed it in "The World's 100 Most Important Places" in 2011.

Our Local Office

Are you in need of a Flagstaff child sexual abuse attorney? Our team at Abuse Guardian in Flagstaff has many years of experience in handling abuse cases and is here to help you fight for your justice every step of the way. Call our office today to schedule a free consultation.