Flagstaff
In its early days, Flagstaff's economic base consisted of the lumber, railroad, and ranching industries. Today, that has largely been replaced by tourism, education, government, and transportation. Every year, we welcome over 5,000,000 visitors to our city.
Flagstaff, a principal railroad town located in northern Arizona, is home to Lowell Observatory and Northern Arizona University, home to the Center for High Altitude Training, a facility where athletes can train in the unique environment the city has to offer in its 7,000 feet elevation. The center has been designated by the United States Olympic Committee as an official U.S. Olympic Training Site. In 2005, Men's Journal named Flagstaff as No. 2 on its Best Places to Live list, and National Geographic cited our city in its list of "10 Great Towns That Will Make You Feel Young." The city's name commemorates a Ponderosa Pine tree that was made into a tall flagpole by members of a scouting party from Boston (known as the "Flagstaff Tea Party"), on July 4, 1876, to celebrate the United States Centennial.
Flagstaff lies near the southwestern edge of the Colorado Plateau and along the western side of the largest contiguous ponderosa pine forest in the continental United States. At an elevation of 6,910 feet, Flagstaff is located adjacent to Mount Elden, just south of the San Francisco Peaks, the highest mountain range in the state of Arizona. The San Francisco Peaks consist of several summits, including Humphreys Peak, also known as Mount Humphreys, one corner of an ancient volcano and the highest point in Arizona at 12,633 feet.
In 1855, then-Lieutenant Beale, surveyed a road from the Rio Grande in New Mexico to Fort Tejon in California, and passed over the present day spot of the city of Flagstaff. His camp was at the eastern extremity of the present city. The lieutenant had his men cut the limbs from a straight pine tree in order to fly the United States flag.
The first recognized permanent settler, Thomas F. McMillan, arrived in 1876. During the 1880s, Flagstaff began to grow, opening its first post office and attracting the booming railroad industry. By 1886, Flagstaff was the largest city on the main line between Albuquerque and the West Coast. In the early days, the railroads purchased land in the west from the Federal Government, which was then sold to individuals to help finance the railroad projects.
In 1894, Massachusetts astronomer Percival Lowell was in search of clearer skies to observe the stars and planets. He hired A. E. Douglass to scout out an ideal site for the new observatory. After an intense but colorful scouting mission in the Arizona Territory, Douglass identified Flagstaff as the best location for the now famous Lowell Observatory, with, "its good 'seeing,' dark skies, and high elevation." Two years later, the specially-designed 24-inch Clark telescope that Lowell had ordered, was installed. Thirty-four years later, Pluto was discovered using one of the observatory s telescopes. In partial homage to the city's importance in the field of astronomy, asteroid 2118 Flagstaff is named for the city and 6582 Flagsymphony is named for the Flagstaff Symphony Orchestra.
Scientific and high tech research and development operations are located in the city, including the Lowell Observatory and Northern Arizona University. Lowell Observatory continues to be an active astronomical observatory, and is currently involved in work involving observations of near-Earth phenomena such as asteroids and comets, and has a distributed network of small telescopes which together create images of celestial bodies with much higher resolutions than any other single telescope can produce.
With proximity to Grand Canyon National Park, the city also has a thriving travel and tourism industry, with numerous hotel and restaurant chains. The downtown area is home to two historic hotels, the Weatherford Hotel and the Hotel Monte Vista, which in the 40s and 50s hosted many film stars, including such notable guests as Jane Russell, Gary Cooper, Spencer Tracy, John Wayne, and Bing Crosby. In fact, a scene from the movie Casablanca was also filmed in one of the rooms of the hotel.
Other nearby tourist attractions include Walnut Canyon National Monument, Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument, Wupatki National Monument, Barringer Crater (meteor crater), The Arboretum at Flagstaff, and the Museum of Northern Arizona.
Flagstaff has garnered a reputation as a magnet for outdoor enthusiasts, and the region's varied terrain, high elevation, and amenable weather attract campers, backpackers, climbers, and mountain bikers from throughout the southwestern United States. Trail running and road cycling clubs, organized triathlon events, and annual cross country ski races attest to the area's status as a premiere recreational hub. Several major river running operators are headquartered in Flagstaff, and the city serves as a base for Grand Canyon and Colorado River expeditions.
Winter sports, including snowshoeing, Alpine and Nordic skiing, are also popular in the area, and the surrounding National Forests provide a vast network of roads and trails for winter use.
Our city is devoted to enhancing the quality of life of our citizens, as well as the many visitors that grace Northern Arizona. Come and be one of the 5,000,000 a year to discover what Flagstaff has to offer!
Source: Wikipedia Encyclopedia and Barringercrater.com
