HISTORY OF SEDONA

Geologically, the history of Sedona began about 500 millions years ago. Over a period of 300 million years, the land was alternately ocean bottom and coastal plain. Sedimentary layers of sandstone formed. Between 200 and 65 million years ago, dinosaurs roamed the land. From 65 to 20 million years ago, there were uplifts in southern Arizona and down faulting and wind erosion in northern Arizona. From 20 to 12 million years ago, volcanic activity caused the Verde Valley to down fault into a deep basin with lakebeds, creating the Mogollon Rim. About 3 million years ago, the Colorado Plateau uplifted. Since then, erosion by wind, rain and snowmelt has created Oak Creek Canyon and exposed the layers of sediment to form the spectacular red rock formations we now see in Sedona. Vegetation and wildlife evolved and migrated. The process continues today, however slowly.

Human prehistory began here about 4000 years BC when hunter-gatherers roamed and settled in the Verde Valley and Prescott areas. Between 900 and 1350 AD, a more advanced civilization began building pueblos and cliff houses. Known as the Sinagua, they were proficient in farming, had an understanding of astronomy, and made baskets, pottery and jewelry. They established trade routes with the peoples of the Pacific coast, Mexico and Central America. Archaeological evidence in Sedona's immediate environs is meager, but a few fine pots, some stone tools and baskets have been found nearby. The pueblo builders had moved on by 1400 AD, about the same time that the Yavapai and Apache peoples began to move into the area.

The first European exploration of the Verde Valley was in 1583, when Antonio de Espejo searched for gold. In 1598, Marcos Farfan de los Godas also came searching for gold. There is no evidence that either visited the greater Sedona area. They did try some prospecting in Jerome, but found only copper. The area was in the hands of Spain until Mexico gained its independence in 1821. With the treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo in 1848, the Arizona Territory became part of the United States.

Using water from Oak Creek, the homesteaders irrigated small patches of ground to raise fruit and vegetables. Some made wine, for which the Schuerman family became well known. Every homestead had a collection of chickens, turkeys, and geese, for the family table and to sell in Flagstaff. Cattle provided beef for the table and market, as well as dairy products. Most men also took advantage of the opportunities presented by the forests in the area to cut railroad ties, lumber, shingles, and firewood. Men often left the homestead for the women and children to manage while they took paying jobs in the mines or smelters.

Most of the agricultural pursuits in Sedona were for home consumption, or a limited seasonal market in Flagstaff or the mining area of Jerome. However, fruit growing-particularly apples and peaches-played a significant part in the early Sedona economy and thus is an important historic theme.

Will Jordan first began growing fruit in the Verde Valley near Clarkdale, but the smoke from the smelter damaged the trees, so Jordan moved to Sedona in 1927 and settled near Oak Creek. George and Walter Jordan took over for their father in 1930. One of the most difficult tasks was getting water to the orchard. In 1929, Walter Jordan and his brother George improved an irrigation ditch and built a water wheel to pump water from Oak Creek to the trees. George Jordan later added wells and pumps; his system provided the first commercial water supply to Sedona residents.

Other Sedona residents also grew peaches and apples. Henry Schuerman, Jr., son of 1885 homesteader Henry Schuerman, grew peaches near the Red Rock Crossing. His nephew, Fred Schuerman, had an even larger peach orchard. Other growing locations in the Sedona area included the Charles Allen homestead (now Junipine Resort). His son-in-law, Tom Anderson, grew fruit to sell at a roadside store. Tom Pendley grew Red and Golden Delicious apples on the homestead of his father Frank (now Slide Rock State Park).

Cattle ranching also played a significant role in Sedona's history. Herds were driven to high ground on the Mogollon Rim to graze in summer and returned to the Red Rock area in winter. Cattlemen leased grazing right on the National Forest lands.

The first settler, J. J. Thompson, blazed a steep trail from Indian Gardens to the top of the rim; this became known as "Thompson's ladder." He left his wagons at the top where they could be loaded for trips to Flagstaff. Later he built a road where Jordan Road is today, and on around Steamboat Rock across Wilson Canyon and on to his homestead.

In 1902, John Loy and Ellsworth Schnebly wanted to build a road up out of the canyon. Following an old cow path, it was first called Munds Road. The county allocated $600 for the project, and the residents pitched in with money and labor. It has since been known as Schnebly Hill Road. In 1914, two crews built the bridge at Oak Creek Falls, completing a direct link to Flagstaff.

Improved transportation gave the settlers access to markets for their agricultural products in Flagstaff, Jerome, and elsewhere. The increased access to the world at large also worked in reverse - the miners, other workers and tourists found opportunities for relaxation in Oak Creek and Sedona.

The impact of the Great Depression (1930-39) was not felt as much in Sedona as in most of the United States. Life was already basic and hard, so the contrast was not as great as in more affluent and developed parts of the country. Most people here were relatively self-sufficient, raising crops and cattle that they could use and barter for other needs.

Some found work at the Smelter in Clarkdale. Many local men worked on various county, state and federal projects such as the building of roads. Albert Purtymun was a foreman for the State of Arizona building Highway 79 North through Oak Creek Canyon, and Roe Smith worked for the P.D. Construction Co., which finished the job in 1939. Roe's brother, Ira, and other locals provided teams and wagons. Parts of Highway 79 were soon rerouted and rebuilt, and in 1941 the road was re-designated as Highway 89A.

The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), a federal program that created jobs during the depression era, built a large camp that later was converted to become the Sedona Lodge, now the site of the Kings Ransom motel. The CCC worked on Schnebly Hill Road, built the U.S. Forest Service barn in 1934, and other public works, bringing men in from other parts of the nation.

Most of the local men also worked on construction of Page Springs Road, alternating two weeks per month. Myron Samuel Loy helped to build Midgely Bridge as a worker for another federal organization, the WPA (Works Progress Administration). Roy Owenby, Roe Smith and others found work at the Clemenceau smelter in the Verde Valley.

The USFS Pump House, on Oak Creek on the northwest side of the bridge, was built by the CCC. This river rock structure was built in the 1930s to pump water from the creek to supply farmers, who hauled it in drums to their crops; to serve homes along the creek; and, the U.S. Forest Service who also used it to fill a tank that supplied its buildings and the Sedona School.

In the 1930s, hundreds of "dust bowl refugees" migrated through the area on their way to California. Their impact was felt largely because they over-hunted the deer, and stole gasoline from resident's cars. A few of them settled in Sedona, including the Cook and Newton families.

Sedona experienced its most dramatic changes after World War II. The tremendous growth that accompanied this change has obliterated many of the early historic landmarks, necessitating plans to preserve those that remain. There were few structures in Sedona in 1950-much of the built environment of the area is a recent phenomenon. A few buildings and sites from the early years of Sedona do remain, but some have been altered.

In 1948, the Verde Valley School was established west of the present Village of Oak Creek, exposing the area to many potential new residents. The following year, citizens organized the Sedona-Oak Creek Chamber of Commerce. Hollywood used the red rock region as a backdrop for numerous movies during the Golden Age of Westerns.

The discovery in 1951 of a groundwater aquifer under West Sedona opened the way for several new housing developments. Retirees became attracted to the area. Other new residents came for the spiritual and reflective atmosphere, and formed an artistic community. The Chapel of the Holy Cross was built in 1955-56. Later visitors came for more secular reasons, lured partly by the building of the Tlaquepaque shopping center in 1971. Between 1970 and 1987, population in the Sedona area increased from 2700 to 9000.

The Sedona area's earliest schools were built and run by residents without government support. The first school was a one-room building at the Schuerman property on Lower Red Rock Loop Road in 1892. Olive Welch was the teacher and there were seven children. In 1899, a one-room log school became the first in Oak Creek Canyon. In the early days, some ranchers and USFS employees migrated to high country and up the canyon in summer. In the winter they moved back to Red Rock so the children could attend school. By 1912 the Sedona area had enough students to merit a third school. The land for the Brewer School was leased from homesteader Frank Owenby. This building was expanded in 1930 to three rooms with an auditorium and a bathroom with indoor plumbing.

Sedona had no high school. Yavapai County students went to Cottonwood, and Coconino students were bused up the icy switchbacks to Flagstaff. By special act of the state legislature, Sedonans were able to vote for their own school district, and in 1995 the Sedona Red Rock High School opened to students.

The inspiring vistas of Sedona have lured movie location scouts seeking a bigger than life backdrop for cinematic productions. The same scenery which today draws tourists first drew Hollywood directors and camera crews to Sedona, making for a curious contrast with the early hardscrabble pioneers of the homestead era. The lure of the Sedona area continues to this day as a location for feature film and TV scenes, commercials and music videos, although continuing development has reduced the variety of shots available to directors.

The first film shot in the Sedona area was Call of the Canyon, based on Zane Grey's novel of the same name. This 1923 silent film was shot on location in Oak Creek Canyon near the site of Mayhew's Lodge, and exposed the scenic wonders of the red rock region to a new audience. Through the next four decades, many more Westerns and other movies were filmed in Sedona.

Stars like John Wayne, Sterling Hayden, Robert Young, Dick Powell, and Joan Crawford came to Sedona to make movies. One of the favored locations was near Coffee Pot Rock. In 1945 a small frontier town set was constructed near the site by Republic Pictures for use in "Angel and the Badman." This set was used in several later films, but was torn down to make room for a residential subdivision called Sedona West, where names of movies are recorded in the street names, such as Pony Soldier Road, Flaming Arrow Way, Johnny Guitar and Last Wagon Drive, leaving a lasting legacy of this unusual period in Sedona history.

During the film hayday of the 1940s, the CCC camp buildings were converted into the Sedona Lodge (on the site of the current day King's Ransom Inn) and the Sedona Sound Stage was built next door. Other new businesses cropped up to cater to the needs of movie crews. The movie industry provided a small economic boom for the community as local residents were employed as carpenters, extras and livestock wranglers.

To date, nearly 100 films and numerous television productions have been shot partially or entirely on location in Sedona. Development of the city now limits the scenes and backdrops available to film crews. More recent films have been The Karate Kid, The Quick and the Dead, Nobody's Fool, and Midnight Run.

As early as 1895, Lou Thomas turned Bear Howard's cabin into a two-story hunting fishing lodge. It was there that Zane Grey was inspired to write his book Call of the Canyon, which he turned into Sedona's first movie. In 1925, the property was sold to Carl Mayhew who operated it as Mayhew's Lodge. It became a favorite destination for prominent movie stars, politicians, and writers. Guests included Lord Halifax, President Herbert Hoover, Clark Gable, Susan Hayward, Cesar Romero, Jimmy Stewart, Walt Disney, and Maureen O'Hara. The U.S. Forest Service acquired the property and made plans to renovate the structure, but tragically the lodge burned to the ground in 1980.

Miners and smelter workers from Jerome and Clarkdale continued to find the area attractive for hunting and fishing. The Hart Store, built in 1924, was a sort of general store and community center that became the nucleus of the growing community. In 1930, the Harts constructed a dairy to supply the store and the needs of Sedona's residents and tourists.

With improved transportation during the 1930s, others discovered the beauty of Sedona. Local residents catered to the tourist trade by building small cabins along the road and creek for overnight stays.

After World War II, increased leisure time and greater mobility led to a boom in the tourism industry. In 1945, the Sunset Court and the Cook Cabins were constructed to meet the residential needs of the traveler. The Oak Creek Tavern and Oak Creek Market were also constructed in 1945.

Even though improved access opened the Sedona area to greater numbers of visitors, in the early 1960s it was still a location of seclusion and privacy. Some came to the area just to get away from it all and to spend their time in quiet contemplation to work on their writing or art. Sedona residents worked hard to maintain the beauty of their area so that it would remain an attractive destination. In the mid-1960s, the Sedona-Oak Creek Chamber of Commerce began a successful campaign to remove billboards from roads in the area.

The real boom in Sedona tourism came in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Local ranchers and homesteaders sold property to developers. The Doodlebug Ranch and the Jordan orchards were transformed into homes designed for retirees. Shopping centers and resorts were built for a new type of tourist who came as often for shopping as to view the magnificent scenery. The Tlaquepaque complex was built by Abe Miller beginning in 1971.

Today tourism is the largest sector of Sedona's economy. In 1990, researcher Teresa O'Neill estimated that three million tourists visited the town that year. This massive influx changed the character of Sedona, as merchants designed and constructed facilities to cater to the tourist trade. From 1976 to 1986, the number of tourist-oriented enterprises in Sedona grew from 75 to more than 175. The 1997 estimate was more than four million visitors, drawn by the magnificent scenery of Sedona and the outdoor activities available.

Sedona has long served as a lure to the artistic and religious community who found inspiration and guidance in the red rocks for their activities. The theme of arts and religion is a prominent one in Sedona for the period following World War II.

Sedona serves as a location for all kinds of artistic interpretations. Hundreds of well-known artists have called the red rocks home. One of the first was Nassan Gobran of Egypt who arrived in 1950. Gobran was instrumental in organizing the Summer Art Institute at the Sedona Arts Center. In the 1960s, cowboy artist Joe Beeler arrived in Sedona and provided a different emphasis. During an organizational meeting held at the Oak Creek Tavern in 1965, Beeler and artists Charlie Dye, George Phippen, Robert MacLeod, and John Hampton formed the Cowboy Artists of America. Other internationally known artists who worked here in the 1940s-1960s included Max Ernst and Bela Horvath. By 1986, Sedona had dozens of art galleries.