History – RDZ Photography

Douglas, Arizona – January 2023 – Gadsden Hotel

Our last stop in Douglas is the historic Gadsden Hotel.

Completed during the Douglas boomtime of 1907, the hotel was destroyed by a fire in 1928 and rebuilt by the same architect who designed all the other important buildings in town, El Paso architect Henry Trost.

It is a majestic building for such a small town.

Legend has it that Pancho Villa rode his horse up these stairs, resulting in a chip in the 7th step up. How, you say, can the staircases have damage from Pancho Villa, who died in 1923, when the hotel burned in 1928.

They, along with the columns, survived the fire.

The painting at the top of the stairs is titled Cave Creek Canyon – Chiricahua Mountain by Audley Dean Nichols.

Bisbee resident Michael Page is a set designer who has done significant work in Hollywood, and has used these staircases as inspiration for a set he completed for the Oscar’s.

In addition to being inspirations, it has been featured in movies, including the Paul Newman movie The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean.

The 42′ long mural at the top of the stairs was completed by Ralph Baker – who was a Tiffany protege.

The columns have gold leafing on them.

A closer look at one of the skylights.

The hotel still uses the old school keys, waiting behind the receptionist desk.

Adding to the overall retro feel is the shoe shine stand, telephone booths and water fountain.

There are conquistador statues gracing the staircase.

The Cafe 333 is the onsite restaurant. It too has the panache to match the rest of the hotel.

In addition to the restaurant they have the Saddle and Spur Tavern.

The Gadsden Hotel is a real treasure of Southern Arizona.

Douglas, Arizona – January 2023 – A Historic Border Town

Architecture, History, Transportation

The town of Douglas, Arizona was founded in 1905 as a copper smelting center. It sits directly on the border, across from Agua Prieta Sonora Mexico. For decades the two towns functioned as one.

As with most towns and cities in Southern Arizona it has a history of Native American, Mexican and European cultures.

The town very early on had an airport that attracted cross country flights, including Amelia Earhart who stopped by during a 1929 Women’s Air Derby.

It was known as the world’s first international airport since the runway crossed the border – not anymore.

The town has many historic buildings, including the former El Paso and Southwestern Railroad depot at the north end of town. It now serves as the police headquarters.

Completed in 1913 it is said to have an impressive interior, but sadly we were unable to see inside.

The Avenue Hotel consists of two buildings. The left one is made of adobe and dates from 1901. The one on the right is a 1915 brick building.

It is now a B & B.

The 1919 Grand Theater was the center of cultural events for Douglas. While it closed as a theater decades ago, it is in the process of being restored, albeit slowly. This is understandable given the significant cost for such a small town.

The Brophy Building was completed during the boom years in 1907. It was designed by famed El Paso architect Henry Trost.

It too is waiting for someone with the love, and money, to restore to it’s former glory.

This small building has had a varied history. Another Henry Trost building, it was completed in 1913 as the Airdome Theater.

It closed as a theater and became a Chevrolet dealership in the 1920s. The depression took out the dealership and it became a supermarket.

In the 1940s it became a USO canteen serving the thousands of soldiers from a nearby Army Air Corp training center. Later it became a real estate and insurance office. Today is still serves as a financial advisor’s office, and a copy center. They should call it the cat building as it seems to have had 9 lives.

Our final stop in Douglas is the Gadsden Hotel, which is featured in the next posting by itself.

Douglas is a pleasant little city with some interesting history.

Glendale, Arizona – January 2023 – Katsina & Kachina Figurines

Art, History, Museum

In the middle of the Martin Auto Museum is a collection of Katsina & Kachina figurines. They are essentially the same thing only a Katsina is Hopi whereas a Kachina is a Navajo/Diné.

The figurines were traditionally given to the young during ceremonies to teach them of the culture and history, as well as hope for the future. They were not designed to be played with, rather studied and celebrated. The wikipedia page for Katsina/Kachina’s provides a good overview of the history and meaning of the designs. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hopi_Kachina_figure

I welcome any corrections to the identifications of the individual figurines.

The first two are actually Ezra Brooks Whiskey decanters. The company started producing these in the 1970s but had to stop as they were violating the copyrights that the Hopi had on them. This then caused the ones that did exist to become valuable.

This is an example of a Navajo/Diné dancer.

A Hopi dancer.

Mixed in with the figurines is this non Katsina brass Kokopelli.

A Navajo/Diné warrior.

Internet research is mixed on the identification of the next ones – most seem to say Hopi, but not all.

Regardless of their origins( Hopi or Navajo/Diné), the figurines are beautiful, with great histories.

Benson, Arizona – January 2023 – Gammons Gulch Movie Set

Architecture, History

For more than 40 years Jay Gammon and his wife Joann have been building structures for their old west movie set. According to IMDB more than 40 productions have filmed there, which I am certain is a low count.

Today Jay is in a nursing home and his wife Joann, with the help of others continue to maintain the set. On this day Joann unlocked the building but their dog Gus was our main tour guide, as he seemed walk around with a ‘follow me’ attitude.

There are a number of buildings that make a perfect old west town set.

The set/town includes all the required buildings including a saloon with swinging doors and an old piano. Joann told us one of the film productions said ‘we need a saloon for our filming – is it ok if we build one?’ Of course she said yes!

The town hall with a 1931 Buick parked inside, as well as a number of items celebrating the renown 1934 capture of John Dillinger in Tucson.

The building itself was once a flour mill in Safford, Arizona. It was deconstructed and brought piece by piece back to Gammons Gulch and reassembled as the town hall.

They have done a great job of collecting items for each building, like these cool old keys for the jail cells.

Once Joann had unlocked all of the buildings she gave us a brief overview and said ‘have a good time’, and off we went exploring.

This building is their Welcome Center, and they proudly note that the walls came from a building in Benson, and the large beam on the ceiling came from a 1920s ‘house of ill repute’ in Tucson.

The Mercantile Building was constructed onsite, but like all of the others is filled with items they collected over the years.

These buildings change their signs to reflect whatever each production company needs them to be. In addition they serve as the dressing rooms for the cast.

The church/school at the end of town had the gallows just outside, along with a nearby cemetery. The church/school was constructed for a 2009 movie called ‘Mattie’.

The cross is easily removed when it is supposed to be a school.

The trunks waiting on the 3:10 to Yuma.

In addition to the old car in the town hall, there are a couple of other classic rides parked around town. This backside of the main street serves as a 1920s setting.

A nearby hill provided a nice overview of the town and the surrounding area. Joann and Gus the dog are happy to have you visit, but call ahead as they often have filming occurring – they told me one of the guys from Dukes of Hazard was in town this week to film something.

Tucson – October 2022 – Presidio San Agustin del Tucson

Architecture, History, Museum

The Spanish Army, led by an Irish mercenary Captain Hugh O’Conor, established a fort in what became Tucson in the 1780s. All or part of the fort was in use until the last of the original walls came down in the early 1900s.

An archaeological excavation occurred between 2001 and 2006 resulting in the recreation of the northeast corner of the fort.

Today re-enactors demonstrate life as the community would have been in the early 1800s.

Some of the buildings that are now part of the Presidio were once homes dating from the late 1800s and early 1900s.

A large mural on one wall depicts life as it was in the presidios heyday.

Chloride, Arizona – October 2022 – Art in Unusual Places

Architecture, Art, History

The dusty little town of Chloride is about 15 miles northwest of Kingman, just off the main highway. I had found a website detailing some interesting murals painted on the rocks and decided it would be a good stop to stretch the legs coming back from Las Vegas.

As we rolled into town it was immediate apparent the local folks have a unique approach to art.

Most of the town had something in their yards.

Even the abandoned gas station had character.

As we left the town we saw the signs for the murals….

We had been on a lot of dusty, bumpy dirt and gravel roads on this trip, but after a couple of miles we continued to run into washes and other challenges, eventually deciding we had made it this far without a flat tire, and now wasn’t the time so we turned back.

This website details the murals – hopefully you have better luck than we did and actually make it to them.

https://www.visitchlorideaz.com/murals

Salt Lake City – September 2022 – Utah State Capitol

Architecture, History, Museum

The Utah State Capitol sits on the aptly named Capitol Hill above downtown Salt Lake City. Completed in 1916 it’s style is similar to most of the state capitol buildings in the U.S.

As always this posting is not meant to document all the features of the building, rather to reflect on some of the more photogenic views.

The lions guarding the side of the building were originally made out of concrete, but were replaced during a 4 year overall capitol restoration project ending in 2008. They are now made out of Italian marble, and were completed by Nick Fairplay.

This glass window features the ubiquitous Utah beehive. The beehive symbolizes the belief that the community works together as a whole to improve life for all.

One of the two grand marble staircases. Each staircase has a massive mural depicting the mormon settlement of Utah.

The rotunda ceiling. When the building was first completed the rotunda remained unfinished for 20 years until the cyclorama was completed in 1934.

The artwork around the rotunda was completed at the same time.

This bust is of the native Ute hunter and fur trader Unca Sam.

Nearby is a bust of Ute leader John Duncan.

Noted Utah inventor Philo T Farnsworth is also featured on the 4th floor gallery. Among his many discoveries Farnsworth is credited with inventing the first complete television.

Also from the 4th floor many of the details visible.

Provo, Utah – September 2022 – Signs, Signs Everywhere There’s Signs

Art, History, Museum, Transportation

Like most cities Provo, Utah has a sign ordnance dictating the size and placements of advertising signs. Fortunately the Lakeside Storage Facility is either not in the city of Provo, or has an exemption as they have an amazing collection of petroliana (items relating to the gasoline industry).

We happened upon this place just after they opened their office for the day. The young lady in the office said that we could walk around all we like!

But it is not just signs they have….

There are multiple small airplanes on top of the storage units.

Most of the signs date from the 1940s through the 1970s, in various states of condition.

A few old cars and trucks are included in the collection.

They have another area across the road with more signs, but it was under construction and off limits. Still – who can resist Elvis and Marilyn on a flatbed truck outside the gate.

The Lakeside Storage and Sign Museum on the west side of Provo, Utah is one of those funky places that is a must for me!

Circleville, Utah – September 2022 – Butch Cassidy’s Boyhood Home

Architecture, History, Museum

The small town of Circleville, Utah has the claim to fame of being the boyhood hometown of Butch Cassidy.

They celebrate this fact by maintaining his boyhood home.

Butch lived here under his birth name of Robert Leroy Parker from the age of 13 until he was 18, when he started working at the nearby Jim Marshall Ranch. It was here he met Mike Cassidy, who taught him (among other things) how to handle horses and guns. The rest, as they say, is history.

The farm has a collection of old implements that post date the time Butch would’ve lived there.

The valley the cabin is located is very scenic.

Butch Cassidy’s boyhood home is not something most people would make a destination, but if you are passing by it is worth the stop to stretch your legs and check out a bit of Utah history.

Rimrock, Arizona – September 2022 – V Bar V Petroglyphs

History

The Verde Valley has a number of ancient Native America sites including the incorrectly named Montezuma’s Castle and Well. Not far from these is a collection of over 1000 petroglyphs at a site known as V Bar V Heritage Site.

The area was home to the Sinagua (yet another European assignment of a name – in this case it is Spanish for Without Water). While many of the meanings to some of the symbols have been lost to time, today’s Hopi can interpret most, including sun dials to track the seasons, various activities, animals and events.

The Sinagua were both hunter gatherers as well as sustaining an agricultural environment, hence the symbols.

The lichen has taken over many of the petroglyphs, forever changing them. Attempts were made in the past to clean the lichen off but it destroyed the petroglyphs underneath.

This image from 100 years ago shows how much cleared the petroglyphs were.

V Bar V Heritage Site is a great place to see a large collection of petroglyphs, and the staff and volunteers at the site do a great job explaining the meanings of them.