Winslow

Winslow took shape in 1880, when the Atlantic & Pacific Railroad surveyed a townsite beside its new transcontinental route in northeastern Arizona Territory. Builders chose the spot for the Little Colorado River, whose water had earlier supported the ancient Homol'ovi villages. A usable ford there had already drawn trails, wagon roads, and Mormon settlers before the tracks arrived.

The settlement grew rapidly once the Santa Fe Railway acquired the A&P and moved its division headquarters to Winslow. Ranches, trading posts, and lumber mills shipped their goods from the town, and passenger trains carried visitors to the Southwest. Travelers ate at Fred Harvey restaurants staffed by the Harvey Girls and stayed at La Posada, a hotel designed by Mary Colter.

The arrival of automobiles in the 1920s shifted the town's fortunes. The road through downtown became part of U.S. Route 66, and later Interstate 40 bypassed the center. Winslow's historic sites, Standin' on the Corner Park, and nearby Hopi and Navajo lands still draw visitors from many countries.