CANYON DIABLO–AN ARIZONA GHOST TOWN OF TALL TALES

Is the ghost town Canyon Diablo, which consists of a few cornerstones of rubble and some tombstones near the gorge, full of fact or fancy? You be the judge.

CANYON DIABLO HISTORY

Canyon Diablo, an Arizona ghost town, is east of Flagstaff and north on Interstate 40 off Exit 230. The trek is a primitive road that requires an off-road vehicle and some hiking. Once it was a small town established by construction workers for the railroad. They named Canyon Diablo after a nearby gorge and crater site. The town consisted of bars, gambling halls, and brothels. For many years after, the town operated as a trading post.

FICTION ABOUT CANYON DIABLO GHOST TOWN

Most of the stories about shootings, drunks, and robberies around the ghost town were tall tales made up by Richardson, who ran the trading post near Two Guns. Weird Arizona (2007) also has some strange tales about Canyon Diablo. Because there were not a lot of newspapers or historic records at the time, the stories derived by Richards, 80 years after the town moved, were taken as fact.

FACTS ABOUT CANYON DIABLO GHOST TOWN

Canyon Diablo was established in 1881. It was a tent community with wood facades on the fronts of the tents. It created a more “townlike” effect. The truth about the town is that it was mostly taverns, gambling halls, and brothels. But when the bridge was completed within the same year, the town moved on. In the early 1900s, it was used as a trading post and railway station.

There are many stories, both fact, and fiction, about the Canyon Diablo ghost town. Whether or not the stories are true, the town is still part of history. Canyon Diablo’s ghost town is worth the visit. Make sure to bring along snacks, water, and a first aid kit. The trading post is no longer open. As far as the stories… you be the judge.

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