This week’s featured historical marker is a marker in encountered during a recent visit to Williams, Arizona, which is about 30 miles west of Flagstaff, Arizona, just off Interstate 40. It’s about an hour south of Grand Canyon National Park.
This marker is located near the northeast corner of a small park near the intersection of Grand Canyon Avenue and Pine Street in Williams. The marker is located in the same small park as two old train cars that are on display. The park also contains a large Route 66 sign.
The marker was dedicated on Sept. 25, 2010 by the Ancient and Honorable Order of E Clampus Vitus No. 5917+4. What follows is the complete text from the marker.
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“WILLIAMS, ARIZONA: The area around what is now Williams, Arizona was first explored by a mountain man who came to this area in 1876, William Sherley Williams, who was called ‘Old Bill.’
“The town site was created by a cowboy named C.T. Rogers in 1879. Railroad workers put their camp on the map when they began construction on the Atlantic and Pacific Railroad in 1880. By 1881, this camp had enough inhabitants to qualify for a post office, requiring them to pick a name. They decided on Williams to honor ‘Old Bill.’ The railroad reached Williams in 1882.
“In 1883, the Saginaw Lumber Co. (later Saginaw and Manistee) moved to town. This tamed Williams as they employed hundreds of men who brought their families.
“In 1890, copper was discovered north of Williams, touching off a mining boom that lasted for a decade. When the mining boom ran out, the Sante Fe Railway took over the defunct mining railroad and extended it into a scenic line to the Grand Canyon.
“The first train full of tourists rolled into the Canyon depot on September 17, 1901. Williams’ trademark, ‘Gateway to the Grand Canyon,’ was established in 1984.
“The scenic Grand Canyon Railway was reopened in 1989 after extensive refurbishing.
“Williams is the last town on Route 66 to be bypassed by Interstate 40. On October 13, 1984, traffic was officially diverted.
“The Mother Road has made Williams a mecca for Route 66 enthusiasts.”
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I’d never heard of the Ancient and Honorable Order of E Clampus Vitus prior to seeing this sign, and I was interested to learned that that group is a fraternal organization dedicated to the study and preservation of the history of the American West. They have chapters in Arizona, California, Nevada and other states in the Western U.S. The Lost Dutchman chapter is located in Kingman, Az.
Also, one thing that I learned pretty quick during my short visit to Williams, is that it’s big on all things Route 66. This highway, sometimes called The Mother Road, was opened in 1926 and ran from Chicago, Ill. to Los Angeles, Calif. Over 2,448 miles, it went through Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and California. It’s one of the most famous roads in America, and Williams is still cashing in on its status as the last hold out before accepting the modern Interstate Highway system.
In the end, visit this site next Wednesday to learn about another local historical marker. I’m also taking suggestions from the reading audience, so if you know of an interesting historical marker that you’d like me to feature, let me know in the comments section below.
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