Navajo Springs, Arizona facts for kids
Navajo Springs is a small, undeveloped area located on the Navajo Nation in Arizona. It's close to the town of Holbrook, Arizona. Most people living here are Native American. If you want to travel off-road in this area, you need a special permit from the Navajo Nation.
Long ago, during the time of the Old West, Navajo Springs was a very important stop. Travelers and famous people like Commodore Perry Owens would stop here. It was a place to get fresh water for themselves and their horses. Important roads, like the Beale Wagon Road and later the famous U.S. Route 66 (which is now Interstate 40), passed right through Navajo Springs.
A big event happened here: the Arizona territorial government was officially started. Later, a monument was built at the springs to remember this moment. Over time, the Santa Fe Railway company wanted the land. Because of this, Navajo people were asked to move away from the area. By the 1930s, the lands were empty. But in the late 1980s, Navajo people returned. They were often families who had to move because of a land disagreement between the Navajo and Hopi tribes.
A Look Back in Time
Navajo Springs was first noticed by non-Native Americans in 1853. A man named Lt. Amiel W. Whipple passed through. He wrote about a "fine pool of water" that came up from the ground.
Later, on September 1, 1857, Lt. Edward Fitzgerald Beale found Whipple's path. Beale was looking for a good route for wagons. This wagon road would help people travel west. From this time on, Navajo Springs became a popular rest stop for travelers.
In 1863, Major G. B. Willis made Navajo Springs an official travel route.
Arizona's Government Begins
A very important event happened at Navajo Springs on December 27, 1863. The first group of leaders for the Arizona territory crossed into Arizona from New Mexico. They weren't sure exactly where the border was. So, they continued to Navajo Springs.
On December 29, 1863, the first governor of the Arizona territory was sworn in. His name was John Noble Goodwin. Richard Cunningham McCormick, who was the first secretary of the territory, performed the ceremony. McCormick later became governor himself. This moment at Navajo Springs was the official start of Arizona's government.
