Ash Fork Station is a former

railway station Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport that transfers passengers and goods on wheeled vehicles running on rails, which are incorporated in tracks. In contrast to road transport, where the vehicles run on a pre ...

of the

Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway The Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway , often referred to as the Santa Fe or AT&SF, was one of the larger railroads in the United States. The railroad was chartered in February 1859 to serve the cities of Atchison, Kansas, Atchison and Top ...

, located in Ash Fork,

Yavapai County, Arizona Yavapai County is near the center of the U.S. state of Arizona. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, its population was 236,209, making it the fourth-most populous county in Arizona. The county seat is Prescott, Arizona, Prescott. ...

. The large and 'grand'

Harvey House The Fred Harvey Company was the owner of the Harvey House chain of restaurants, hotels and other hospitality industry businesses alongside railroads in the Western United States. It was founded in 1876 by Fred Harvey to cater to the growing n ...

Escalante Hotel and restaurant were part of the station complex.Ashforkrt66museum.com: History of Ash Fork
, with vintage photos of the Ash Fork Station−Escalante Hotel facade & interiors. Service to Ash Fork began in the early 1880s when the

Atlantic and Pacific Railroad The Atlantic and Pacific Railroad was a U.S. railroad that owned or operated two disjointed segments, one connecting St. Louis, Missouri with Tulsa, Oklahoma, and the other connecting Albuquerque, New Mexico with Needles in Southern California ...

(predecessor of the Santa Fe) built through town, then in the

Arizona Territory The Territory of Arizona (also known as Arizona Territory) was a territory of the United States that existed from February 24, 1863, until February 14, 1912, when the remaining extent of the territory was admitted to the Union as the state of ...

. After the completion of a line in 1895—the

Santa Fe, Prescott and Phoenix Railway The Santa Fe, Prescott and Phoenix Railway (SFP&P) was a common carrier railroad that later became an operating subsidiary of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway in Arizona. At Ash Fork, Arizona, the SFP&P connected with Santa Fe's oper ...

—to Phoenix, Ash Fork became an important junction point for the Santa Fe.

History

The first station in Ash Fork was an 1893 structure made out of red Coconino

sandstone Sandstone is a clastic sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized (0.0625 to 2 mm) silicate grains. Sandstones comprise about 20–25% of all sedimentary rocks. Most sandstone is composed of quartz or feldspar (both silicates) ...

, and built in the same style as the current

Flagstaff station Flagstaff station is an Amtrak train station at 1 East Route 66 in Flagstaff, Arizona. The station, formerly an Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway depot, doubles as a visitor center and rental-car pickup and is located in downtown Flagstaff. ...

. The structure was one of the first built by the railroad and became too small to handle the number of passengers at Ash Fork. It was destroyed in a 1905 fire. Built in 1907, the second station was built as part of the famous ''Escalante'' hotel and restaurant. It was one of the renowned

Fred Harvey Company The Fred Harvey Company was the owner of the Harvey House chain of restaurants, hotels and other hospitality industry businesses alongside railroads in the Western United States. It was founded in 1876 by Fred Harvey to cater to the growing n ...

rail passenger Harvey House complexes, built after the founder Fred Harvey died. The cost of construction was $150,000 (equivalent to $ in adjusted for inflation). Ash Fork was a restaurant stop Harvey House, all passenger trains stopped so travelers could eat in the Escalante Dining Room or at the Lunch Counter, and shop in the Escalante's Indian Gift Shop.

Decline and closure

The Escalante Harvey House closed in 1948. Ash Fork Station's service on the Southern Transcon main line lasted until December 1960, when the Santa Fe completed a bypass around Ash Fork. This was done to avoid the steep Johnson Canyon, west of Ash Fork. The junction point shifted to

Williams Junction Williams Junction was an Amtrak train station on the ''Southwest Chief'' route, located southeast of Williams, Arizona in the Kaibab National Forest. The station primarily served passengers travelling to the Grand Canyon via the Grand Canyon Ra ...

and the line to Phoenix became the only service through the town. The former main line west of Ash Fork was abandoned. This, combined with

I-40 Interstate 40 (I-40) is a major east–west Interstate Highway running through the south-central portion of the United States. At a length of , it is the third-longest Interstate Highway in the country, after I-90 and I-80. From west to ea ...

bypassing the town, began the decline of Ash Fork. The final regular passenger service to Ash Fork ended in April 1969, when train number 42, the ''

Hassayampa Flyer The Hassayampa Flyer, also known as the Hassayampa Chief, was a passenger train operated by the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway between Ash Fork (later Williams Junction) and Phoenix in Arizona, United States. History In 1955, the Santa F ...

'', was discontinued. The Escalante Harvey House building was demolished in the 1960s. The former

freight house A freight house is a building owned and operated by a railroad for receiving, loading, unloading, and temporary storage of less-than-car load (LCL) freight. Having a protected area for temporary freight storage improves efficiency by allowing ...

is the only still standing structure on the site.

Gallery

File:Santa Fe's Ash Fork, AZ Freight House (28859525152).jpg, The former freight house in 1985 File:Ash Fork-Escalante Harvey House and Hotel-1907.jpg, A historical marker at the site of the station and hotel

References

{{reflist, 40em Former Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway stations Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway hotels Buildings and structures in Yavapai County, Arizona Fred Harvey Company Former railway stations in Arizona History of Yavapai County, Arizona Hotels in Arizona Transportation in Yavapai County, Arizona Railway stations in the United States opened in 1893 1893 establishments in Arizona Territory Hotels established in 1907 Railway stations in the United States opened in 1907 1907 establishments in Arizona Territory Railway stations closed in 1969 Demolished hotels in the United States Demolished railway stations in the United States

History

Decline and closure

Gallery

See also

References