Goulding's Trading Post, also called Goulding's Lodge, is a historic general store, motel, and museum in southern

Utah Utah ( , ) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. Utah is a landlocked U.S. state bordered to its east by Colorado, to its northeast by Wyoming, to its north by Idaho, to its south by Arizona, and to it ...

, United States, just outside of

Monument Valley Monument Valley ( nv, Tsé Biiʼ Ndzisgaii, , meaning ''valley of the rocks'') is a region of the Colorado Plateau characterized by a cluster of sandstone buttes, the largest reaching above the valley floor. It is located on the Utah-Arizona s ...

. It was constructed in 1928, seven years after Harry Goulding purchased 640 acres of land in the area. Shortly after Monument Valley became a popular tourist attraction, it was renamed and remodeled to house Goulding's Lodge. The lodge originally served as a

trading post A trading post, trading station, or trading house, also known as a factory, is an establishment or settlement where goods and services could be traded. Typically the location of the trading post would allow people from one geographic area to tr ...

and home for the Gouldings. During the Great Depression, while director

John Ford John Martin Feeney (February 1, 1894 – August 31, 1973), known professionally as John Ford, was an American film director and naval officer. He is widely regarded as one of the most important and influential filmmakers of his generation. He ...

was looking for a site to film his 1939 movie ''

Stagecoach A stagecoach is a four-wheeled public transport coach used to carry paying passengers and light packages on journeys long enough to need a change of horses. It is strongly sprung and generally drawn by four horses although some versions are draw ...

'', Goulding went to work capturing photos of Monument Valley to send to Ford, who ended up shooting not only ''Stagecoach'' there but several other successful Western films. The films helped to popularize the area, and Goulding, realizing the potential value of tourism, established lodging and other services that could bring additional attention and profit. Today, the former trading post serves as a motel/museum for tourists and travelers looking to catch a glimpse of the famous valley, and has been converted into what is currently the Goulding Lodge. Its history, isolation, and proximity to Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park have made it a popular roadside attraction for travelers. The trading post was added to the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

on October 20, 1980.

Monuments

File:Monument valley Goulding's stage lines (2).JPG, Memorial to Harry Goulding File:Monument valley Goulding's stage lines (4).JPG, Goulding's Lodge File:Monument valley Goulding's stage lines (1).JPG, Horse-drawn wagons at Goulding's Lodge File:Monument valley Goulding's stage lines (3).JPG, Stagecoach Gouldings at Goulding's Lodge

References

External links

* Buildings and structures in San Juan County, Utah Commercial buildings on the National Register of Historic Places in Utah History museums in Utah Hotel buildings on the National Register of Historic Places in Utah Native American museums in Utah Museums in San Juan County, Utah Trading posts in the United States 1923 establishments in Utah {{Utah-museum-stub

Monuments

See also

References

External links