Seligman () is a
census-designated place
A census-designated place (CDP) is a Place (United States Census Bureau), concentration of population defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes only.
CDPs have been used in each decennial census since 1980 as the counte ...
(CDP) on the northern border of
Yavapai County, Arizona
Yavapai County ( ) is a County (United States), county 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 s ...
, United States. The population was 446 at the
2020 census. It is one of the stops on
historic U.S. Route 66.
Geography
Seligman is located at (35.328199, −112.874303),
at in elevation, alongside the Big Chino Wash, in a northern section of
Chino Valley. The wash is a major tributary of the
Verde River
The Verde River ( Yavapai: Haka'he:la) is a major tributary of the Salt River in the U.S. state of Arizona. It is about long and carries a mean flow of at its mouth. It is one of the largest perennial streams in Arizona.
Description
The ri ...
. Seligman is a popular stopping point along
Historic U.S. Route 66.
According to the
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...
, the Seligman CDP has a total area of , all land.
History
The region was in the longtime homeland of the
Havasupai
The Havasupai people (Havasupai: ''Havsuw' Baaja'') are a Native American people and tribe who have lived in the Grand Canyon for at least the past 800 years. Their name means "people of the blue-green water", referring to Havasu Creek, a t ...
people, who had a settlement in the present day Seligman area. The town site was on
Beale's Wagon Road, and a stage stop on the
Mojave Road
The Mojave Road, also known as Old Government Road (formerly the Mohave Trail), is a historic route and present day dirt road across what is now the Mojave National Preserve in the Mojave Desert in the United States. This rough road stretched fr ...
Originally, Seligman was called "Prescott Junction" because it was the railroad stop on the Santa Fe mainline junction with the Prescott and Arizona Central Railway Company feeder line running to
Prescott, in the
Arizona Territory
The Territory of Arizona, commonly known as the 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 ...
.
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 largest Class 1 railroads in the United States between 1859 and 1996.
The Santa Fe was a pioneer in intermodal freight transport; at vario ...
(AT&SF) had reached it in 1882.
In 1886 it was renamed Seligman, after Jesse Seligman, one of the founders of
J. & W. Seligman & Co. of New York, who helped finance the railroad lines in the area.
The original feeder line to Prescott was replaced in 1891 by the Santa Fe, Prescott and Phoenix Railway with the Santa Fe mainline junction at Ash Fork instead.
Because of its flat land Seligman became a large switching yard consisting of many tracks, and served as a large livestock shipping center for the areas ranchers.
It was also a terminal point for changing train crews between Winslow and Needles, who used overnight cottages in the town.
Havasu Harvey House
The "Havasu House" was a
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 (entrepreneur), Fred Harve ...
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 (entrepreneur), Fred Harve ...
hotel and restaurant in Seligman, serving the Santa Fe Railway and local residents.
[Seligman Arizona Historical Society: Havasu Harvey House]
/ref> It was named "Havasu" after the native Havasupai
The Havasupai people (Havasupai: ''Havsuw' Baaja'') are a Native American people and tribe who have lived in the Grand Canyon for at least the past 800 years. Their name means "people of the blue-green water", referring to Havasu Creek, a t ...
tribe of the area. Adjacent to it was the Santa Fe Depot and Reading Room. The Havasu Harvey House opened in 1905, closed in 1954, and was demolished in 2008.
Passenger trains ceased stopping in Seligman in 1984. The Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway (BNSF) has owned the tracks through town since 1996, which carries numerous freight trains and nonstop Amtrak trains. The former Santa Fe Reading room moved to the Seligman High School.
Seligman Commercial Historic District
The Seligman Commercial Historic District is a historic district
A historic district or heritage district is a section of a city which contains historic building, older buildings considered valuable for historical or architectural reasons. In some countries or jurisdictions, historic districts receive legal p ...
in central Seligman.[National Park Service: Seligman Historic District on Route 66]
A Discover Our Shared Heritage Travel Itinerary; accessed August 31, 2015. The historic district is along historic Route 66
U.S. Route 66 or U.S. Highway 66 (US 66 or Route 66) is one of the original highways in the United States Numbered Highway System. It was established on November 11, 1926, with road signs erected the following year. The high ...
in town, which was designated a historic highway by the state of Arizona in 1978. The Seligman Commercial Historic District was placed on the National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...
in 2005.[
Seligman was on the original ]U.S. Route 66
U.S. Route 66 or U.S. Highway 66 (US 66 or Route 66) is one of the original highways in the United States Numbered Highway System. It was established on November 11, 1926, with road signs erected the following year. The high ...
from 1926 through 1978, when Interstate 40
Interstate 40 (I-40) is a major east–west transcontinental Interstate Highway System, Interstate Highway in the Southeastern United States, southeastern and Southwestern United States, southwestern portions of the United States. At a leng ...
bypassed it a few miles south.[Seligmanhistory.com: Seligman History – Route 66]
/ref> Seligman experienced its real heyday after World War II, when returning veterans and other motorists hit the road and made the Southwest a popular tourist destination.[ The Seligman Commercial Historic District is roughly bounded by 1st and Lamport Sts. and Picacho and Railroad Aves. It was added to National Register of Historic Places on February 1, 2005, reference #04000511. The Seligman Commercial Historic District protects the historical central area's early 20th century commercial buildings along ]Historic Route 66
U.S. Route 66 or U.S. Highway 66 (US 66 or Route 66) is one of the original highways in the United States Numbered Highway System. It was established on November 11, 1926, with road signs erected the following year. The high ...
, a revived popular tourist destination. Historic district contributing properties include the Pitts General Merchandise Store and the U.S. Post Office from 1903, the Pioneer Hall and Theatre and the Seligman Garage from 1905, and the Seligman Pool Hall from 1923.
In 1987 Seligman gained its name "Birthplace of Historic Route 66" due to the efforts of Seligman residents, who convinced the State of Arizona to dedicate Route 66 a historic highway. Seligman is the first stop heading west on the longest uninterrupted stretch of historic Route 66, running around to Topock on the east side of the Colorado River
The Colorado River () is one of the principal rivers (along with the Rio Grande) in the Southwestern United States and in northern Mexico. The river, the List of longest rivers of the United States (by main stem), 5th longest in the United St ...
. (this claim is about the historical Route 66 and is not to be construed as "the Birthplace of Route 66". Route 66
U.S. Route 66 or U.S. Highway 66 (US 66 or Route 66) is one of the original highways in the United States Numbered Highway System. It was established on November 11, 1926, with road signs erected the following year. The high ...
was established by the U.S. Congress on November 26, 1926, starting in Chicago, Illinois and ending in Los Angeles, California. The first sign recognizing this designation was posted in Springfield, Missouri on April 30, 1926, and it took over a decade to pave the full route in its entirety.)
Pictured are some of the contributing structures in the Seligman Commercial Historic District and the historic Route 66. Also, pictured are some of the historical structures outside of the Seligman Commercial Historic District zone, some of which are individually listed in the National Register of Historic places.
*The Snow Cap Drive-In – built in 1953 by Juan Delgadillo and family with scrap lumber that Juan collected while working for the Santa Fe Railway.
*The Shell Gas Station, Olson's Shell, The Road Trip Museum/Return to the 50s, Return to the 50s Gift Shop – built in 1961, this building, renamed various times, was one of the locations of the bus stop, when Greyhound buses still stopped in Seligman.
*Miller's Dry Cleaners, Rainbow Café, Seligman Supply, The Rusty Bolt– built in 1933, this building has been used as a dry-cleaners, a 24-hour restaurant, a hardware store, and a curio shop.
*The Thunderbird Indian Store, Rusty Bolt Antiques, Private Residence, Rusty Bolt Gift Shop – built in 1955 by Reginald Sander. This building was merged with old Miller's Dry Cleaning building to make the large building that houses the Rusty Bolt.
*The Copper Cart – built in 1952, became a store and is no longer the classic diner it once was.
*Pioneer Hall Theatre/Dancehall Ted's Fountain "Famous for Malts" and Historic Seligman Sundries – built in 1905, this building was originally a theater and dance hall. In 1930, it was then converted to a drug store and fountain soda shop. It became a coffee house and curio shop.
*The Black Cat Bar – rebuilt in 1963, it was once called "Jolly's ''Black Cat'' Café"
*The Pitts & Washington Central Commercial building – built in 1903 by Jim Pitts. In recent years the building has been used as a variety store and an antique stove store.
*Canyon Shadows Motel, Comfort Lodge, Canyon Lodge – built in 1963 and as noted had undergone various name changes
*Donovan's Garage / Texaco Station (Donovan's 1-Stop Shop) 1936 Wilkinson Motors / Texaco / Ford Dealership B&R Car Care / Texaco Goldsmith Motors (Ford Agency) B&B Automotive Seff Feed Store.
*The Aztec Motel – the original building was built in 1935 and the additions in 1955.
*The Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway Company reading room – built in 1899, the building is located within the modern school grounds of Seligman.
*The Cottage Hotel – built in 1910, was listed in the National Register of Historic Places on February 12, 1998, and is located at 1st Street and Shoney Avenue.
*The Sheriff Commodore Perry Owens
Commodore Perry Owens (July 29, 1852 – May 10, 1919) was an American lawman and gunfighter of the Old West. One of his many exploits was the Pleasant Valley War#Owens-Blevins Shootout, Owens-Blevins Shootout in Arizona Territory during the Pl ...
house and bar – Owens resided in Seligman and opened a bar after he retired from law enforcement. He was a lawman and gunfighter
Gunfighters, also called gunslingers () or in the late 19th and early 20th century gunmen, were individuals in the American Old West who gained a reputation of being dangerous with a gun and participated in shootouts. Today, the term "gunslin ...
of the Old West
The American frontier, also known as the Old West, and popularly known as the Wild West, encompasses the geography, history, folklore, and culture associated with the forward wave of American expansion in mainland North America that bega ...
. One of his many exploits was the Owens-Blevins Shootout in Arizona Territory
The Territory of Arizona, commonly known as the 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 ...
during the Pleasant Valley War
The Pleasant Valley War, sometimes called the Tonto Basin Feud, or Tonto Basin War, or Tewksbury-Graham Feud, was a range war fought in Pleasant Valley, Arizona in the years 1882–1892. The conflict involved two feuding families, the Grahams an ...
.
Seligman Depot
At the western end of the town, directly west of the Roadkill Cafe, is a western town facade labeled "Seligman Depot" It includes 5 storefronts: A Livery, a "Tonsorial Parlor" (dentist), a hotel, a gun shop, and a Wells Fargo bank. There are no actual businesses residing behind the storefronts. Between this "Depot" and the Roadkill Cafe is a log cabin with the word "JAIL" painted in white above the doorway; in front of the cabin is a painted metal sign which declares the cabin to be "1860 Arizona Territorial Jail". The sign further states: ''At one time, held such notorious outlaws like – Seligman Sam – Three Finger Jack – James Younger and many more in 1866 four indians escaped by tunneling from this small cell to the OK saloon. Four days later they were dead after a shootout with Marshal Carl "Curly" Bane''. Behind the "jail" is a corral that holds a buffalo for tourist viewing during the summer months.
The "Seligman Depot" and the "1860 Arizona Territorial Jail" are not authentic historical buildings, but owned by the Roadkill Cafe owners and were built to attract tourists to the Cafe and the attached "OK Saloon". Note that Arizona Territory
The Territory of Arizona, commonly known as the 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 ...
did not exist until 1863, and Seligman was not established until 1886 (per the city sign at the edge of town). Marshal Carl "Curly" Bane, the Indian jail escape and the list of outlaws are also fictitious. There are no local or other documents claiming any authenticity to any of the property; visitors are simply left to believe what they wish of the park.
Demographics
As of the census
A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...
of 2000, there were 456 people, 205 households, and 121 families residing in the CDP. The population density
Population density (in agriculture: Standing stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geog ...
was . There were 281 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the CDP was 85% White, <1% Black or African American, 2% Native American, 2% Asian, <1% Pacific Islander, 6% from other races, and 5% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 19% of the population.
There were 205 households, out of which 29% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45% were married couples
Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...
living together, 11% had a female householder with no husband present, and 41% were non-families. 37% of all households were made up of individuals, and 17% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.2 and the average family size was 2.9.
In the CDP, the population was spread out, with 27% under the age of 18, 5% from 18 to 24, 25% from 25 to 44, 24% from 45 to 64, and 19% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.8 males.
The median income for a household in the CDP was US$23,833, and the median income for a family was US$29,722. Males had a median income of US$27,083 versus US$13,594 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year.
In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...
for the CDP was US$11,976. About 14% of families and 17% of the population were below the poverty line
The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line, or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...
, including 19% of those under age 18 and 17% of those age 65 or over.
Education
Seligman is within the Seligman Unified School District.
The Seligman High School colors are red, white, and black, and its teams are called the Antelopes. The basketball team won the 1-A state championship in 2006 after consecutive second-round exits in the tournament in the two previous years. As well, its baseball team has lost in the final game of the state championship for three straight years.
In popular culture
The town of Radiator Springs
''Cars'' is an American animated film series and media franchise set in a world populated by anthropomorphic vehicles created by John Lasseter, Joe Ranft and Jorgen Klubien. The franchise began with the 2006 film, ''Cars'', produced by Pixar ...
in Pixar
Pixar (), doing business as Pixar Animation Studios, is an American animation studio based in Emeryville, California, known for its critically and commercially successful computer-animated feature films. Pixar is a subsidiary of Walt Disney ...
's ''Cars'' franchise is loosely based on Seligman. While researching the history of Route 66
U.S. Route 66 or U.S. Highway 66 (US 66 or Route 66) is one of the original highways in the United States Numbered Highway System. It was established on November 11, 1926, with road signs erected the following year. The high ...
, John Lasseter
John Alan Lasseter ( ; born January 12, 1957) is an American film director, producer, screenwriter, and animator. He was previously the chief creative officer of Pixar Animation Studios, Walt Disney Animation Studios, and Disneytoon Studios, a ...
, director of the first two ''Cars'' films, met Seligman barber Angel Delgadillo
Angel Delgadillo (born April 19, 1927) is an American barber and businessowner in Seligman, Arizona who has been dubbed the "guardian angel" of U.S. Route 66. He is the main founder of the Historic Route 66 Association of Arizona, established i ...
, who told him how traffic through the town virtually disappeared on the day that nearby Interstate 40 opened.Internet Movie Database. ''The Inspiration for 'Cars''. (2006)
with Angel Delgadillo, barber and John Lasseter, director.
Climate
According to the Köppen Climate Classification
The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...
system, Sunset Crater has a cold semi-arid climate
Cold is the presence of low temperature, especially in the atmosphere. In common usage, cold is often a subjective perception. A lower bound to temperature is absolute zero, defined as 0.00K on the Kelvin scale, an absolute thermodynamic ...
, abbreviated "BSk" on climate maps.
Notable person
* Commodore Perry Owens – Old West
The American frontier, also known as the Old West, and popularly known as the Wild West, encompasses the geography, history, folklore, and culture associated with the forward wave of American expansion in mainland North America that bega ...
gunfighter
Gunfighters, also called gunslingers () or in the late 19th and early 20th century gunmen, were individuals in the American Old West who gained a reputation of being dangerous with a gun and participated in shootouts. Today, the term "gunslin ...
and lawman
See also
*
References
External links
*
National Park Service: Seligman Historic District on Route 66
– A Discover Our Shared Heritage Travel Itinerary.
{{authority control
Census-designated places in Yavapai County, Arizona
Census-designated places in Arizona
U.S. Route 66 in Arizona