Ash Fork station

Ash Fork Station is a former railway station of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway, located in Ash Fork, Yavapai County, Arizona. The large and 'grand' Harvey House Escalante Hotel and restaurant were part of the station complex.[1]

Ash Fork
Former ATSF station
The Escalante, early 20th century postcard
General information
Location BL 40 (Lewis Avenue)
Ash Fork, Arizona
Coordinates35.225828°N 112.488155°W / 35.225828; -112.488155
Owned byBNSF Railway
Line(s)Main Line (1882–1960)
Santa Fe, Prescott and Phoenix Railway (Phoenix Branch)
Tracks2
Construction
Structure typeat-grade
History
Opened1893 (first station), 1907 (second station)
Closed1905 (first station), 1969 (second station)
Former services
Preceding station Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway Following station
Seligman
toward Los Angeles
 Main Line Williams
toward Chicago
Terminus Santa Fe, Prescott and Phoenix Railway Drake
toward Phoenix

Service to Ash Fork began in the early 1880s when the Atlantic and Pacific Railroad (predecessor of the Santa Fe) built through town, then in the Arizona Territory. After the completion of a line in 1895—the Santa Fe, Prescott and Phoenix Railway—to Phoenix, Ash Fork became an important junction point for the Santa Fe.[2]

History

The first station in Ash Fork was an 1893 structure made out of red Coconino sandstone, and built in the same style as the current Flagstaff station.[3]: 16  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.[2][3]: 16 

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 rail passenger Harvey House complexes, built after the founder Fred Harvey died.[4][5] The cost of construction was $150,000 (equivalent to $4.71 million in 2022 adjusted for inflation).[6] 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.[1][2]

Decline and closure

The Escalante Harvey House closed in 1948.[7]

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.[8] The junction point shifted to Williams Junction and the line to Phoenix became the only service through the town.[9][3]: 8  The former main line west of Ash Fork was abandoned.[10] This, combined with I-40 bypassing the town, began the decline of Ash Fork.[4]

The final regular passenger service to Ash Fork ended in April 1969, when train number 42, the Hassayampa Flyer, was discontinued.[9][11] The Escalante Harvey House building was demolished in the 1960s.[7] The former freight house is the only still standing structure on the site.

  • The former freight house in 1985
    The former freight house in 1985
  • A historical marker at the site of the station and hotel
    A historical marker at the site of the station and hotel

See also

References
  1. Ashforkrt66museum.com: History of Ash Fork Archived 2010-03-25 at the Wayback Machine, with vintage photos of the Ash Fork Station−Escalante Hotel facade & interiors.
  2. "Finest Station on the Santa Fe System". Arizona Journal-Miner. Prescott, Arizona. August 2, 1905. Retrieved October 9, 2011.
  3. Trimble, Marshall (2008). Ash Fork. Arcadia Publishing. ISBN 978-0-7385-4832-6.
  4. Trimble, Marshall (2001). Ash Fork. Retrieved October 9, 2011.
  5. Griswold, P.R. (1992). Arizona's railroads: exploring the state by rail. Renaissance House Publishing. p. 13. ISBN 1-55838-131-7.
  6. Melzer, Richard (2008). Harvey Houses of the Southwest. Arcadia Publishing. pp. 86, 87. ISBN 978-0-7385-5631-4.
  7. Witzel, Michael Karl; Young-Witzel, Gyvel (2007). Legendary Route 66: A Journey Through Time Along America's Mother Road. Voyageur Press. p. 49. ISBN 978-0-7603-2978-8.
  8. Burton, David P. (September 1992). "The Crookton Line Change". Pacific RailNews. p. 21. Retrieved April 2, 2020.
  9. Schwieterman, Joseph P. (2004). When the Railroad Leaves Town: American Communities in the Age of Rail Line Abandonment, Western United States. Kirksville, Missouri: Truman State University Press. p. 10. ISBN 978-1-931112-13-0.
  10. Microsoft; Nokia (October 9, 2011). "Ash Fork, AZ" (Map). Bing Maps. Microsoft. Retrieved October 9, 2011.
  11. "A Brief History Of Public Transportation in Metro Phoenix". Arizona Rail Passenger Association. Archived from the original on September 27, 2011. Retrieved October 9, 2011.
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