The History of Sedona

Sedona and the surrounding area of Oak Creek has a rich history dating back to 4,000 B.C. not many cities can say that their history dates back that far. Sedona is part of the Verde Valley where some of the first humans made their homes centuries ago. It was back in 4,000 B.C. that these first human inhabitants came into the Verde Valley; these people were mainly hunters and gatherers.

900 A.D. welcomed a new group of residents to the Verde Valley, called the Sinauga people. They brought with them a more civilized way of living and were capable of building houses into the cliffs and pueblos. From what people know about the Sinauga people they had an understanding of astronomy and made jewelry, pottery, and baskets for trade with other groups of people including those in Central America, Mexico, and on the Pacific Coast.

By 1,400 A.D. the Sinauga people had left the Verde Valley and the Yavapai Apache took up residence, establishing their tribes and families until outside settlers began exploring the area. In 1583 the first European explorer, Antonio de Espejo, from Spain arrived on a quest for gold, he was followed by Marcos Farfan de los Godas in 1598, neither one was successful at finding any gold; they did however find plenty of copper.

From the time that Espejo and Godas came in search of gold, the area was controlled by Spain via Mexico; it remained under Spanish rule until 1821 when Mexico won its independence. Twenty Seven years passed and in 1848 Mexico and the United States signed the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo which transferred the area to United States control. As the Civil War waged on, the United States saw the need to form a new territory, thus in 1863 the Arizona Territory was formed, it was also useful in controlling a growing need for mineral resources.

As the need for more land for Anglo settlers became a pressing issue, the government created the San Carlos Indian Reservation one hundred and eighty miles south of the Verde Valley. In 1876 the Native Americans were moved there in mid-winter and many did not survive. A couple of years passed and in 1878 the first permanent Anglo settler, John James Thompson, arrived in an area of the valley called Oak Creek Canyon. Thompson was lucky enough to stumble upon an abandoned garden, that had once belonged to the Yavapai, that was still producing Thompson was followed in 1879 by Abraham James, who had met Thompson, prior to his arrival, and married his daughter Margaret.

The 1880’s brought many more settlers, in 1889 the General Land Office in Washington sent out a crew to survey the area, so its location could be recorded. By the end of the 1880’s Abraham James had passed on, but his wife Margaret and their son Dave began to irrigate the area, together they irrigated forty acres, others soon joined their efforts and irrigated another one hundred and twelve acres. The settlers were simple, making their living from one season to the next by hunting, fishing, and farming.

In 1899 a man by the name of Theodore Carlton Schnebly and his wife Sedona moved to Oak Creek Canyon, they quickly acquired 80 acres and built a general store and ran a hotel out of their home; their home was once where the Tlaquepaque and Los Abrigados resort is now located. Schnebly saw that the population of the area was growing and that a Post Office was something they were lacking, he first wrote the Postmaster General in Washington D.C. suggesting Oak Creek Crossing and Schnebly Station as names for the Post Office, but these names were rejected because they were too long to fit on to a return stamp. Schnebly’s brother, Ellsworth, suggested that he submit his wife’s name to the Postmaster General, and on June 26th, 1902 the area officially became known as Sedona.

The next three decades saw the introduction and explosion of homesteading as word spread about the mining prospects in the surrounding area. 1902 not only marked the beginning of Sedona it also welcomed the first road built by Ellsworth Schnbely and John Loy and in 1914 the bridge across Oak Creek Falls was completed creating a direct route to Flagstaff. By the 1930’s the homesteading had tapered off, due to people being affected by the Great Depression. Luckily, the residents of Sedona were not affected much, as they were already used to life being a struggle. Finally in 1939 a bridge across Oak Creek was built as was a highway, which led to the introduction of tourism to Sedona. 1942 marked the last bit of land for homesteading, obtained by Chauncey Leroy Piper, that land is now located just south of the Chapel of the Holy Cross.

The years following World War Two brought many changes to Sedona; the growth of the area destroyed many of the historical sites that were once great reminders of how far Sedona had come from its earlier days. The next few years brought many enterprising transformations to Sedona, 1949 welcomed the first Chamber of Commerce and not long after that the first groundwater aquifer was discovered in 1951. The famed Chapel of the Holy Cross was built during 1955 and 1956. The biggest economical venture came for Sedona with the construction of the Tlaquepaque Shopping center in 1971.

After a long struggle from the first human residents back in 4,000 B.C. to the settlers that helped make Sedona and the surrounding area what it is now, the town was finally incorporated in 1988. Sedona had come a long way from its humble beginnings for hunters and gatherers with many of the historical landmarks destroyed during the flood of homesteaders, with the realization of this loss the new residents of Sedona swore to protect the remaining landmarks and choose to honor those first homesteaders by naming subdivisions after them.

It may seem that Sedona’s history is one filled with struggles, but during the Golden Age of Westerns Sedona was a booming stage for many great movies. The first western, Call of the Canyon, was filmed on location in Oak Creek Canyon, in 1923. It was a silent movie based on a novel by Zane Grey. The beautiful scenery wooed many other film makers to the area, in an effort to create a true taste of the rugged west. The classic settings attracted big stars such as John Wayne, Robert Young, and Joan Crawford. Some of the famous movies that were film there in Sedona include: Billy The Kid with Robert Taylor in 1941, Tall In The Saddle with John Wayne in 1944, Pony Soldier with Tyrone Powers in 1952, Johnny Guitar with Joan Crawford in 1954, and the original 3:10 To Yuma with Glen Ford in 1957.

The favorite spot to film was near Coffee Pot Rock; in fact in 1945 a set was built near the area specifically for the filming of the movie Angel and the Badman starring John Wayne. Since then many other sets were built, the old buildings built by the Civilian Conservation Corps were also used as part of movie sets, but unfortunately due to the need for more housing development they were torn down. The movie era of days gone by have not been forgotten, while it may not be the busy movie industry it was back then and city development has cut down on the locations where filming can occur, Sedona still serves as a breathe taking backdrop.

Sedona, may have had a rocky start, but one thing is for sure, Sedona’s history will not repeat itself, the quaint retreat has exploded into a hidden oasis for the Hollywood Elite and your Average Joes. It has become the perfect place for a relaxing vacation full of activities and well needed rest.