The Petrified Forest was never a secret, but initially, it was not widely known outside of Arizona (except among geologists, among whom news of the remarkable site spread quickly). North of the first known deposits, adjacent to the Santa Fe Atlantic-Pacific railroad, was Adam Hanna’s cattle ranch. It was at this point that he would found the town of Adamana—the old gateway to the Petrified Forest.
However, the first use of the Petrified Forest by Caucasian Americans was raw capitalism. The Armstrong Abrasive Company of Chicago made a mineral claim on the Forest. In 1896, “TG Lewis, agent for the [company was] in Winslow, negotiating for the erection of a new stamp mill at Adamana,” the St. Johns Herald reported. “Two carloads of machinery have arrived, and a force of 15 men is to commence work… Their object is to crush and ship to Chicago petrified wood from the petrified forests, which will be made into emery wheels and grinding stones, it having been proven that it is especially adapted for this purpose. A spur will be built from the mainline of the Atlantic and Pacific track to penetrate the heart of the forest.”
Armstrong Abrasive “met with comparative success…operating a ten-stamp mill,” the Arizona Republican reported, but by the end of 1897, its claim had been cancelled. “More or less of the petrified wood has been taken out and sold at Holbrook and in curio establishments elsewhere.” At the beginning of December that year, a government special agent visited the forest to determine whether it should be placed under government protection. “The forest is very little advertised, and it is one of Arizona’s attractions that should be made known in the east.” One company began taking tourists to the forest from Holbrook.
In January 1897, “A post office was established [Jan. 8, 1897]. Adam Hanna was postmaster,” the Republican stated.
Members of the Mohave County Miner paid a visit in August 1897, and described the experience. “The journey was made to Adamana…from which point a conveyance carried the party to the ‘forest’, six miles south [of the railroad]. Erosion has uncovered a vast forest of [downed] trees that had been covered deep in sediment. The trees in every case are completely silicified… A bewildering tangle of brilliant rainbow colors in stone.”
The cost to and from the tracks to the forest was $2.50 (worth $100 today)! “To one who has never seen anything of the kind, a visit to the forest will amply repay for all trouble and expenses. Good accommodations can be had at the ranch of Adam Hanna, who, with his good wife, makes the trip to the forest one of unalloyed pleasure,” the Miner concluded.
The Coconino Sun related in 1899 that the forest “has in the past few years attracted considerable attention from geologists… It is said by them that there are no other similar petrifications in the known world.” The forest covers several thousand acres. “In the last year, the [Santa Fe RR] has established a station called Adamana, and from that place the wonderland is a six-mile drive, though the greater part of the forest is some 12 miles to the south of the station.”
In the summer of 1901, Prof. Lester F Ward compiled a report to Washington in which he recommended “that prompt steps be taken to withdraw from entry the land embraced by the forest,” the Weekly Arizona Journal-Miner related. It was hoped that Congress would soon take up the matter. “There is no question that these deposits should be preserved from acquisition by private persons.” There was worry that since the new railroad station opened at Adamana, thievery would increase.
Indeed, word of the unique spectacle began to spread. Hanna himself did “quite a business in taking tourists out to see the sights,” the Holbrook Argus noted.
In January 1902, “Adam Hanna, [the] founder and owner of the principal part of the town of Adamana…has sold out his [tourism] interests there to Al Stevenson,” the Journal-Miner revealed. “Mr Stevenson runs a sort of hotel at Adamana and makes it his business to take care of visitors to the Petrified Forest. Transportation facilities between Adamana and the forest consist of a three-seated spring wagon outfit and several saddle ponies.”
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| A 1903 ad for Adamana and the Petrified Forest. |
In November 1902, the Santa Fe built “a neat little depot at Adamana” for tourists who desired to visit the Forest. Indeed, the Santa Fe offered stopover privileges at Adamana for the Petrified Forest—meaning travelers could catch a later train to continue their trip.
In 1903, a school district was established in Adamana, indicative of its growth.
In 1904, renowned naturalist John Muir came to Adamana because his daughter was suffering from tuberculosis. They stayed at the Forest Hotel—later named Campbell’s Hotel. From here, Muir explored the surrounding area and mapped what he called the “Blue Forest”, now known as “Blue Mesa”. His work in Adamana heavily influenced Teddy Roosevelt to officially declare the Petrified Forest a National Monument on December 8, 1906. It was December 9 1962, when it was designated as a national park under the Kennedy administration.
Al Stevenson took a party of Santa Fe officials to the Forest in 1907. Among them was Ford Harvey of the Harvey system. “There is some talk of a Harvey eating house being built at Adamana in the near future,” the Winslow Daily Mail revealed.
In July 1907, Adam Hanna sold out his remaining interests in Adamana and purchased a farm near Farmington, NM “with the intention of making a permanent home there for themselves in their old age,” the Argus reported.
That same month, the Malpais Ranch and Trading Company started construction on a curio store in Adamana. They expected to spend about $25,000 on the effort (nearly $900,000 today).
At the end of 1907, the Geological Society of America held its annual meeting in El Paso, TX. The Santa Fe offered them special rates to see the Grand Canyon, with the chance to stop at Adamana to visit the Petrified Forest as well.
By this time, there were two hotels in Adamana: the Beach Hotel and the Forest (later Campbell’s) Hotel. The Harvey Company would build a $75,000 homestead in the Old Mission type, fully and modernly equipped throughout.
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| Campbell Hotel C. 1909 |
The first recorded trip of an automobile through the Petrified Forest occurred in February 1908. Although the Arizona Republican called it daring, another might have considered it foolhardy. “One of the most daring auto rides ever attempted was recently taken by two [mechanics] of Almarosa, California, who drove a motor car for the first time through the Petrified Forest of Arizona." To cut off 20 miles, they drove over a 494-foot-long railroad trestle spanning Diablo Canyon at a height of 290 feet. "The slightest mishap would have meant death,” the paper apprised.
However, it was only a month later when it was announced that the Arizona Transportation and Automobile Company would start offering auto rides to the Forest from Holbrook. Three of the finest autos costing $15,000 (over $546,000 in today’s money) would be purchased.
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| The Alton General Store, Adamana, C. 1923. |
One of the most striking sights in the Forest is the Chalcedony Bridge. “Up on a bluff of clay a hundred feet or more from the valley below is a petrified tree forming a natural bridge across from one angle of the bluff to another, some 50 feet in length,” the Coconino Sun explained. “A daredevil cowboy recently rode his cowpony across the bridge, and the weight did not affect it in the least.” This mighty petrified log is “five feet [in diameter] through at the butt.” In 1911, it was reinforced with masonry, and in 1917, a concrete support beam was installed (projects that likely would not be considered today, instead allowing nature to take its course). Today, going over or under this natural bridge is strictly forbidden.
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| Chalcedony Bridge when one could cross it. |
On December 8, 1906, President Teddy Roosevelt established the site as a national monument. On December 9, 1962, John F. Kennedy signed a bill giving the Forest national park status.
Adamana thrived due to its Santa Fe Depot, and one of the early alignments of Rt. 66 running through it. However, when Interstate 40 was constructed, it completely bypassed the town. Then in 1965, the historic Campbell’s Hotel burned down in a catastrophic fire, also destroying its historic register that was signed by many visiting VIPs, including Teddy Roosevelt and John Muir.
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The entire 5-year history of Val Verde, Arizona, the predecessor to Humboldt.
After a gas plant that reeked was built nearby, the remaining families packed up and moved. In 1969, the Post Office closed, and by the early 70s, it was classified as a true ghost town. But one lasting tribute to the town is that a distinct geological layer was named the “Adamana Member of the Chinle Formation".
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SOURCES:
Arizola Oasis
12/28/1907; Pg. 10, Col. 2.
Arizona Republican
1/9/1897; Pg. 1, Col. 5.
12/10/1897; Pg. 7, Col. 1.
2/24/1908; Pg. 10, Col. 1.
Arizona Weekly Journal-Miner
8/21/1901; Pg. 2, Col. 6.
1/22/1902; Pg. 2, Col. 5.
Coconino Sun
12/2/1899; Pg. 3.
Holbrook Argus
11/22/1902; Pg. 8, Col. 1.
8/22/1903; Pg. 2, Col. 2.
7/9/1907; Pg. 2.
Mohave County Miner
8/7/1897; Pg. 3, Col. 3.
5/5/1900; Pg. 3, Col. 1.
St. Johns Herald
11/28/1896; Pg. 4, Col. 3.
3/24/1908; Pg. 5, Cols. 3-4.
7/11/1907; Pg. 5, Col. 1.
Winslow Daily Mail
7/9/1898; Pg. 1, Col. 4.
4/11/1908; Pg. 2, Cols. 1-2.
5/25/1907; Pg. 5, Col. 3.
6/29/1907; Pg. 4, Col. 1.
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