AHS Education Team visit Riordan Mansion

"Getting to hang with new education curator, Abigail Austin. We went to the Riordan and learned about the family and their impact on Flagstaff." writes Kristen Rex as she and Emily Hahn enjoyed Flagstaff, both ready to share their experiences with the rest of the education department at Arizona Historical Society.

Kristen Rex

Abigail Austin

NHDAZ judging at NAU

 Dr. Kristen Rex is at NHDAZ judging at Northern Arizona University. She writes:

North NHDAZ perfect weather, excellent student projects and fabulous volunteer judges!!!

History Convention in Flagstaff

Always educational, the Arizona History Convention this weekend in Flagstaff. League members attending tell of the interesting seminars and stories of Arizona. Side trips are also a feature including one to Lowell Observatory.

Norma Jean Coulter, Zona Lorig, Pam Stevenson, Kathy Howard, Norma Hinton, Mary Parker

Pioneer Museum in Flagstaff

The wonderful day trip to Flagstaff included an informative stop at Arizona Historical Society's Pioneer Museum.

Sharron McKinney and daughter Lexie

Lexie's son built this for his
Eagle Scout project

Published by the League for AZ Centennial

Q & A on the front porch

Riordan Mansion on Flagstaff tour

Lobby entrance is in the original 6 car garage

Two brothers married two sisters and built a customized duplex so both families could live together in 1890's Flagstaff, AZ.  Each side had their own entrance but was a mirror image of the other side.  With 13,000 square feet, each half is about 6,000 with a 1,000-square-foot room in the middle joining them together. They hired the same architect that built El Tovar at the Grand Canyon to design this Craftsman style home using pine from the surrounding Ponderosa forest. It even had electricity accommodating 16 watt light bulbs (they owned the electric company).
Touring the Riordan Mansion on the November Historical League bus tour, we learned so many interesting facts and stories about the family, the logging business, the economy and life in that era.

Ready to begin the tour with guide Rebecca

Originally a drive-through six car garage, it was converted to lobby entrance.

League Tour organizer Cindy Tidwell-Shelton presents our guide Rebecca with Tastes & Treasures cookbook.

Tools of the robust logging trade in 1890.

Multiple brick fireplaces in the home but they were stuccoed as was the fashion at that time.

Very tall Tim and 5'1" bride Caroline Riordan

Lunch at historic Josephine's in Flagstaff

Two tables of Historical League members ready to enjoy lunch.

Our wonderful bus tours always involve delicious food. The Monday, November 7 trip to Flagstaff was no exception with a lunch stop at Josephine's American Bistro. On the National Registry of Historic Places, this unique restaurant has so much history and such delicious food. We were also pleased to meet the owner and talented Chef Tony Cosentino.

Ruth McLeod, Karolee Hess and Cathy Shumard

Chicken and dumplings

Delicious beef, potatoes and fresh vegetables

Historical League Program February 1, 2010

The Streets of Forest Highlands: Stories behind the Names, is a brief history of Flagstaff Pioneers. It is told through the biographies of Forest Highlands Golf community namesakes. Come meet some of Arizona 's most famous and infamous characters.

Author, Cobe Frobes, tips her hat to these by-gone figures and introduces us to the stories behind the street names.Cobe will sign her book. It can be purchased from her for $20.