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As the City of Winslow played host to the most recent Mayor’s Summit last week, Winslow Mayor Tom McCauley informed those in attendance of Winslow’s past and shared his excitement of what the future holds for the city.
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McCauley recalled being a student at Winslow High School in October of 1978 when the bypass effectively cut off the community from the traffic that made business viable in the downtown. In talking about the history of his community he noted, “We had to reinvent ourselves over and over again.” He went on to discuss Winslow’s attributes noting that the successes of one community is key to the success of all in northeastern Arizona. “It’s not just Winslow, it’s all of us, we’re all in this together.”
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He recounted the history of the La Posada from 1920, when Mary Coulter designed it as one of the Harvey House’s, to the 1990s when the effort began to bring it back to life after decades of neglect. “They (the city) wanted to tear it down. So we formed a foundation (the La Posada Foundation) and went out nationwide and finally found Alan and Tina Affeldt to come in and buy the place.”
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The La Posada has been open for 19 years and has become a true jewel of the Southwest, featured in magazines worldwide for its beauty and the food prepared by Chef John Sharpe at the Turquoise Room Restaurant inside the hotel.
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After the La Posada was left to the care of the Affeldts, the foundation changed its name to the Standin’ on the Corner Foundation and moved on to its next big project: The restoration of the historic downtown business district.
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“In 1998 there were 16 of us that started working on what is now known as the Standin’ on the Corner Park. Right now, in the City of Winslow, we probably see 15,000 to 18,000 people per month that come to stand on that corner and get their picture taken,” stated McCauley.
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He noted that the city is seeing more and more younger people with an appreciation for Route 66, as well as international travelers. “Winslow, more and more, is becoming a destination instead of a stop and we’re working diligently to become a mecca for entertainment and art in Northern Arizona,” he added.
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He went on to discuss other developments such as the Route 66 Park next to the Standin’ on the Corner Park that just recently had additional lighting installed for evening events. He noted that this year the city was looking to spend $30,000 to $40,000 in trees alone to add to the beatification of the city. He also mentioned the city’s Renaissance Project, a multi-phase endeavor for beautification and infrastructure improvements that now extends from one end of the city to the other.
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McCauley noted that Clear Creek, which he said that his family donated the first 26 acres, is having its first paving project and last weekend hosted the first Clear Creek Days. Coming up will be the city’s first Laguna Days, which will celebrate the contributions of the Pueblo Indians that worked on the railroad and brought their rich culture to the community when they were housed in railroad cars in the city. “We’re working in a real multi-cultural direction here in Winslow.”
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He also gave credit to the city’s Chamber of Commerce under the direction of Bob Hall and Angela Gonzales. “They set up some of the coolest things that happen in the City of Winslow.”
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Also happening in Winslow is a monthly star party at the Homolovi State Park, where next month Suvoyuki Day will be celebrated. Also next month will be A Mid-Summer’s Day, then in September it’s the Standin’ in the Corner Festival, followed by the Just Cruisin’ Car Show in October. In November the city will celebrate its 73rd annual Christmas Parade with renowned comedian and actor Bill Engvall as the grand marshal. Engvall grew up in Winslow before moving on to a career that made him a household name for his song, “Here’s Your Sign.” To round out the year, the Festival of Trees will be held in December.
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McCauley also informed those attending that Winslow is growing. “We’ve had a bunch of new businesses that came in and we’ve more new housing starts than we’ve probably had in the last 10 or 12 years. We’ve opened two new Airbnbs and we have a third one coming in downtown and we’ve opened a new dentist’s office.”
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Wrapping up his presentation, McCauley said, “Winslow is growing and needless to say, we’ve been pretty busy.”
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