Canyon Diablo

Canyon Diablo originated in 1880 when construction of the railroad was halted until a bridge was built over the nearby canyon. Financial difficulties caused further delays and the bridge was finally completed in 1890.

The settlement had no law enforcement and earned the reputation as being meaner than Tombstone and Dodge City combined. The shacks that lined the main street hosted saloons, gambling dens, and brothels that stayed open 24 hours a day. The main street was aptly know as "Hell Street."

A stagecoach ran between Canyon Diablo and Flagstaff. When the town got its first peace officer he allegedly put the badge on at 3:00 p.m. and was laid out for burial at 8:00 p.m. Five other men also took the position none of which lasted more than a month before they too were killed.

The town died after the railroad bridge was built and little of the original settlement remains today. The largest visible structure is a standing wall and foundation of a trading post built when the site was the railhead for Flagstaff and Prescott. Many car bodies lie about the area and ground is littered with broken glass and rusted tin.