Ash Fork, Arizona
| Ash Fork, Arizona | |
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| — CDP — | |
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| Coordinates: 35°13′16″N 112°29′14″W / 35.22111°N 112.48722°WCoordinates: 35°13′16″N 112°29′14″W / 35.22111°N 112.48722°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Arizona |
| County | Yavapai |
| Area | |
| • Total | 2.3 sq mi (6 km2) |
| • Land | 2.3 sq mi (5.9 km2) |
| • Water | 0.0 sq mi (0.0 km2) |
| Elevation | 5,160 ft (1,573 m) |
| Population (2000) | |
| • Total | 457 |
| • Density | 199.1/sq mi (76.9/km2) |
| Time zone | MST (UTC-7) |
| ZIP code | 86320 |
| Area code(s) | 928 |
| FIPS code | 04-04440 |
| GNIS feature ID | 0025794 |
Ash Fork (Havasupai: Thilgsvgov[1]) is a census-designated place (CDP) in Yavapai County, Arizona, United States. The population was 457 at the 2000 census.
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[edit] Geography
Ash Fork is located at 35°13′16″N 112°29′14″W / 35.22111°N 112.48722°W (35.221236, -112.487100).[2]
According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 2.3 square miles (6.0 km2), all of it land.
Geologic places of interest include Cathedral Caverns which are approximately 10 miles (16 km) west of town off Arizona Road, and Dante's Descent, a 275-foot (84 m) deep sinkhole that is also known as Devil's Hole, which is approximately five miles northwest of Ash Fork, off of Crookton Road; unfortunately, after closure by the state, Dante's Descent cannot actually be visited legally. However, the Ash Fork Library has several pictures of it on file.
Approximately 15 miles (24 km) to the north of Ash Fork is Beale Road, which has the distinction of being the first federally funded highway.
[edit] History and trivia
The community was established as a siding of the Atlantic and Pacific Railroad, later known as the Santa Fe Railroad, in October 1882. It was purportedly named in 1883 by F.W. Smith, General Superintendent of the railroad, because of ash trees at the site.[3] The first official post office was established on April 12, 1883, with one Henry W. Kline serving as the first Postmaster.[4] Following a damaging fire in 1885, the entire town of Ash Fork burned to the ground in 1893, and was rebuilt on the other side of the railroad tracks, where it remains today.
In later years, Ash Fork was the location of the Escalante, a large hotel and "Harvey House" built in 1907 and closed in 1948, operated by the Fred Harvey Company. Ash Fork's convenient location along the railway and later famous U.S. Route 66 made it recognizable to many cross-country travelers, as evidenced by its fleeting mention in several films from the era of Classical Hollywood cinema, such as 1947's Dark Passage starring Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall.
U.S. Route 66 provided a slight boost to the town's economy in the 1950s, but construction of the divided highway through the town resulted in the destruction of many of the storefronts, sidewalks, and residential streets, forever altering the aesthetic qualities of the downtown area.[3] When the Santa Fe Railroad moved its main line north and away from the town in 1960, Ash Fork lost nearly half its population, as most families employed by the railway were forced to leave the area.[3]
Another large fire, known locally as the "Big Fire", devastated the community on November 20, 1977, destroying most of the downtown businesses. When I-40 bypassed the town soon after, the local economy never fully recovered. The community's last major fire occurred on October 7, 1987, destroying nearly all the remaining buildings along the two block business district located on the south side of Route 66.[3]
Part of what was once Route 66 still runs directly through Ash Fork, though as a divided highway, with Park Avenue running east and Lewis Avenue running west, both serving as a main thoroughfare.. A few historic buildings, including a false front structure and some old railroad company houses can be seen along these. Many of the town's few commercial businesses, including the Oasis Lounge and the Ranch House Cafe, can be found along Park Avenue. The post office is also located on this street. [5]
Certain areas of the town were selected to be used as sets in the filming of 1992's Universal Soldier, supposedly due to the extremely low purchase price and poor condition of several buildings, including an old motel, which were blown up for cinematic effect.[3]
The Ashfork-Bainbridge Steel Dam is located outside of Ash Fork.
The longest original, uninterrupted stretch of Route 66 still in existence, approximately 9.6 miles (15.4 km) long, can be found between Ash Fork, Arizona, and Seligman, Arizona, beginning just beyond Ash Fork at Crookton Road. This stretch of the route runs parallel to the Santa Fe roadbed.
Ash Fork has proclaimed itself "The Flagstone Capital of the World", due to the large number of stone quarries and stone yards in and around the town.[3]
[edit] Demographics
As of the census[6] of 2000, there were 457 people, 149 households, and 109 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 199.1 people per square mile (76.7/km²). There were 189 housing units at an average density of 82.3 per square mile (31.7/km²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 96.28% White, 1.31% Native American, 1.53% from other races, and 0.88% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 51.42% of the population.
There were 149 households out of which 35.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.4% were married couples living together, 6.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.2% were non-families. 22.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.07 and the average family size was 3.45.
In the CDP the population was spread out with 28.7% under the age of 18, 13.6% from 18 to 24, 25.2% from 25 to 44, 21.4% from 45 to 64, and 11.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 161.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 143.3 males.
The median income for a household in the CDP was $30,893, and the median income for a family was $36,875. Males had a median income of $23,854 versus $21,094 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $11,802. About 16.5% of families and 20.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 27.1% of those under age 18 and 18.4% of those age 65 or over. The largest (and only) employers in the area are the numerous flagstone yards and quarries, and the local school (though most of the teachers commute from nearby cities.)
[edit] References
- ^ Hinton, Leanne (1984). A dictionary of the Havasupai language.
- ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2011-02-12. http://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/gazette.html. Retrieved 2011-04-23.
- ^ a b c d e f Trimble, Marshall. Ash Fork. Arcadia, 2008.
- ^ Barnes, Will C.; Granger, Byrd (ed.) "Arizona Place Names" University of Arizona Press, 1997. P. 30
- ^ Kaszynski, William. Route 66: Images of America's Main Street. McFarland, 2003.
- ^ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
[edit] External links
- Ash Fork Community Profile (Arizona Dept. of Commerce)
- Ashfork – Flagstone Capital of the World
- Ash Fork Local History
- Ash Fork Historical Marker
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