These 20 Photos Of Arizona In The 1970s Are Mesmerizing

As a kid, I absolutely loved flipping through old photo albums, especially the ones that showed my parents in their youth. Hopeful, young and ready to take on the world, I had a chance to see Arizona (and, at times, Utah and New Mexico) in a way that we rarely ever see in the history books. That's why when I came across this collection of photographs from the U.S. National Archives that show off Arizona in the 1970s, I just had to feature them in an article.

I have to admit; I came across so many beautiful examples of photography in 1970s Arizona that I had a difficult time keeping the number down to something that won't take forever for your computer to load. So, let's take a trip down memory lane!

1. What better way to start this journey than with an image of Arizona as seen on the old Southwest Limited in 1974?

2. Just a decade before, Arizona's population boomed in a way the area had never seen before. This shows one of the results of that growth: the desert and its natural environment getting bulldozed for housing development.

3. An overnight passenger train gets some maintenance in Winslow before continuing on to Albuquerque.

4. Noted by the photographer as a solar energy researcher and expert, this man shows off a solar passive method of heating water. In this case, it was used for his swimming pool in Tucson.

5. A man enjoys a boat ride on Lake Powell in 1973.

6. This image shows the housing for Peabody Coal Company workers, which is located on the Navajo Nation.

7. Here, SRP workers are working on…something near Page.

8. Some passengers of the Southwest Limited enjoy the scenery in what appears to be northern Arizona.

9. These two kids helped their parents sell some lovely jewelry on the roadside.

10. This kiddo is enjoying a ride at a junior rodeo in Parker.

11. This photo shows the London Bridge settling in to it's new home in Lake Havasu City just one year after its installation.

12. This man is shearing his sheep by hand after a long day at the coal mine.

13. Some tourists enjoy a refreshing dip in Havasu Creek on a hot day in 1972.

14. This family in Red Rock enjoys a quiet afternoon together.

15. A Navajo woman and her trusty collie herd sheep together next to the coal-powered Four Corners Generating Station in 1972.

16. This Navajo family enjoys a Saturday morning of shopping in Window Rock.

17. Does anyone remember this billboard from about 1973?

18. Tourists watch a little kid run around in 1972 on the Navajo Nation.

19. Just a couple of horses being transported in this classic truck in Moenkopi.

20. Finally, here is a look at a 1972 golf course in Lake Havasu City all ready for scores of summer golfers.

Do you have any favorite memories in Arizona from the 1970s?