A Visit To The Oldest Trading Post Mercantile In Arizona Is Like A Nostalgic Step Back In Time
Arizona is teeming with history and historical places to pay homage to the past in this great state in which we live. From historical landmarks to the oldest restaurants and historic villages, the Grand Canyon State doles out place after place to get acquainted with the history of the land and the people of Arizona.
Established by J.L. Hubbell in 1878, the Hubbell Trading Post is the oldest continuously operating trading post in Arizona.
Although it's been adopted by the National Park Service as an official historic site, it remains in business, just as it has for the past 140 years. Locals still count on the store for everyday items.
Visitors also love making the trek over to this old-fashioned mercantile because of its authentic nature and the keen assortment of necessities mixed with locally-made collectibles.
But the historic site entails more than just this humble old store, it's also a sort of living museum, complete with a Navajo weaver you can watch at work creating one of the masterpieces available within the store.
This Hubbell Trading post was only one of many that J.L. Hubbell would come to own and operate throughout the Southwest.
The present day store was built in the late 1800s by the locals Hubbell hired. It's made of a sandstone exterior, with massive Ponderosa pine beams that were lifted into place with mules and pulleys. The building is quite impressive — and so are the surrounding outpost buildings that make up this historic site.
A visit to the old Hubbell Trading Post is so much more than just a shopping trip for most.
There is much to see and admire about the history of the place, including a look inside the old barn and at the fields that still contain livestock.
Just beyond the fields, you'll find Hubbell Hill, where Hubbell and his family are buried at the very top. It's as if they have a forever watch over the old trading post and all she meant to them.
When you visit, be sure to wander all around the property, or you may miss the old guest hogan. There are actually two Navajo hogans on the old farmstead... can you discover them both? Stop by the visitor center and pick up a map, just to be sure you don't miss anything.
From shopping to exploring, the oldest trading post mercantile in Arizona is definitely a nostalgic (and educational!) step back in time. Have you discovered this neat place yet?
The historic store at the Hubbell Trading Post Historic Site is located at 1/2 Mile W. Hwy. 191, Ganado, AZ 86505. It’s open year-round. The hours from May to October are 8:00 a.m to 6:00 p.m. Hours from November to April are 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Admission is free. Learn more on the official website of the National Park Service.
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