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SEDONA ~ Fun facts and interesting history...

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  • ELEVATION HERE, AT THE PAINTED LANAI: 4,615 feet 

  • THE TALLEST MOUNTAIN IN SEDONA:  Wilson Mountain at 7,100 feet above sea level. 

  • YEAR-ROUND POPULATION OF SEDONA: 10,397 

  • WEATHER: 

Average Annual Rainfall: 15 inches  

Average high temperature: 76 degrees 

Average low temperature: 46 degrees 

Average July Temperature: 95 degrees F (High), 65 degrees F (Low) 

The sun shines over 300 days out of the year which is more than Florida. 

Snow:  It may freeze at night in Sedona in the winter but NEVER during the day. Snow is rare but Sedona is certainly breathtaking when it does happen.   The average snowfall in Sedona is 1-2 inches so most residents ofSedona do not own a snow shovel. The high red rock mountains surrounding Sedona receive more snow and when they do, they look absolutely amazing!  You’ll have to take the photos quickly though because it usually melts during the day. 

 

  • DISTANCES: 

The city of Phoenix lies 114 miles to the south. Las Vegas is 278 miles to the northwest.  Los Angles is 482 miles to the west. The Grand Canyon is 110 miles north of Sedona. 
 

  • MAJOR INDUSTRIES? 

The major Industries in Sedona are tourism and hospitality, recreation,
retail shopping and art galleries. 
 

  • THE RED ROCKS OF SEDONA: 

The Supai Group of red sandstone, deposited when the area was a floodplain about 300 million years ago, sits atop the Redwall Formation, to a depth of about 600 feet. On top of that is a layer called the Hermit Formation, about280 million years old, made of sandstone, mudstone and conglomerate. 
 

  • WHY THE ROCKS ARE RED: 

Red Color. The red color of some of the outcrops of the Aztec Sandstone is due to presence of iron oxide or hematite. Exposure to the elements caused iron minerals to oxidize or “rust,” resulting in red, orange, and brown-colored rocks.  Sedona’s canyon walls show nine layers of stone from different geological periods spanning hundreds of millions of years. There are six layers of sandstone, two thin layers of limestone and atop all of these, one igneous layer of basalt stone. The different sandstone and limestone layers were formed by windblown sand dunes or mud deposited by inland seas. The red colors of some of the sandstone layers are the result of iron oxide staining the rocks over great periods of time. The uppermost igneous layer was deposited by volcanic eruptions 14.5 million years ago and once covered the entire Verde Valley several meters deep in lava. 
 

  • THE FIRST PEOPLE OF SEDONA: 

People have been gravitating to Sedona since 8,000 B.C. Some of the migrant tribes that crossed the Bering Strait from Asia eventually made their way to Sedona. These “Paleo Indian” tribes roamed in bands along the tributaries of Dry Creek, Beaver Creek, and Oak Creek, gathering wild plant foods and hunting bighorn sheep, deer, and elk. 

Eventually some groups settled nearby in scattered villages of pit houses in the uplands and along the foothills of the Mogollon Rim. Evidence suggests that these “Anasazi Indians” came from the high deserts along the Little Colorado River. The name Anasazi was coined by the Navajos and means, “The ancient ones who weren’t us.” For mysterious reasons, the Anasazi left the area. 

Next came the Hohokam from the south, during the period of 500 AD to 700 AD. The Hohokam introduced irrigation farming. The ancient canals they built still exist today and were used by white settlers when they arrived in the area.   

see this link for more:  
http://www.callofsedona.com/2013/03/26/sedona-native-american-history/ 
 

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  • TODAYS NATIVE AMERICANS OF SEDONA: 

The rich cultural impact of the first peoples is still felt in many facets of Sedona life from their stewardship and respect for the land to their powerful ceremonies and artistic contributions. Native American culture is alive and well in present-day Sedona. Visitors will inevitably share their long-established reverence for the land. Just as they hold many places around Sedona to be sacred, travelers will doubtlessly find their reverence to be well placed. There are many fine examples of Native American artistry in Sedona’s galleries and shops. Native American pottery and jewelry are some of the most popular items for visitors. Their music and dance are often showcased at various venues and visitors can book one of Sedona’s Native American tours to visit the sites and learn more about the historic people of this region. 
 

  • EARLY SEDONA: 

Evidence of human presence in the Sedona region begins around 4000 BC when hunter-gatherers roamed through the Verde Valley. As early as 300 BC the dry desert soils were being farmed by the Hohokam people, who developed systems of irrigation canals by 700 AD but then mysteriously abandoned the area, perhaps because of a regional volcanic eruption in 1066 AD. 
 

  • THE MEANING OF “SEDONA”: 

The meaning of the name Sedona is Created Name. ... The city of Sedona, Arizona was named after one of the earliest settlers, Sedona Miller Schnebly (1877–1950), the wife of the city's first postmaster, who was celebrated for her hospitality and industriousness. In 1902, when the Sedona post office was established, there were 55 residents. In that year the small town was named Sedona after Sedona Miller Schnebly.   
 

  • WHAT LED TO THE MODERN DAY SEDONA: 

The first spurt of development came during the 1940’s and 50’s when Hollywood began filming western movies amidst the red rocks, such as the classics Billy the Kid, Apache and Broken Arrow. Many of Hollywood's classic westerns were filmed in or near Sedona. The red rock buttes and desert landscape provided a striking setting for these films, most notably Broken Arrow (1950), starring James Stewart. Other famous actors who have appeared in movies filmed in Sedona include John Wayne, Barbara Stanwyck, Burt Lancaster, Robert Mitchum, James Stewart, Glenn Ford, Rock Hudson, Gene Autry, Joan Crawford, Henry Fonda, Ryan O’Neal, Elvis Presley and Robert De Niro. 

In the 1960s and '70s the beauty of the red rocks began attracting retirees, artists and an increasing number of tourists. Currently more than four million visitors pass through Sedona each year. While there is no evidence that the area of Sedona was a highly venerated sacred site in antiquity, it has since the late 1980’s become the most visited ‘new-age’ pilgrimage destination in the United States. 

In the mid-1950s, the first telephone directory listed 155 names. Parts of the Sedona area weren't electrified until the 1960s. 

 

MORE INTERESTING FACTS: 

  • There is only one McDonald's in the world with turquoise arches instead of the iconic golden arches, and that's in Sedona. The trademark yellow clashed with the natural colors of Sedona's beautiful landscape. 

  • There are more national parks and monuments in Arizona than any other state, and Sedona is near most of them. 

  • Sedona is a tourist hub with four million people visiting the city every year. 

  • Originally founded in 1902, the town was incorporated into a city in January 1988. The Village of Oak Creek, despite its location seven miles (11 km) to the south and outside Sedona city limits, is a significant part of the community. 

  • The Verde Valley, meaning Green Valley, is so named because of the natural copper, appearing green when extracted from the ground, which had long been mined in the nearby hills and not because of the colors of local vegetation. The waters of Oak Creek come from the many natural springs along the course of the creek and not, as is commonly assumed, from melting snow of the nearby sacred mountain of Kachina Peak. 

  • In just a little over 2 hours or so, you can drive from the snowy pine covered landscapes of Norther Arizona to the Sonoran Desert. During the winter season it is possible to ski and then hike amidst towering Saguaro cactuses, both in the same day. 

 

FACTS ABOUT ARIZONA CAN BE FOUND HERE:   

http://sedonaverdevalley.org/104-fun-fascinating-facts-arizona/ 

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