Hubbell Trading Post National Historical Site

As I traveled north up US 191 and pulled into the Hubbell Trading Post I looked down at my phone and noticed that the time had dropped back one hour. At first I thought that my smart phone may have been a little confused until I realized that in the Navajo Nation they do not practice the same time as the rest of Arizona. There was a sign on the way in that reminded me and gave me a sense of how special this land and piece of history is that I was now entering .

Hubbell Trading post is located in Ganado, AZ and has been serving selling groceries, grain, turquoise, hardware, horse tack, coffee and Native American Art since 1878.  The squeaky wooden floor greets your entry into the oldest operating trading post on the Navajo Nation. Among the unique items the historical site houses is animal skins, rugs, beautiful native american paintings, sculptures, pottery, jewlery and much more!

A look into history….

Hubbell Trading Post National Historic Site is a meeting ground of two cultures, the Navajo and settlers who came to the area to settle in what is now northeastern Arizona in the late 19th century. These settlers came from Mexico from the south and eastern United States. In 1878, John Lorenzo Hubbell purchased this trading post, ten years after Navajos were allowed to return to their homeland from their U.S.-imposed exile in Bosque Redondo, Fort Sumner, New Mexico. This ended what is known in Navajo history as the “Long Walk of the Navajo.” The park is located in Ganado, Arizona. It was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1960.