100 years ago
1925: “We the undersigned, live-wire members of the best Elks Lodge in existence, Flagstaff Lodge No. 499, hereby hilariously pledge ourselves to the following, hereafter known as the Flagstaff Elks� Whisker Pledge: To wit: We, the undersigned, agree to let our hair and whiskers grow for a period of time, beginning at 10 o’clock the evening of June 2 and ending on the final night of the big 'Days of �49' celebration, at midnight, July 5. We further agree to promote the growth to the best of our ability, by using hair tonics, brushing, stroking, coaxing, aiding and abetting strong, healthy growth of said brush or whiskers. We further agree to refrain from bringing in close or dangerous contact any and all inflammable materials, such as hot soups, short, oversmoked cigars, flaming lip rouge, live exposed electric wires and that each of us will equip ourselves with a pocket model lightening rod. We further agree not to cut, trim, extract, bob or prune said hair and whiskers during the life of this contract, and it is the solemn duty of each and every signer hereto to zealously watch all other signers, and should any infraction of the above agreement be noted, to report such infractions at once to proper authorities. Whereby a fine of $25 will be imposed upon the guilty Elk. Be it further understood that each and every separate pruning of said hair and beard or both constitutes a separate and new offense.�
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75 years ago
1950: Passenger and mail service for Flagstaff became a reality today. Frontier Airlines, licensed by the Civil Aeronautics Board, officially started service through Flagstaff Thursday morning. However, the official inaugural flight arrived shortly after noon and the big DC-3 Sunliner remained at Municipal Airport for a half hour during welcoming and inaugural ceremonies. Local leaders, including city officials, representatives of the Pow Wow board and representatives of the Chamber of Commerce, met the plane and welcomed the Frontiers officials. “Flagstaff� was painted on a big map on the side of the plane, signifying that the city had officially been linked with other points on Frontier’s routes, which cover Utah, Colorado, New Mexico, Wyoming and Montana. The regular schedules call for northbound planes to arrive at Flagstaff each day at 7:43 a.m. and 5: 13 p.m., and for southbound planes to arrive daily at 12:39 p.m.
Now one of Flagstaff’s oldest active businessmen, Mr. (William Howard) Switzer, who was 14 when he came here (in 1883), says there couldn’t have been over 1,000 people in the area at that time. “Flagstaff was still mainly a cluster of wooden houses, mostly in Milton, around the old Arizona Lumber and Timber Co. mill, which had been established only two years previously,� he recalls. Where Switzer’s store is now located the country was still largely the land of the wide-open spaces. The family was originally from Leesburg, Kentucky, where Mr. Switzer was born Sept. 6, 1869. His father decided to move west, so the family moved to California in 1874. A friend told him that Flagstaff was a town with a future, however, so the family moved once more. They made the trip here from California via railroad, stopping at Needles to wait for the opening of the first railroad bridge across the Colorado in order to avoid ferrying the river. The elder Mr. Switzer homesteaded some land immediately east of Flagstaff and opened a dairy here with 19 cows. He was also a carpenter and builder. The area known as Switzer Mesa and Switzer Canyon is part of the old homestead.
50 years ago
1975: Flagstaff’s Alcoholic Reception Center, for the second consecutive year, is faced with closure. G. Michael Emmett, ARC director, said the facility will have to close its doors on June 30, due to lack of funds and an unwillingness on the part of local government agencies to help foot the bill. At the same time, two agencies most intimately concerned with alcoholic rehabilitation have issued a joint statement saying they cannot afford to pick up the operational tab for the ARC. The statement charged that government agencies both on the city and county level are unwilling to support the center and that without such local financial aid, ARC cannot remain open. Under Arizona law, intoxicated persons must be treated as “sick persons� and cannot be arrested by law enforcement agencies. The same law makes ARC facilities mandatory and requires law enforcement officers to transport drunks to it. Speaking jointly (officials) said today, “As individual agencies, (NACA and the Coconino Community Guidance Clinic) will not pick up the ARC operation without required local government participation.� Emmett said he has advised members of ARC staff to begin seeking employment elsewhere.
25 years ago
2000: As the Pumpkin Fire northwest of Flagstaff grew to 8,900 acres, officials were warning they might close thousands of acres of Arizona’s national forests� including parts of Coconino and Kaibab national forests � as soon as next week to reduce the chance of a disastrous fire season. Because it’s not easy to enforce forest closures, it isn’t something it does lightly � or often, [Emily] Garber said. She added that the last time was in 1996, another severe fire season.
This year’s gun buyback and safety day was more than a success in the eyes of Flagstaff Police Sgt. Gerry Blair. The buyback and safety day was a joint effort between the police department and the Flagstaff Housing Authority. From 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, people arrived at the American Legion Hall on the corner of Humphreys Street and Birch Avenue to exchange unwanted guns for money and to learn about gun safety. Blair, FPD community relations representative, said the department was expecting about 20 guns to be brought in. It ended up with 181. Mike Gouhin said $12,225 was spent to purchase the unwanted weapons.