Canyon Diablo was located next to its namesake chasm in northern Arizona. The town had 14 saloons, 10 casinos, 4 brothels, 1 grocery store, and no law enforcement.
Canyon Diablo is now a ghost town!
Canyon Diablo was a notorious ghost town in Coconino County, Arizona that exemplified the lawlessness and danger of some Wild West towns in the late 19th century. It was founded in the 1880s as a railroad town along the transcontinental railroad, which reached Canyon Diablo in 1881.
Due to its remote location, over 100 miles from the nearest law enforcement, Canyon Diablo quickly descended into a hub of saloons, gambling dens, brothels, and violence. The town's main street earned the nickname "Hell Street" for its wild and dangerous reputation. Canyon Diablo was considered meaner and more lawless than famous Wild West towns like Tombstone and Dodge City.
By the early 20th century, Canyon Diablo's heyday had passed as the railroad moved on and its buildings were dismantled. The ghost town was completely abandoned by the 1970s. Today, the ruins of Canyon Diablo are a popular tourist attraction along the famous Route 66 highway. Though just a shell of its former dangerous self, the town still epitomizes the reckless, turbulent history of the Wild West frontier.
By the early 20th century, Canyon Diablo's heyday had passed as the railroad moved on and its buildings were dismantled. The ghost town was completely abandoned by the 1970s. Today, the ruins of Canyon Diablo are a popular tourist attraction along the famous Route 66 highway. Though just a shell of its former dangerous self, the town still epitomizes the reckless, turbulent history of the Wild West frontier.
Here is an Expanded History of Canyon Diablo in Arizona:
Canyon Diablo was founded in 1880 as a small settlement to service the approaching railroad in the Arizona Territory. Just one year later in 1881, the tracks of the Atlantic and Pacific Railroad reached the town, connecting it to the rapidly expanding transcontinental railroad network. Canyon Diablo’s location along the railway made it a major transportation hub and destination for settlers, workers, businessmen and outlaws traversing the Southwest.
With the railroad came hordes of rowdy, rough railroad workers looking to unwind after grueling 12-hour workdays laying tracks under the desert sun. Saloons, gambling halls, and brothels quickly sprang up along Canyon Diablo’s dusty main street to cater to the railroad men and other shady characters. A notorious red-light district emerged, along with several seedy saloons like the Golden Nugget, Bull’s Head, and Diablo Saloon. Canyon Diablo’s remote location meant law enforcement was over 100 miles away, giving the town a nearly lawless, anything-goes atmosphere.
As Canyon Diablo’s businesses grew more disreputable, so did its reputation as one of the most dangerous boomtowns in the Southwest. Train and stagecoach robberies became common when transports stopped in town to take on water. Drunken brawls, stabbings, shootouts and murders became daily occurrences. The town’s main street earned the nickname “Hell Street” for its unrestrained violence and debauchery. With at least one murder per week, Canyon Diablo was considered meaner and more deadly than infamous Wild West towns like Tombstone, Dodge City and Deadwood.
Adding to the danger was Canyon Diablo’s mix of highwaymen, train robbers, cattle rustlers, gamblers, outlaws and bandits lying low from the law. Notorious Old West gangs like the Cowboys, the Clanton Gang and the Cochise County Cowboys made the saloons their illicit headquarters. Some famous visitors included “Buckskin” Frank Leslie, Sherman McMasters, Tom Horn and the murderous Hopi outlaw Anasazi.
To get supplies, many outlaws robbed trains passing through Canyon Diablo. Express cars were favorites for holding valuables like cash, gold, and jewelry. Train engineers took to speeding through Canyon Diablo to avoid getting ambushed. The Santa Fe Railroad eventually built a spur line bypassing the town to protect its trains. This major blow to Canyon Diablo’s economy began its decline into a ghost town.
By the early 1900s, Canyon Diablo’s wilderness reign was ending. Coconino County was established in 1891 with the town of Flagstaff as the county seat. Sheriff commutes to Canyon Diablo improved, dampening its lawless, unrestrained spirit. The completion of the railroad heading west also removed the main source of rowdy transient workers. As quickly as it boomed, Canyon Diablo’s businesses dried up.
The town sat abandoned for decades, with adobe and wooden buildings crumbling into ghostly ruins. Windblown sand and weeds choked the once busy streets. The crumbling skeleton of Hell Street was all that remained of its wild, deadly heyday. Canyon Diablo became just another wind-swept ghost town dotting Route 66.
Today, the eerie ruins of Canyon Diablo provide a glimpse into Arizona’s untamed frontier past. Though now a mere shell of its former dangerous self, the town still epitomizes the Old West in stark contrast to modern civilization. Visitors can walk the dusty streets and take in the isolated railroad town where lawlessness once ruled the Southwest. The once booming saloons, brothels and gambling halls now stand as crumbling relics of Canyon Diablo’s short-lived reign.
Here is a Reader's Theater script about the history of Canyon Diablo, Arizona. 4th grade audience:
Narrator: Our story takes place back in the old Wild West days. A new town was built in Arizona called Canyon Diablo. It started as a place for railroad workers to stop and rest. But soon, Canyon Diablo became known for being a very dangerous town!
Cowboy 1: Howdy partners! This town sure is rough and rowdy!
Cowboy 2: Yeah, there's no sheriff here, so we can do whatever we want! Let's go to the saloon and get some drinks!
Narrator: The saloons in Canyon Diablo were always full of folks getting drunk and fighting. Gun fights happened all the time too!
Saloon Owner: Come on in and bellied up to the bar, fellas! The whiskey is cheap and the gambling is wild!
Cowboy: This saloon is crazy! I just saw two men get in a fist fight over a card game!
Narrator: Because Canyon Diablo had no laws, many robbers and outlaws liked to hide out there too.
Outlaw: This town is perfect for us bandits! We can rob every train that stops here for water and no sheriff will catch us!
Narrator: The railroad workers named the main street "Hell Street" because it was so scary and dangerous.
Cowboy: I'm getting out of this crazy town! Hell Street lives up to its name, all right. I heard three men got shot last night!
Narrator: After the trains stopped running through town, Canyon Diablo got very quiet and empty. All the buildings were left behind in the desert.
Prospector: Wow, Canyon Diablo sure turned into a ghost town fast! I'm all alone on these dusty old streets.
Narrator: Today, people can visit the ghost town ruins and learn about Canyon Diablo's wild past. It reminds us of how different the Wild West used to be.
Tourist: This old ghost town sure looks creepy! It's hard to believe it was once such a busy, dangerous railroad stop. I'm glad I live in modern times!
THE END
Here is a Readers Theater Script for high school students based on the history of Canyon Diablo, Arizona:
Scene 1:
Narrator: The year is 1880. Railroad workers are laying tracks across the Arizona Territory, connecting the transcontinental railroad. A small settlement springs up in northern Arizona to service the railroad crews. This dusty outpost will soon become known as one of the most dangerous railroad boomtowns in the Wild West - Canyon Diablo.
Act 1
Narrator: Canyon Diablo quickly transforms into a hub of saloons, gambling halls and brothels to entertain the railroad workers.
Saloon Owner: Come on in, boys! Cold beer, hot gals and plenty of gambling! This here's the best saloon in Canyon Diablo!
Cowboy 1: Much obliged, partner! Ain't had me no fun since we left Flagstaff.
Cowboy 2: Yeah, layin' them tracks is hot, dirty work. Time to wet our whistles!
Bartender: What'll you boys have? Whiskey's just a nickel.
Narrator: With no lawmen around for 100 miles, Canyon Diablo becomes a nearly lawless town.
Cowboy 1: Ain't no sheriffs here to rain on our parade. We can do whatever we damn well please!
Cowboy 2: Hot diggity damn! This here town suits me just fine.
Narrator: Soon Canyon Diablo is plagued by drunken brawls, stabbings and shootouts. The main street earns the nickname "Hell Street."
Gunslinger: Draw, ya lily-livered coward! This town ain't big enough for the both of us!
Cowboy: I ain't 'fraid of you, ya bushwhackin' sidewinder!
Narrator: The town becomes a haven for robbers, rustlers, gamblers and other outlaws. Notorious gangs make Canyon Diablo their headquarters.
Train Robber: This here's a paradise for men like us! With all them trains rollin' through, we'll be livin' like kings!
Outlaw: And if any lawdogs come sniffin' around, we'll fill 'em full of lead. This town belongs to us!
Act 2
Narrator: As railroad expansion moves west, Canyon Diablo's economy booms with saloons and brothels lining Hell Street.
Saloon Girl: Come on in, sugar! We got dancing girls, card games and plenty of booze! The fun never stops in Canyon Diablo!
Prospector: Hot damn, this is my kind of town! I'm gonna get myself liquored up and have me some fun!
Narrator: The rowdy railroad workers pack the saloons and brothels after their long shifts.
Cowboy: I tell ya what, ain't no town got drinking and carousing like Canyon Diablo! Beats the hell outta Flagstaff!
Narrator: Outlaws use Canyon Diablo as a hideout, robbing trains that stop for water.
Train Engineer: Damn it all, we got robbed again in Canyon Diablo! I'm telling the railroad, we ain't stoppin' at that cursed town no more!
Narrator: As violence and debauchery run rampant, Canyon Diablo gains a reputation as the deadliest town in Arizona Territory, even worse than Tombstone.
Newspaper Editor: The streets of Canyon Diablo ran red with blood again last night. Seven dead in another saloon shootout! No civilized lawman would ever set foot in that godforsaken outlaw nest!
Act 3
Narrator: By 1900, Canyon Diablo's wild days are ending with the railroad moving west. Coconino County forms, bringing lawmen to the region.
Sheriff: I don't care if this town was founded by outlaws. There's a new sheriff in town, and law and order is coming to Canyon Diablo!
Outlaw: You ain't got the guts to take on all of us! We run this town!
Sheriff: We'll see about that when you're swingin' from the gallows, you yellow-bellied varmint!
Narrator: The rowdy railroad workers also move on, choking off Canyon Diablo's economy.
Saloon Owner: Ain't no money in this town no more now that them railroad boys left. I'm shutting this saloon down for good.
Narrator: As businesses close down, the once-booming Hell Street becomes a dusty, windblown trail.
Prospector: Phew-eee, this town sure did dry up faster than a puddle in the desert. Ain't nothin' left but ghosts and tumbleweeds.
Narrator: By the 1970s, Canyon Diablo is completely abandoned, its crumbling buildings echoing its violent frontier past.
Tourist: Hard to believe this ghost town used to be the meanest, roughest railroad outpost in Arizona. Now it's just eerie ruins sinking back into the desert.
Tour Guide: Yes, Canyon Diablo serves as a stark reminder of how quickly fortunes changed on the untamed frontier. Here one day, gone the next.
Act 4
Narrator: Our scene flashes forward to present day. Visitors explore the ruins of Canyon Diablo, as a tourist guide describes its history.
Tour Guide: Here are the remnants of what was once one of the wildest railroad boomtowns in the Old West - Canyon Diablo, Arizona.
Tourist 1: It's amazing to walk these dusty streets where so much chaos and violence once took place. Hard to picture it filled with saloons, outlaws and railroad workers.
Tour Guide: Yes, for one brief moment, this was the rowdiest, most dangerous place in the Arizona Territory.
Tourist 2: Tell us more about those wild and deadly days. What was life in Canyon Diablo really like back then?
Tour Guide: Well, Canyon Diablo was founded in 1880 as a railroad service town, since the tracks passed right through here. But with no law enforcement for 100 miles, it quickly spiraled out of control.
Tourist 1: No sheriffs, huh? Then I guess you could get away with just about anything!
Tour Guide: You're right, it was a nearly lawless town. The railroad workers would finish their shifts and head to the saloons lining Hell Street. There, over whistles of boilermakers, they'd unwind through brawling, gambling and carousing with shady ladies.
Tourist 2: Sounds pretty chaotic! I'll bet those saloons saw plenty of fights.
Tour Guide: Oh yes, stabbings and shootouts soon became daily occurrences! Most men carried pistols and itching trigger fingers. Justice was dealt out through the barrel of a gun. Canyon Diablo saw at least one killing each week.
Tourist 1: That's unbelievable! No wonder they called it Hell Street.
Tour Guide: Exactly. And it wasn't just railroad workers stirring up trouble. All sorts of bandits and outlaws used Canyon Diablo as a secret hideout, since the distant law couldn't touch them here. Train and stagecoach robberies were all too common around these parts.
Tourist 2: I definitely wouldn't want to visit Canyon Diablo back in those days. But it's really incredible to see these ruins knowing their dangerous history.
Tour Guide: Yes, even though it's abandoned, you can still feel the spirit of the untamed frontier here. Stand very quiet and listen closely - the ghosts of Canyon Diablo's past may just speak to you.
Narrator: And so the ruins of Canyon Diablo stand as a haunting reminder of Arizona's wild and deadly history. Though now returned to the desert, echoes of its lawless railroad days seem to linger, whispering tall tales on the desert winds.
THE END
SHOOT OUT ON HELL STREET!
INT. SALOON on HELL STREET - DAY
The saloon is dimly lit, with a few patrons drinking quietly
at tables. At the bar, two men in dusty cowboy hats sit alone, nursing their
whiskeys. These are our two gunfighters - JACK, weathered and brooding, and
WESLEY, polished and erudite.
Jack glances over at Wesley, who steadily sips his drink, not making eye contact. A thick tension fills the air between them.
JACK
Never thought I'd see your face again.
Wesley slowly turns his head towards Jack. A sly grin spreads across his face.
WESLEY
Now Jack, don't tell me you're not happy to see your old
friend.
Jack scowls and takes a swig of whiskey.
JACK
We both know we ain't friends. Not anymore.
Wesley chuckles.
WESLEY
Come now, must we drudge up the past? I'd hoped we could have a civilized drink, for old time's sake.
JACK
Ain't nothing civilized about you. I heard what you done, robbing that train in Abilene. Killed three lawmen in cold blood.
Wesley shrugs.
WESLEY
It was five actually. But who's counting?
Jack slams his glass down on the bar. Other patrons look over nervously.
JACK
You always thought you was smarter than the rest of us. With
your fancy Eastern education. But you ain't nothing but a yellow-bellied snake.
Wesley's eyes flare with anger for a moment before his grin returns.
WESLEY
And you're still just a foolhardy grunt. Always charging into things you don't understand.
The two men lock eyes, the hostility palpable.
WESLEY (CONT'D)
But we've had this argument before, haven't we Jack? Tell me, what do you want?
JACK
I want you to face justice for what you done. Draw on me, Wesley. Let's settle this once and for all.
Wesley finishes his drink and stands calmly.
WESLEY
Well then. Shall we take this outside? I'd hate to cause a scene in this fine establishment.
Jack stands abruptly, knocking over his chair.
JACK
After you.
Wesley smirks and tips his hat to the nervous patrons as he strides outside, Jack following behind.
EXT. HELL STREET - DAY
Wesley and Jack walk out into the deserted dirt road, hands hovering near their pistols. They pace in a slow circle, eyes locked.
JACK
Draw, damn you! Let's get this over with!
WESLEY
Now Jack, patience. We have so much to catch up on first.
Jack scowls, fingers twitching near his gun.
JACK
Ain't nothing left to say. Just wanna see you swing.
Wesley tsks and shakes his head.
WESLEY
After all we went through together, this is how it ends? Rather tragic, I must say.
JACK
You ain't no friend of mine. Not since Tombstone. I should've put you down myself after what you did.
Briefly, regret and sadness flash across Wesley's face.
WESLEY
I never intended...it was unavoidable. Surely some part of you understands why I had to do it.
Jack shakes his head, jaw clenched.
JACK
Weren't nothing justified about it. I'll never forgive you.
Wesley sighs.
WESLEY
Then I suppose this is fate. Pity.
A long tense moment passes. Finally, Jack snarls and goes
for his gun. In a blur, both men draw and FIRE!
WESLEY
Damn you...just finish it...
Jack hesitates. For a moment, sadness and regret are
visible on his face.
JACK
I am sorry, old friend. I truly am.
He cocks his gun to fire again. As he pulls the trigger, we...
FADE TO BLACK
THE END
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