Have to take a moment to say Congratulations on reaching the 100k milestone. All of your hard work, historical research and presentations are now getting the attention they deserve. Very happy for you Steve!
Oh man, the desert southwest is such an incredible landscape and history. You do great justice on presenting it. You are a natural journalist, and your research on your subjects add a lot to making them interesting. Great background music and audio mix of narration and music!
This whole area in Arizona is full of amazing places. I am unable to link to them, but look up the Meteor Crater, Petrified Forest, Painted Desert, and the Grand Canyon. I have driven several times through this area in my life and it is always jaw dropping.
I live in Winslow Az and you would have to see it to believe it!!! The endless land is incredible and that's why I love Arizona so much because I can go out and get away from everyone and not see another person for days if I choose!!!
Thanks for doing the research and not repeating the errors others have written about these places, the true history is always much more interesting. Love the drone footage, and your accurate guess about the cistern! Cheers!
@@rhuephus Well, he presents the known facts as facts (i.e. small railroad "camp follower" encampment, and later Navajo trading post) and clearly labels the rest as "speculation, and likely fiction". That's about as "true" as it gets for these little transitory settlements. Not a lot was truly known, because they were not permanent and established settlements - just stop-overs on the large "traveling circus" that was a railroad construction project. Everyone knows that the "wild west tales" are grossly exaggerated or made up out of whole cloth. This was, after all, the Victorian Era... even in the furthest reaches of the American frontier, people simply didn't behave the way old dime novels and Hollywood portray. Mostly, there were some roughnecks getting drunk and maybe engaging in fist fights. But, being in the employ of a corporate concern and out in the middle of nowhere building a railroad or working a mine, they kept their behavior to a "dull roar"... because getting fired from your job could literally be lethal. Out on your ass, with no resources, and a hundred miles of desert in every direction. Occasionally, there would be consensual duels (perhaps illegal, perhaps not, and still considered _socially_ acceptable regardless of legislation at the time). But outright criminal homicide was rare indeed. As were most "property crimes" and sexual crimes. There was some "commercial crimes" like train robberies and livestock theft, but again it was rare enough that it both made a big stink in the local news, and created a large response dedicated to capture the criminals... but it rarely involved slaughtering people. Look up the stagecoach highwayman "Black Bart" for an example of the fairly typical sort of commercial crime in those days. Compared to many of our urban crime zones of today, the "Wild West" was positively bucolic, if somewhat rural and isolated... but hey, a job was a job, and most got on just fine working in these regions. For the era, if one was young and willing to work at hard manual labor, it was an adventure of a lifetime, and reasonably safe if one was careful and didn't get killed in an industrial accident.
Congratulations on the very special milestone of 100,000 subscribers!!🏆 You take us places we can’t visit ourselves and you always put a lot of historical fact into what we see! THANK YOU!!
One day a couple of us working at Grand Canyon drove out to see the railroad bridge. Wasn't aware of the ghost town story. Road conditions were a bit different on out drive. Had to use windshield wipers a couple times to clear dust off in order to see. And it wasn't because we were driving fast! It was so dusty that by the time we returned to the highway our vehicle was covered by so much dust it was difficult to determine the paint color. Thanks for bringing back some memories.
Thank you for another intriguing trip into history not taught in school. I really enjoy your videos, historical perspectives and more than that, the stories! Please keep it up!
I love how you acknowledge the legends about a place like this while debunking them. Legends are often lies inflated by ego. You bring honesty and respect to the stories that grow around places like this. Thank you.
You present so well! Love it. I've been across that bridge many times some years ago. Very cool to see beyond what I could see from the locomotive. Thank you for that!
Canyon Diablo... A Grand Canyon in the making. The power of water and time. Such an obscure place. An historical footnote brought a little life by your exposure....👍👍
100K! Well done Steve. I'm a fairly recent subscriber, don't live anywhere near the USA and find your adventures fascinating. It's a side of America you just wouldn't see as a tourist. Well researched and narrated, easy to watch and understand. That canyon is amazing and the horseshoe bend makes a great picture.
This was such a wonderful video. I have so many memories of Canyon Diablo. My former father-in-law was Aaron Drye. His parents moved to Anderson Pass in 1913, which is located south of Twin Arrows (beginning of video). They homesteaded land in the pass. The winters were too difficult, so they homesteaded in another place along Canyon Diablo. Aaron was born in 1920. he had memories of the "canyon house," which is about a mile south of the town in this video. At the time, the area was an Army fort that worked with the local tribes. Aaron's first school was there. He had faded memories of that time. Some of the rumors of how rowdy the town was were definitely overblown. Aaron never left the area. His brother bought a ranch that extended from Twin Arrows several miles up over the mesa. Aarons Ranch, the D5, went from the other side of I-40 about five miles north. I lived and worked the ranch from 1981-1988. Today, the ranch is the Casino. Aaron was married to Maudie Williis. Her father was Flagstaff's sheriff in the 1940's. During WWII, Aaron and his wife lived in a small house near the Canyon DIablo Bridge (the original). His job was to guard the bridge during the war. Lastly - Two Guns - Aaron worked for the person who made the "Indian Death cave." - He sold tickets from 1935-1938 - He also sold tickets to the zoo. He would say - "the old lady that ran the zoo was something else. Every time a tourist would look at the coyotes and other wild animals caught in the area, she would start to howl. That would make the coyotes howl."
I remember riding in the car with my parents past the twin arrows trading post as a child in the 60's. Never knew there was a canyon and ghost town too. Guess I'll have to take a trip there and wander about. Thanks for sharing.
Greetings from Colorful Colorado. Awesome History! I really appreciate the "Walter Cronkite" Honesty and "Matter of Fact" Reporting that you do on your channel,
I grew up in Northern AZ and I explored both of those locations (Two Guns and Canyon Diablo) never knew about that crazy back story of "Most Dangerous Town in the Old West" though 😆! Love your channel!
Thumbs up good video in a rare instance of having good Not too loud background music. Can actually hear the narration not just a bunch of irritating computer generated noise like so many videos have these days 😫 History of the West is unique and fascinating keep up the good work
Another place I've been to! The year was 1988, and we had taken a rather large circle route from a trip to Tucson from New Mexico. Had visited Phoenix and Flagstaff, were heading east towards home. Had taken the new wife and her daughter to see the "big hole" (Meteor Crater) and I wanted to see the bridge. I didn't know the town was as extensive as it was. The only ruins WE saw was alongside the tracks, which i assumed were railroad structures. (Google Earth shows those ruins gone.) Wasn't there to explore, so we didn't. Nice to see that there was more to Cañon Diablo than a decrepit depot.
I’ve driven over Canyon Diablo many times on I-40 and wondered what was out there. Now I have some idea and I want to see more. Gorgeous video of the canyon and surrounding plateau! Really cool geology! 👍🏼👍🏼
Love your channel. There is NO place on this earth that I have a connection with than Arizona. Something about this land that I'm in awe with. Like I been here before, as in psst lives. As a native? I miss my most beloved Arizona!
It is so marvelous to think that the iconic western movies we watched and the thrilling novels we read about are actually real! Yes, of course, there are embellishments and exaggerations, but this is indeed the wild wild west, seeing those black and white photos triggered this realization lol
Loads of great info of Canyon Diablo in our great state of Arizona! So much history in that area. Congrats on reaching 100k! Seem just like yesterday we found you and you were at 16k. Your growth has been insane and awesome! 🎉
I have to say thank you so much for producing this video. Sitting cool in the comforts of my home, i had a virtual walk through the diablo canyon. Seeing vast desert wilderness leaves a dizzy feel....like being transported back in time....in every comment I say this 'your voice is very sweet and soothing'
I'm a train buff and I've been up there a couple of times to photograph trains going over the bridge. Canyon Diablo is well know to railfans like myself. I never realized that there was once a town there. Thanks for the history lesson! 😃
Good job. That place is one of the best along Route 66 for exploring because there is so much "infrastructure" still left especially at the fronts of the canyon starting the the "Mountain Lion" cages.
Lone arrow ... reminds me of Back to the Future and what was once Twin Pines Mall became Lone Pine Mall in Back to the Future 2 when Marty crashed thru a fence, a pine tree and a barn. Thanks again for a well-done video!
Almost 20 years ago I had found a one page of info on the internet (don't remember the source but before Wikipedia was a thing) on Canyon Diablo. We drove out and stopped just before the train tracks. I think we saw a few trains go by while we were there (very active). We walked across the tracks when it was clear, and through a barbwire fence to see the remains. I appreciate your analysis on it. It didn't seem to match the description of the age as well as the condition. But your information makes sense. So thank you for researching further. Interesting that what I remember matches exactly what you saw, although we only went to the main area (I don't remember the grave). Appreciate your videos.
Mr. Whipple is certainly someone's ancestor. It must be very special to them, I think, to know some of their family's history and have it told so well. Thanks for all of your research and hard work.
I would have laughed a few years ago if someone told me I would watch a travel vlog, now I can hardly wait until Wednesday! Congrats on 100k and thanks for all the stories.
CONGRATS on breaking 100k subscribers! That's awesome. I'm glad the algorithm brought me to you about six months ago. I have really enjoyed your storytelling.
Definitely will put this on my list of places to visit next time I'm up that way, mostly just to see that horseshoe bend in the canyon for myself. Thanks as always for finding these little gems!
I have been to Canyon Diablo many times and always found it a spooky place! Especially looking into that cistern. It had plenty of history there even before the railroad was built. And so much railroad history even nowadays!! Thanks for the great trip to the Devils Canyon.
Indeed! No regular hygiene, no medical care beyond the most rudimentary... & the food was not up to today's standards. Even McDonald's would be an improvement! No way to preserve short of drying by smoking or salt, so it was spoiling almost as soon as it got back to town.
36 people were killed there over the years. In 1905 there was a shootout between two robbers and two lawmen. One robber was killed, the other wounded. They were only 4 to 8 feet apart but fired 21 bullets. So much for those legends about accurate pistol shooting. It's all on Wikipedia. Diablo Canyon shootout.
It's funny that my main purpose for going to Canyon Diablo in 2013 was to film trains going over the bridge. The ruins were secondary in viewing them from across the tracks. Thank you for providing a close-up look at them with an excellent narration.
My dad (1911-2012) made two trips with his large family from Indiana to Southern California in the mid 1920s on the new Route 66 in a Packard touring car. He was able to recount a few of the "greater happenings", like a fatal wreck they came upon in the middle of nowhere, but being a "teen", it was mostly a lot of boring countryside waiting for the next stop... When I have traveled on, or studied places along old 66 on the internet, I often wonder if my dad walked on the ground I'm looking at... Like at the Twin Arrows Trading Post, but then I research and find out that it was built 20 years later, in the 40s
Twin Arrows came later, but it's possible he would have stopped at Two Guns, which is just 15 miles east and had several "attractions" at that time. I'm the same way, I think about my grandparents coming to California and wonder if they stopped at some of these same places.
Thank you, Steve, for another fascinating episode! I've driven by so many of the places you've covered, now I have a much better understanding and appreciation for them!
I have enjoyed every one of your videos, you haven't made a bad one yet! But I really enjoy starting out my day with one of your travel videos as I used to love to travel!
Interesting wind/ water erosion on those canyon walls. Noticed a lot of greenery at the bottom of the canyon, which would indicate water. Didn’t notice it with your drone shots but is there running water down there? Others have congratulated you on your 100K mark. Well earned and deserved!
I didn't see any current water. The wind was really going through the canyon or I would have flown the drown down into it to get a closer look. I was curious as to what trash had been tossed down there too. But it was so bad I filmed some stuff that isn't in the video because the wind noise was so bad it was unusable, even with the dead cat on the mic.
When I first watched the movie, Forrest Gump, I immediately recognized the Twin Arrows scene when Forrest falls into a huge mud puddle and wipes his face off, resulting in a smily face. It was a busy truck stop in the early 90's and those mud puddles were very real and deep and nasty. My name is Bicycle Bob and I approved this message and your work.
Thank you for showing this piece of Arizona history. 10:33 Something similar was once at the Columbus N.M. museum they had a photo of the burning of bandit's bodies after Pancho Villa's raid. They poured tar over them. Some man was using a stick to push a twisted arm back into the fire. Such was the wild West.
That canyon is so cool! I've been through the desert probably 100 times and I thought it was just a bunch volcano rock. I could look at that canyon for hours!
another fascinating story Steve. I always enjoy the history of ghost towns, make your mind wander to that time period. your detail to historical facts really brings the characters to life!
Excellent video, drove that road in 2002 and 2006 for train photography, glade to see no improvements to the road. Like your drone work, shows the remote area very well.
Zebulon Whatley wrote a song called "Song of Ruin" in his album "Trinity" which tells the story of the town and the gun fight which happened here. Lyrics: I rode by night-train down to Cañon Diablo To work on the rails and lay low for a while But never a town here on God's holy earth Did drink itself drunk on such venom and bile I made my way swiftly to a bar down on Hell Street Above it, a broken sign read "Road to Ruin" A couple of outlaws flew out into daylight Their whiskey undrunk, left behind in the gloom Tell Mary's harlots to stop what they're doing And gather around to sing this song of ruin They at once were surrounded by dozens of cowboys Whose hands were just itching at their holstered heat Then all in the blink of a milky crow's eyeball That onslaught of guns thundered Hell in the street So they planted those corpses in sands red as bull's blood Where they stiffened and bloated and bled out their wounds Then those drunk, old cowboys rode down there with shovels Disinterring those outlaws from their cruel, arid tombs Tell all those bandits to quit what they're doing And gather around to hear this song of ruin "I just can't allow that a man would buy whiskey And not live to drink it," said a man like a goat "We'll give 'em what's theirs, boys, so take up that bottle!" Then I helped them pour liquor down their slackened throats We stood there in silence, me and that band of cowboys As the sun climbed grotesquely like a carrion fly That star found us sober so we left through the canyons Leaving two piles of rocks where those cold bodies lie Tell all those cowboys to think what they're doing And ponder the sorrow in this song of ruin
So interesting, and I get to see a part of the country that is completely different from my home. Thank you for the great visuals and the history. It's amazing that there was a town there!
Great explore. Love those old foundations/rubble. That canyon view; wow Can't imagine nobody using this as a resort or even a camp. I bet there was outlaws.
I worked cowboying on the flying m ranch there 55 yrs ago. We would drive down to twin arrows for a beer and great cheese burger with green chili on it. I spent alot of timd in Canyon Diablo chasing cows. Enjoyed your video
Yes! Congrats on 100K!! There are a number of places and things named after Whipple in the Prescott area. My first thought was that since there was no gold or silver mining nearby, a railroad town (Hell on Wheels not withstanding) wouldn't justify that level of mayhem and death. Hard to say if wooden structures from the 1880s would have left more evidence. My guess is unless there was a fire, the dry desert climate would have preserved something. In the days before "Get Shorty" and "Fire in the Hole" (AKA Justified) Elmore Leonard wrote western stories for various publications between the late 1950s and 1970. They are worth a read. There is an anthology available. Anyway, my point is that fiction seems to be rampant when it comes to Canyon Diablo. Thanks for another fun adventure! Stay cool, and bring lots of water on your treks!
Have to take a moment to say Congratulations on reaching the 100k milestone. All of your hard work, historical research and presentations are now getting the attention they deserve. Very happy for you Steve!
Thank you, it's pretty unbelievable to me.
@@SidetrackAdventuresI have an extra Dodgers baseball cap I could send you. it’s not one of those cheaply made Velcro types but a solid wool cap….
@@samiam619Go Padres ... there is always next season. 😂
@@donalddodson7365 Sure. If you mean after Betts, Freeman, Kershaw, Muncy and all their new excellent rookies RETIRE. Yeah, maybe.
@@samiam619 Never!
Oh man, the desert southwest is such an incredible landscape and history. You do great justice on presenting it. You are a natural journalist, and your research on your subjects add a lot to making them interesting. Great background music and audio mix of narration and music!
I love the nonchalant and understated manner you use in recounting myths about the town. Another really fun video for us all to feast on.
Thank you!
As someone from a small country in Europe, looking at these huge expanses with very interesting history is amazing, thanks
Greetings! 🌵🏜️
This whole area in Arizona is full of amazing places. I am unable to link to them, but look up the Meteor Crater, Petrified Forest, Painted Desert, and the Grand Canyon. I have driven several times through this area in my life and it is always jaw dropping.
I live in Winslow Az and you would have to see it to believe it!!!
The endless land is incredible and that's why I love Arizona so much because I can go out and get away from everyone and not see another person for days if I choose!!!
Their was a family from Germany that died from the heat and getting lost in in Az. I think that people from Europe did not realize how big the USA is
A lot of Native American tribes all over the US. 500 separate languages, just in the Continental USA. White people exterminated the Native Americans.
Thanks for doing the research and not repeating the errors others have written about these places, the true history is always much more interesting.
Love the drone footage, and your accurate guess about the cistern!
Cheers!
"true" history ?? What makes you think this is the "true" history ??
@@rhuephus Well, he presents the known facts as facts (i.e. small railroad "camp follower" encampment, and later Navajo trading post) and clearly labels the rest as "speculation, and likely fiction". That's about as "true" as it gets for these little transitory settlements. Not a lot was truly known, because they were not permanent and established settlements - just stop-overs on the large "traveling circus" that was a railroad construction project.
Everyone knows that the "wild west tales" are grossly exaggerated or made up out of whole cloth. This was, after all, the Victorian Era... even in the furthest reaches of the American frontier, people simply didn't behave the way old dime novels and Hollywood portray. Mostly, there were some roughnecks getting drunk and maybe engaging in fist fights. But, being in the employ of a corporate concern and out in the middle of nowhere building a railroad or working a mine, they kept their behavior to a "dull roar"... because getting fired from your job could literally be lethal. Out on your ass, with no resources, and a hundred miles of desert in every direction.
Occasionally, there would be consensual duels (perhaps illegal, perhaps not, and still considered _socially_ acceptable regardless of legislation at the time). But outright criminal homicide was rare indeed. As were most "property crimes" and sexual crimes. There was some "commercial crimes" like train robberies and livestock theft, but again it was rare enough that it both made a big stink in the local news, and created a large response dedicated to capture the criminals... but it rarely involved slaughtering people. Look up the stagecoach highwayman "Black Bart" for an example of the fairly typical sort of commercial crime in those days.
Compared to many of our urban crime zones of today, the "Wild West" was positively bucolic, if somewhat rural and isolated... but hey, a job was a job, and most got on just fine working in these regions. For the era, if one was young and willing to work at hard manual labor, it was an adventure of a lifetime, and reasonably safe if one was careful and didn't get killed in an industrial accident.
Congratulations on the very special milestone of 100,000 subscribers!!🏆 You take us places we can’t visit ourselves and you always put a lot of historical fact into what we see! THANK YOU!!
One day a couple of us working at Grand Canyon drove out to see the railroad bridge. Wasn't aware of the ghost town story. Road conditions were a bit different on out drive. Had to use windshield wipers a couple times to clear dust off in order to see. And it wasn't because we were driving fast! It was so dusty that by the time we returned to the highway our vehicle was covered by so much dust it was difficult to determine the paint color. Thanks for bringing back some memories.
Thank you for another intriguing trip into history not taught in school. I really enjoy your videos, historical perspectives and more than that, the stories! Please keep it up!
Another awesome video. Drone is definitely a plus. I love those wide Open spaces. 👍
Yeah, its so wide open out there then all of the sudden there is a canyon!
I love how you acknowledge the legends about a place like this while debunking them. Legends are often lies inflated by ego. You bring honesty and respect to the stories that grow around places like this. Thank you.
You present so well! Love it.
I've been across that bridge many times some years ago. Very cool to see beyond what I could see from the locomotive. Thank you for that!
I like it that you are a regular guy and you are so honest. Cracks me up. Enjoyed the video.
Thanks!
Why would being regular and honest crack you up?
Canyon Diablo... A Grand Canyon in the making. The power of water and time.
Such an obscure place. An historical footnote brought a little life by your exposure....👍👍
100K! Well done Steve. I'm a fairly recent subscriber, don't live anywhere near the USA and find your adventures fascinating. It's a side of America you just wouldn't see as a tourist. Well researched and narrated, easy to watch and understand. That canyon is amazing and the horseshoe bend makes a great picture.
This was such a wonderful video. I have so many memories of Canyon Diablo. My former father-in-law was Aaron Drye. His parents moved to Anderson Pass in 1913, which is located south of Twin Arrows (beginning of video). They homesteaded land in the pass. The winters were too difficult, so they homesteaded in another place along Canyon Diablo. Aaron was born in 1920. he had memories of the "canyon house," which is about a mile south of the town in this video. At the time, the area was an Army fort that worked with the local tribes. Aaron's first school was there. He had faded memories of that time. Some of the rumors of how rowdy the town was were definitely overblown. Aaron never left the area. His brother bought a ranch that extended from Twin Arrows several miles up over the mesa. Aarons Ranch, the D5, went from the other side of I-40 about five miles north. I lived and worked the ranch from 1981-1988. Today, the ranch is the Casino. Aaron was married to Maudie Williis. Her father was Flagstaff's sheriff in the 1940's. During WWII, Aaron and his wife lived in a small house near the Canyon DIablo Bridge (the original). His job was to guard the bridge during the war. Lastly - Two Guns - Aaron worked for the person who made the "Indian Death cave." - He sold tickets from 1935-1938 - He also sold tickets to the zoo. He would say - "the old lady that ran the zoo was something else. Every time a tourist would look at the coyotes and other wild animals caught in the area, she would start to howl. That would make the coyotes howl."
I remember riding in the car with my parents past the twin arrows trading post as a child in the 60's. Never knew there was a canyon and ghost town too. Guess I'll have to take a trip there and wander about. Thanks for sharing.
Greetings from Colorful Colorado. Awesome History! I really appreciate the "Walter Cronkite" Honesty and "Matter of Fact" Reporting that you do on your channel,
I grew up in Northern AZ and I explored both of those locations (Two Guns and Canyon Diablo) never knew about that crazy back story of "Most Dangerous Town in the Old West" though 😆! Love your channel!
Good for you, Steve! 100, 000! Interesting historical content.
Thumbs up good video in a rare instance of having good Not too loud background music.
Can actually hear the narration not just a bunch of irritating computer generated noise like so many videos have these days 😫
History of the West is unique and fascinating keep up the good work
Another place I've been to! The year was 1988, and we had taken a rather large circle route from a trip to Tucson from New Mexico. Had visited Phoenix and Flagstaff, were heading east towards home. Had taken the new wife and her daughter to see the "big hole" (Meteor Crater) and I wanted to see the bridge. I didn't know the town was as extensive as it was. The only ruins WE saw was alongside the tracks, which i assumed were railroad structures. (Google Earth shows those ruins gone.) Wasn't there to explore, so we didn't. Nice to see that there was more to Cañon Diablo than a decrepit depot.
wow, way cool... plus, LOVE the music background! perfect!
I’ve driven over Canyon Diablo many times on I-40 and wondered what was out there. Now I have some idea and I want to see more. Gorgeous video of the canyon and surrounding plateau! Really cool geology! 👍🏼👍🏼
Congrats on your 100K!! Another fun tour in the desert. Thanks Steve.
Thank you, I appreciate it!
I enjoyed watching this personal documentary very much. Thank you for the interesting insights, and for elaborating. Very nice to see this on UA-cam.
Well deserved 100,000 subs 🎊🎉😄👍
Love your videos. I viewed the ride into the bottom of the Grand Canyon yesterday. Thanks for taking us along.
Really enjoyed both the "probable tall tales" and the real tales.
Congrats on 100k. As always, a thoroughly enjoyable video. Thank you for taking us along.
Thanks!
Thank you, I really appreciate all the support!
Love your channel. There is NO place on this earth that I have a connection with than Arizona. Something about this land that I'm in awe with. Like I been here before, as in psst lives. As a native? I miss my most beloved Arizona!
super cool vid - that canyon itself is really interesting too, just carved into that otherwise flat land like that.
It is so marvelous to think that the iconic western movies we watched and the thrilling novels we read about are actually real! Yes, of course, there are embellishments and exaggerations, but this is indeed the wild wild west, seeing those black and white photos triggered this realization lol
Loads of great info of Canyon Diablo in our great state of Arizona! So much history in that area. Congrats on reaching 100k! Seem just like yesterday we found you and you were at 16k. Your growth has been insane and awesome! 🎉
Thank you. It's still pretty unbelievable to me.
I love being able to see places I will never be able to visit in real life. Thanks for all you do hosting the tours👍.
I have to say thank you so much for producing this video. Sitting cool in the comforts of my home, i had a virtual walk through the diablo canyon. Seeing vast desert wilderness leaves a dizzy feel....like being transported back in time....in every comment I say this 'your voice is very sweet and soothing'
The other arrow got taken out by a kid in a DeLorean.
😂😂😂😂
😆😆😆
😂😂😂
I was wondering if anyone would catch it, and here it is in the first comment haha
Was his Flux capacitor operational???
I'm a train buff and I've been up there a couple of times to photograph trains going over the bridge. Canyon Diablo is well know to railfans like myself. I never realized that there was once a town there. Thanks for the history lesson! 😃
ya, it was a pretty remote area and dont think they even had any cell service out there ... ;-)
Good job. That place is one of the best along Route 66 for exploring because there is so much "infrastructure" still left especially at the fronts of the canyon starting the the "Mountain Lion" cages.
A++ as usual.. Great channel..
Lone arrow ... reminds me of Back to the Future and what was once Twin Pines Mall became Lone Pine Mall in Back to the Future 2 when Marty crashed thru a fence, a pine tree and a barn. Thanks again for a well-done video!
Almost 20 years ago I had found a one page of info on the internet (don't remember the source but before Wikipedia was a thing) on Canyon Diablo. We drove out and stopped just before the train tracks. I think we saw a few trains go by while we were there (very active). We walked across the tracks when it was clear, and through a barbwire fence to see the remains.
I appreciate your analysis on it.
It didn't seem to match the description of the age as well as the condition. But your information makes sense. So thank you for researching further.
Interesting that what I remember matches exactly what you saw, although we only went to the main area (I don't remember the grave).
Appreciate your videos.
Enjoyed your laidback manner as you take us through the mostly forgotten areas of the west.
Mr. Whipple is certainly someone's ancestor. It must be very special to them, I think, to know some of their family's history and have it told so well. Thanks for all of your research and hard work.
I would have laughed a few years ago if someone told me I would watch a travel vlog, now I can hardly wait until Wednesday! Congrats on 100k and thanks for all the stories.
CONGRATS on breaking 100k subscribers! That's awesome. I'm glad the algorithm brought me to you about six months ago. I have really enjoyed your storytelling.
Great videos!
Semper Fi.
Congrats on hitting 100k subscribers, Steve! Quite an achievement for the explorer from San Diego.
@8:41, after you describe being able to still see the bridge abutments, it looks like one can still see the pier supports at the bottom of the canyon.
Yeah, they are still there.
I love how you intersperse historical photos throughout your video. I enjoy going on the road with you!
Definitely will put this on my list of places to visit next time I'm up that way, mostly just to see that horseshoe bend in the canyon for myself. Thanks as always for finding these little gems!
I have been to Canyon Diablo many times and always found it a spooky place! Especially looking into that cistern.
It had plenty of history there even before the railroad was built. And so much railroad history even nowadays!!
Thanks for the great trip to the Devils Canyon.
Those four guys in the posse, fantastic time capsule capture. Thanks for the video, nice work.
Unfortunately lot of old western towns claim to have been “most dangerous” but truth be told, I wouldn’t want to live in any back in those days.
I agree with you there, I'm glad I was born when I was.
Indeed! No regular hygiene, no medical care beyond the most rudimentary... & the food was not up to today's standards. Even McDonald's would be an improvement! No way to preserve short of drying by smoking or salt, so it was spoiling almost as soon as it got back to town.
36 people were killed there over the years. In 1905 there was a shootout between two robbers and two lawmen. One robber was killed, the other wounded. They were only 4 to 8 feet apart but fired 21 bullets. So much for those legends about accurate pistol shooting. It's all on Wikipedia. Diablo Canyon shootout.
The Twin Arrows would be a great project for someone to restore
Guns, garters, and ghosts: if there's a story, I'm always down to hear or read about it.
It's funny that my main purpose for going to Canyon Diablo in 2013 was to film trains going over the bridge. The ruins were secondary in viewing them from across the tracks. Thank you for providing a close-up look at them with an excellent narration.
Great aerial view of a the "new" bridge; & the footings of the old. Thanx again.
Thanks again for another great video. I wish you the best success and many new adventures with your channel! Keep up the great work
Another great video. Thanks for sharing. Keep up the good work.
My dad (1911-2012) made two trips with his large family from Indiana to Southern California in the mid 1920s on the new Route 66 in a Packard touring car. He was able to recount a few of the "greater happenings", like a fatal wreck they came upon in the middle of nowhere, but being a "teen", it was mostly a lot of boring countryside waiting for the next stop... When I have traveled on, or studied places along old 66 on the internet, I often wonder if my dad walked on the ground I'm looking at... Like at the Twin Arrows Trading Post, but then I research and find out that it was built 20 years later, in the 40s
Twin Arrows came later, but it's possible he would have stopped at Two Guns, which is just 15 miles east and had several "attractions" at that time. I'm the same way, I think about my grandparents coming to California and wonder if they stopped at some of these same places.
Great video Adventure!!!
Great production!!!
Always enjoy you Adventures!!!
🐈🐾🐈⬛🐾👍🍻🐝
Thanks so much!
Thank you, Steve, for another fascinating episode! I've driven by so many of the places you've covered, now I have a much better understanding and appreciation for them!
As always well researched , great series
Thank you.
Interesting video never knew of this place has some intersting history to it👍
Steve, you make great videos !! Very interesting locations and information !!
Your narratives are excellent !! Great work !!
I really appreciate your style of presentation- you don’t seem so ego-driven, making the video about yourself. Clear information. Thanks.
I have enjoyed every one of your videos, you haven't made a bad one yet! But I really enjoy starting out my day with one of your travel videos as I used to love to travel!
Interesting wind/ water erosion on those canyon walls. Noticed a lot of greenery at the bottom of the canyon, which would indicate water. Didn’t notice it with your drone shots but is there running water down there? Others have congratulated you on your 100K mark. Well earned and deserved!
I didn't see any current water. The wind was really going through the canyon or I would have flown the drown down into it to get a closer look. I was curious as to what trash had been tossed down there too. But it was so bad I filmed some stuff that isn't in the video because the wind noise was so bad it was unusable, even with the dead cat on the mic.
@@SidetrackAdventuresPlus, if it crashed, you would never, ever get it back. That was some rough country in that canyon.
Water runs in those canyons during seasonal monsoon season. Most of the year it is dry.
Thank you, Steve. Well done. Congratulations on 100k subscribers.
Another great video, I love them all, outstanding music as usual😊. The desert country looks a lot like our outback.
When I first watched the movie, Forrest Gump, I immediately recognized the Twin Arrows scene when Forrest falls into a huge mud puddle and wipes his face off, resulting in a smily face. It was a busy truck stop in the early 90's and those mud puddles were very real and deep and nasty. My name is Bicycle Bob and I approved this message and your work.
Most informative; history we all should hear for it was our past that formed our present. Great video,thank you so very much!
Thank you for showing this piece of Arizona history. 10:33 Something similar was once at the Columbus N.M. museum they had a photo of the burning of bandit's bodies after Pancho Villa's raid. They poured tar over them. Some man was using a stick to push a twisted arm back into the fire. Such was the wild West.
That canyon is so cool! I've been through the desert probably 100 times and I thought it was just a bunch volcano rock. I could look at that canyon for hours!
another fascinating story Steve. I always enjoy the history of ghost towns, make your mind wander to that time period. your detail to historical facts really brings the characters to life!
Thank you, Sidetrack Adventures. I enjoyed this. Happy trails!🌎🌥🌄
Love the channel and everything you share.
Thanks, Steve.
Love the videos man, I always appreciate forgotten the history of the region we live in
I drove a rental out here in the mid 90's and it is wild and empty . Got some great pix that day and enjoyed your vid. Great job !
Excellent video, drove that road in 2002 and 2006 for train photography, glade to see no improvements to the road. Like your drone work, shows the remote area very well.
yes, congratulations on hitting 100K
Thank you. I really appreciate it.
Thank you ! as always fantastic job ! you are a treasure
Thanks for a great tour on a quiet Sunday afternoon.
Zebulon Whatley wrote a song called "Song of Ruin" in his album "Trinity" which tells the story of the town and the gun fight which happened here.
Lyrics:
I rode by night-train down to Cañon Diablo
To work on the rails and lay low for a while
But never a town here on God's holy earth
Did drink itself drunk on such venom and bile
I made my way swiftly to a bar down on Hell Street
Above it, a broken sign read "Road to Ruin"
A couple of outlaws flew out into daylight
Their whiskey undrunk, left behind in the gloom
Tell Mary's harlots to stop what they're doing
And gather around to sing this song of ruin
They at once were surrounded by dozens of cowboys
Whose hands were just itching at their holstered heat
Then all in the blink of a milky crow's eyeball
That onslaught of guns thundered Hell in the street
So they planted those corpses in sands red as bull's blood
Where they stiffened and bloated and bled out their wounds
Then those drunk, old cowboys rode down there with shovels
Disinterring those outlaws from their cruel, arid tombs
Tell all those bandits to quit what they're doing
And gather around to hear this song of ruin
"I just can't allow that a man would buy whiskey
And not live to drink it," said a man like a goat
"We'll give 'em what's theirs, boys, so take up that bottle!"
Then I helped them pour liquor down their slackened throats
We stood there in silence, me and that band of cowboys
As the sun climbed grotesquely like a carrion fly
That star found us sober so we left through the canyons
Leaving two piles of rocks where those cold bodies lie
Tell all those cowboys to think what they're doing
And ponder the sorrow in this song of ruin
What a wild shot @ 8:00. Even living close to some of these places, you forget just how vast things are.
The places you go are way more interesting with your historical research and story telling. Every time I’m like who knew…. Love it.
Fantastic tour, liked it much. Thanks man!
Very interesting and well done...AS ALWAYS. Also I always enjoy your choice of music. Fits perfectly and doesn't distract.
So interesting, and I get to see a part of the country that is completely different from my home. Thank you for the great visuals and the history. It's amazing that there was a town there!
Great drone shots---- It's a pretty place and the trains were a perfect addition to the video. Keep up the good work-----------------------
Great video Steve
Great explore. Love those old foundations/rubble. That canyon view; wow
Can't imagine nobody using this as a resort or even a camp. I bet there was outlaws.
Thanks for a great review. I was in AZ for a few years wish your channel was around then. I missed a lot of fun trips
I worked cowboying on the flying m ranch there 55 yrs ago. We would drive down to twin arrows for a beer and great cheese burger with green chili on it. I spent alot of timd in Canyon Diablo chasing cows. Enjoyed your video
Yes! Congrats on 100K!! There are a number of places and things named after Whipple in the Prescott area. My first thought was that since there was no gold or silver mining nearby, a railroad town (Hell on Wheels not withstanding) wouldn't justify that level of mayhem and death. Hard to say if wooden structures from the 1880s would have left more evidence. My guess is unless there was a fire, the dry desert climate would have preserved something. In the days before "Get Shorty" and "Fire in the Hole" (AKA Justified) Elmore Leonard wrote western stories for various publications between the late 1950s and 1970. They are worth a read. There is an anthology available. Anyway, my point is that fiction seems to be rampant when it comes to Canyon Diablo. Thanks for another fun adventure! Stay cool, and bring lots of water on your treks!
Thanks for the tour. Great video as usual.
Another good 'un, Steve!
Watching your vids gets me revved to get out there for my nearly yearly trek to the beautiful state of AZ.
Keep the videos coming! Do more Northern California ghost towns if possible :) I enjoy your vids :)
I plan on getting back to Northern California soon.
@@SidetrackAdventures thx for the reply I been hooked on your videos helps me get thru my commute from work so insightful too!