An integral part of the renaissance of Western art that followed on the boot heels of Frederic Remington and Charles Russell was due to the energies of four men who got together at the Oak Creek Tavern on a hot afternoon on June 23, 1965. Soon after this informal group shook hands and a few days later formed the Cowboy Artists of America, their brand of “Cowboy Art” cemented its place in American culture. Their fine-quality sketches, paintings, and bronzes gave birth to a unique period of Western Art and inspired legions of other artists to try their hand.
Toraya Ayres’ fascinating history of Sedona’s New Age community that chronicles the earliest beginnings of Sedona’s spiritual residents circa 1957 to present. If you do not know the origin of the word “Vortex” in respect to Sedona and the Red Rock region or why so many Hindu and Buddhist seekers seem to find their place here, read this series of short and informative articles from start to finish. Few people know that Yogananda followers settled in Sedona around the time Elvis Presley was just starting his climb to fame or that Manley P. Hall, ‘spiritualist” author of the 1928 classic The Secret Teachings of All Ages, once gave a talk in 1987 at The Flicker Shack, Sedona’s original big screen movie theater that was located where the New Frontiers natural foods store can be found today. If you wonder why Sedona is such a magnet to spiritual seekers, “New Age” followers, and a place filled with “Old Age” practitioners of Yoga or Tibetan Buddhism, read Toraya’s engaging article and discover a bit more of the story than what typically passes for local spiritual history on the street. After you finish her chronicle, if you still have a hankering to know more, drop by the Worm Bookstore Uptown and buy a copy of Mary Lou Keller’s Echoes of Sedona Past . Published in 1999, Mary Lou’s book delves into even greater detail on Sedona subjects like early natural foods, gurus and teachers, the first Sedona Jeep tour, real estate in the 1950’s, psychics and UFOs, and the first Jazz on the Rocks (outdoor serenades and music jams in the red rocks). Mary Lou landed in Sedona in the early 1950’s and was an intimate member of Sedona’s early spiritual scene, its business community, and outdoor enthusiast network.
The City of Sedona has an excellent
historical record for Sedona and Red Rock country.
Its coverage of local history includes Native American
times, the Spanish settlement period, early homesteaders
and pioneers, agriculture, the Great Depression, WWII,
schools, western movies, and more. It's the best place
to start your Sedona historical research.
The Sedona Historical Society is located in Jordan Historical Park in Uptown Sedona. They carry the torch for the Sedona Heritage Museum. Volunteers manage the facility and handle public access to the historical archives. A large society membership, local and non-local, supports their work. They have a great reference library with 1,000’s of newspaper clippings and articles related to Sedona. A priceless historic photo collection obtained from numerous old-time families consisting of over 20,000 photos is being scanned into digital format and will one day be available on DVD or CD. I have known many of the Museum volunteers over the years. When I was the Guide Manager at Pink Jeep Tours they assisted me with several local history questions that I needed answered in order to complete the curriculum I used for training new guides. Many of the old-time photos used on SedonaInformation.com’s website are from their collection. Thanks Janine!
The scope of this website dedicated
to Helen Frye is outstanding. Serious Sedona history
buffs must include this site in their research.
It is comprised of many, many long, scrolling pages
chock-full of historical Sedona photos, Hollywood
stars, TWA historical ads and photos, and rich-and-famous
celebrities all related to Sedona through Helen Frye.
It's the Six Degrees of Helen Frye for sure and local
history that will dazzle you. Get on this website,
bookmark it, and start learning.
Webmaster and history researcher Randall Reynolds
has done an fantastic job assembling a mind-boggling
assortment of comprehensive Sedona historical facts,
photos, and related information on this site. It is
truly a significant Sedona resource that must be seen
and read thoroughly to be appreciated. The colorful
page layouts and presentation style that Randall uses
adds to the story. It is definitely reminiscent of
early internet websites that kept adding more info
as they grew by lengthening the pages and adding more
hyperlinks to additional pages within the website
that are pertinent to the subject at hand. It takes
a bit of getting used to if you don't remember this
original web style because there's no navigation list
or reference as to where you are in the website. You
have to just page back and continue on. You'll love
it, though, once you get in the swing and soon you'll
be jumping from one link to another following Helen
Frye's Sedona journey and the way it used to be.
