Background

Established in the early 1880s with the arrival of the Atlantic and Pacific Railroad, which was soon purchased by the Atchison, Topeka and Sante Fe Rail Company, Williams started off as a logging town supporting the operations of the Saginaw-Manistee Mill and Box Company. The arrival of the railroad also opened the area up for access by stock raisers, mainly sheep and cattle, who took advantage of the open meadows and cooler mountain temperatures. In 1901 with the establishment of the Grand Canyon Railroad and the construction of the Harvey House- Frey Marcos- completed in 1908, Williams was soon dubbed the gateway to the Grand Canyon.  Then in 1926, it became a major stop along the newly created Route 66.

In 2009, a historic photo project was started as a partnership between the Williams Public Library and the Kaibab National Forest with the purpose of preserving historic images, documents, oral histories and memorabilia of the history of the City of Williams and the surrounding area.  Encouraged by former City Mayor, John Moore, the Gateway to History Room was created in the Williams Visitors Center around 2018.  This website is a natural next step in an effort to continue to preserve the history of this region and make it accessible to the public.

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