As a kid, I absolutely loved flipping through old photo albums, especially the ones that showed my parents in their youth. Hopeful, young and ready to take on the world, I had a chance to see Arizona (and, at times, Utah and New Mexico) in a way that we rarely ever see in the history books. That’s why when I came across this collection of photographs from the U.S. National Archives that show off Arizona in the 1970s, I just had to feature them in an article.
I have to admit; I came across so many beautiful examples of photography in 1970s Arizona that I had a difficult time keeping the number down to something that won’t take forever for your computer to load. So, let’s take a trip down memory lane!
- What better way to start this journey than with an image of Arizona as seen on the old Southwest Limited in 1974?
US National Archives/Flickr
- Just a decade before, Arizona’s population boomed in a way the area had never seen before. This shows one of the results of that growth: the desert and its natural environment getting bulldozed for housing development.
US National Archives/Flickr
- An overnight passenger train gets some maintenance in Winslow before continuing on to Albuquerque.
US National Archive/Flickr
- Noted by the photographer as a solar energy researcher and expert, this man shows off a solar passive method of heating water. In this case, it was used for his swimming pool in Tucson.
US National Archive/Flickr
- A man enjoys a boat ride on Lake Powell in 1973.
US National Archive/Flickr
- This image shows the housing for Peabody Coal Company workers, which is located on the Navajo Nation.
US National Archive/Flickr
- Here, SRP workers are working on…something near Page.
US National Archive/Flickr
- Some passengers of the Southwest Limited enjoy the scenery in what appears to be northern Arizona.
US National Archive/Flickr
- These two kids helped their parents sell some lovely jewelry on the roadside.
US National Archive/Flickr
- This kiddo is enjoying a ride at a junior rodeo in Parker.
US National Archive/Flickr
- This photo shows the London Bridge settling in to it’s new home in Lake Havasu City just one year after its installation.
US National Archive/Flickr
- This man is shearing his sheep by hand after a long day at the coal mine.
US National Archive/Flickr
- Some tourists enjoy a refreshing dip in Havasu Creek on a hot day in 1972.
US National Archive/Flickr
- This family in Red Rock enjoys a quiet afternoon together.
US National Archive/Flickr
- A Navajo woman and her trusty collie herd sheep together next to the coal-powered Four Corners Generating Station in 1972.
US National Archive/Flickr
- This Navajo family enjoys a Saturday morning of shopping in Window Rock.
US National Archive/Flickr
- Does anyone remember this billboard from about 1973?
US National Archive/Flickr
- Tourists watch a little kid run around in 1972 on the Navajo Nation.
US National Archive/Flickr
- Just a couple of horses being transported in this classic truck in Moenkopi.
US National Archive/Flickr
- Finally, here is a look at a 1972 golf course in Lake Havasu City all ready for scores of summer golfers.
US National Archive/Flickr
Do you have any favorite memories in Arizona from the 1970s?
US National Archives/Flickr
US National Archive/Flickr
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