On the move today but, since we had no services here, it was relatively easy to get out on the road. Our goal today is to land in Holbrook, AZ via the Hubble Trading Post. As an old American History Teacher, I’ve read and taught about trading posts and their importance to history so I was excited.
Not only was it historical but it is still operating as a trading post, though a bit differently than in the past. They had regular groceries very much like a convenience store but then there was the jewelry room and the rug room. The actual trading post is still in the ‘bull pen’ style with the products on the shelves in back of the clerk at the counter which runs all around the shop in a U shape. And, yes those are horse collars hanging from the ceiling beams. I don’t know if there is a big demand for them or if they are just there for historical authenticity.
Built in 1871, it was bought by John Lorenzo Hubble, and is now the oldest continually operating trading post in the US. Trading post owners in the late 1800’s occupied a unique place in Western History as we Iearned when we visited Bent’s Old Fort in Colorado. Hubble spoke Navajo fluently and was able to write letters for them, settled quarrels as an outsider, explain government to them, and, when a smallpox epidemic threatened to ravage the tribes, he opened his home as a hospital. But, most important, he treated the Navajos honestly and fairly and as equal partners in trade.
Because Navajo blankets were being crowded out of the market by Pendleton blankets, he convinced the Navajos to begin weaving rugs. He also suggested patterns and colors which would be good sellers. He also brought in a Mexican silversmith to teach them silver working. His trading post today is filled with high-quality rugs and beautiful silver-work. The turquoise bracelets by the Navajo and the stone bracelets by the Zuni are absolutely spectacular. The trading post still operates and stocks groceries, tourist memorabilia, books, exquisite jewelry and a king’s ransom in rugs in the rug room, pictured below.
Hubble explained his position thus: ‘Out here in this country, the Indian trader is everything from merchant to father confessor, justice of the peace, judge, jury, court of appeals, chief medicine man and the de facto czar of the domain over which he presides.’ In the beginning cash flow was nonexistent and trade was the only option for both the traders like Hubble and the Native Americans.
Because he had a family also, he built a home for them. Here he amassed a huge collection of art, entertained journalists and politicians and opened his home to all who passed by. Zane Grey, Theodore Roosevelt and many others came to his home and stayed. Many artists who wanted to capture the old west in their art also stayed and many gave him their art in payment for the room and board. The walls of his home are a virtual museum of western art of his time. And the ceilings were a backdrop for the baskets he collected.
Because the house is kept dark to preserve the painting and the furnishings and flash photography is not allowed, taking pictures is a bit of a challenge.
After lunch we left the Trading Post and headed to Holbrook. The road here was much better than the road north of Chinle which we had driven several days ago. We hypothesize that there are so many more people who drive Interstate 40 north to the turnoff for Canyon de Chelly rather than coming down from the south that this highway gets lots more attention.
We got to the RV park which, believe you me, is nothing fancy, just a place to stay with a quick on and off the highway. And, with the windows open we can hear the traffic. But there are $300,000+ rigs parked here. I got out to sign in and pay. Gary left the motor running to cool down the diesel engine and followed me and - here is where the problems began. Somehow the door got locked (we didn’t know we could lock the door without a key - now we know) and, when I returned to the RV, I couldn’t open the door.
Now, generally, I have my set of keys in my pocket but, if you check the blog for October 8, you’ll see that I left my keys in a previous RV park and the owner is mailing them to me.
Now what?
locked out of the RV
motor running
Saturday afternoon at 3:30
Options:
call a locksmith
break a window
pry the smallest window open
sell the RV to an unsuspecting buyer
Locksmith first, but it is Saturday at 3:30 in the afternoon and the town is small. However, there is a locksmith but, when he called us back, he told us he was on the other side of the state.
Since our hammer is inside the RV, we borrowed a hammer to break the window if necessary
Meanwhile, Gary, who had his keys for the compartments under the RV got out his tools (sans hammer) and his ladder to survey the window we had chosen to work on. Nancy began using the old credit card trick on the lock.
Gary tried to get a window out with out breaking it by removing the gaskets but no go. Then he used a putty knife to get between the gaskets to the actual locking device and force it up. BINGO!!!
He squeezed into the window, rolled onto the bed which is below the window with the slides in, jogged through the RV and turned of the motor.
Now we could resume parking the RV and getting it ready to stay for a while. Time for dinner and a bit of time off.
No comments:
Post a Comment