Hubbell Trading Post

We left Red Rock Campground, in Gallup, and headed west toward Canyon de Chelly. As we were passing right by it we couldn't pass up the opportunity to stop at the historic Hubbell Trading Post in Ganado, Arizona, and arrived there just in time for a quick snack before the tour started.

This trading post, and the Hubbell family, are well known as an important part of local history. The post was established in the late 1800's, and Hubbell was well respected by the Navajo people as he dealt fairly with them and accomplished a lot in building the local economy. The National Park Service has a great deal of information about the family and the history of the trading post on their website.

We learned a great deal from our guide on the tour. She was a Navajo woman who has been with the Park Service for 30 years.... well experienced! She was a wealth of information and answered all sorts of questions, as well as teaching us a little about the Navajo language and history.

The Hubbell home is just as it was when they lived there, but even so, it's much like a museum. The Hubbells collected blankets, baskets and other native art works, and furnished the home lavishly with these items.The living room in particular is so filled with these items there isn't room for one more item. We couldn't use a flash, so this photo of the living room is pretty fuzzy, but you get the idea. There are several more interior photos (sharper too!) in the album, so check it out.

The trading post proper is attached to the house, and is still in operation, with the rooms used as they were in the past - devoted to jewelry, blankets, and grocery type items. Overhead there are smaller items, leather items like belts and cinches, lanterns, whatever will hang on a hook or nail. In the photo, left, you can see an interesting rifle collection mounted on the wall just to the left of center. There's a surprise in every corner, as the trading post is bursting with items for sale, as I'm sure it was in the past.

In the stable, there are wagons and buckboards, tack, and other old agricultural items to examine, and in back, the gardens and chicken coops are still in use. It's an amazing experience to wander around and see so much still in use. 

Many people traveled from great distances to come here and conduct business, and Mr. Hubbell wanted his guests to feel comfortable so he had several guest hogans (the traditional Navajo dwelling) built and made available for their use.

One is built of stone, the others are the more typical adobe and wood, but all have been beautifully maintained and offer a nice opportunity to examine the construction at close range.

This is one of the nicest parks of this type that we've ever visited, and definitely one of the most informative.