Saturday, January 15, 2011

need a rug....Hubbell Trading Post

Hubbell Trading Post
One of the most amazing places in Arizona is Hubbell Trading Post, located in Ganado Arizona, about 400 miles north in the snow country of Arizona. While traveling there would be unlikely for us snowbirds, we are fortunate to have our own Western National Parks Association store here in Tucson that hosts a traveling version of this wonderful woven art show a few times a year; where hundreds of handcrafted Navajo rugs, in a wide variety of sizes and designs are available for our purchasing pleasure. (Even Donald’s) Klagetoh, Wide Ruins, Teec Nos Pos, Ganado Red . . . these very names of Navajo rug styles evoke hints of distant lands and the rich artistic traditions of other cultures. All too often the history of the West contains tales of the clash of cultures, but occasionally there was a place where people of many backgrounds came together in cooperation. One such place was the trading post of Lorenzo Hubbell in Ganado, Arizona.

As the oldest continuously operating trading post on the Navajo Nation, Hubbell Trading Post has served the area since 1883 as a place where many peoples could meet in exchanges both cultural and economic. In recognition of its importance, the trading post became a National Historic Site in 1967 in order to maintain an active living trading post environment for future generations. Western Nationals Parks association (WNPA) has operated the trading post for the National Park Service since 1967. And the best part..........no sales tax here!

2 comments:

Dawn Fine said...

Sooo..did you get a nice carpet?

Ada May & Donald Roberts @ Amelia Payson House B&B said...

Dawn, I had my eye on a wall hanging but someone else picked it up before I could get my hands on it. I stalked them for quite a while, hoping they would change their minds, but they didn't. I settled on a book about Navajo Rugs so when they come back in March, I'll be ready....They are so expensive, it's has to a special one.