Ash Fork’s Original Train Depot: A Gateway to the West

Built in 1893 from striking red Coconino sandstone, Ash Fork’s original Santa Fe Railway depot stood as a powerful symbol of progress and connection in northern Arizona. More than just a stop along the rail line, the depot became the heart of a growing community — welcoming travelers, moving freight, and helping shape the town’s future. Though a fire in 1905 destroyed the original structure, its sandstone lived on, reused to build what is now the Ash Fork Route 66 Museum. Today, visitors quite literally walk through history, surrounded by the same stone that once greeted steam engines and pioneers arriving in Ash Fork.