Meteor Crater Arizona
by Kathleen Scanlan
Title
Meteor Crater Arizona
Artist
Kathleen Scanlan
Medium
Photograph - Photography
Description
The impact of a meteor from over 50,000 years ago can be experienced just 20 miles west of Winslow Arizona and 35 miles east of Flagstaff. It is approximating 2.5 miles wide and over 550 feet deep. One would think the government owned this piece of land when in fact, it is privately owned by the Barringer family. In 1906 Daniel Barringer filed for and received a mining claim for the crater. He believed that a iron-metallic meteor crashed into this site and for the rest of his life, Barringer tried to mine the center of the crater, looking for what he believed to be the actual center of the meteor. Had Mr. Barringer actually found the iron ore core, it would have been worth over a billion dollars in 1903. In 1906 President Theodore Roosevelt opened a United States Postal Office nearby and it was called Meteor. That is how this area became known as “Meteor Crater”. Unfortunately, he died without any success in his endeavor. In the center of the crater, there are still remnants of structures that he built while drilling for the meteor. Today, the site is a National Land Park, which allows the family to continue to own it while still being on the National Register for landmarks. They maintain the entire area, preserving the site for posterity. Tours are run every day around the rim and the Visitor Center has an excellent 3D presentation which includes sounds of the of a meteor crashing through the Earth’s atmosphere and impact on the land. If you ever travel down I-40 west of Winslow and east of Flagstaff, exit at Exit 233. Travel about six miles down a privately paid-for paved road and turn into the Visitor Center. You will encounter an amazing sight. Well worth the trip! Just remember to bring sunscreen, a hat, and very good sunglasses.
Uploaded
April 12th, 2014
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