Winslow

 The Canyon Diablo Train Robbery Story actually begins somewhere south and east of Winslow.  The four robbers broke into a cabin owned by Will C. Barnes.  Barnes and cowboy William Broadbent were trailing the burglars all day March 19.  Due to a blinding blizzard, the duo decided to knock off their pursuit and head into Winslow.  As Barnes noted in his account of the robbery, "With our horses comfortably located in Breed's Corral in Winslow, a bed engaged at "Doc" Demorest's Hotel and a supper at the Harvey Eating House, we felt considerably better."

 Winslow in 1889 wasn't much of a town. It's official 1890 Census population was 363.  The maps here are 1892 Sanborn Fire Insurance maps.  Chances are good that Winslow looked like this in 1889.  The Arizona Central Hotel was the only two story building on Railroad Avenue. Five saloons faced the Atlantic & Pacific rails.  A couple of corrals were located a block behind the hotel.  A small, wood frame Fred Harvey restaurant was located south of the Hotel.  The railroad roundhouse loomed about a football field's length west of the hotel.Source of map: https://www.loc.gov/resource/g4334wm.g001851892/

Using Barnes quote, we are able to see the layout of those three businesses.  "Doc" F.C. Demerest is credited as having established Winslow in 1880 by starting a business in a tent.  It's a reasonable speculation that the Arizona Central Hotel was his.  Meanwhile, another early settler J.H. Breed built the settlement's first stone building.  It's highly likely those two corrals in the red box were his.  The Harvey Eating House was located across a siding track on the other side of Railroad Avenue.

The 1892 Sanborn map indicates the lunch and dining rooms were located in a one story frame building with a corrugated metal roof.  This Harvey Eating House predated the eventual construction of a substantial Harvey House which would have included living quarters for the famous Harvey Girls.

 This postcard is dated 1912 so Winslow has considerably more two story buildings on Railroad Avenue.  However, you can still see a glimpse of the railroad roundhouse on the right side of the card.  Chances are pretty good that the far two story building in the lineup was the Arizona Central Hotel back in 1889.

We will continue our search for an 1889 street scene photo of Winslow.  We also hope to find a photo of a representative early one-story Harvey Eating House.  We've been unable to find any definitive additional information on either "Doc" F.C. Demerest or J.H. Breed.  Note that Barnes spelling of Demerest's name is incorrect.