Babbitt Brothers
Five brothers from Ohio who built an empire on the frontier and shaped a city.
🏛️Book Your TourThe History
The Babbitt Brothers arrived in Flagstaff in 1886 from Cincinnati, Ohio. Five brothers: David, George, William, Charles, and Edward. They started with a cattle ranch and grew into the largest mercantile operation in northern Arizona.
Their store at the corner of San Francisco and Aspen stretched an entire city block. It sold everything: groceries, hardware, clothing, ranch supplies. For decades, the Babbitt Brothers Building was the commercial anchor of downtown Flagstaff.
Historical Figures at This Stop
The Route 66 Story
When Route 66 was commissioned in 1926, it ran directly past the Babbitt Brothers Building. The Babbitt legacy in Flagstaff extends far beyond retail, into politics, trading posts, and a complicated history that reshaped this corner of the West.
The rest of this story? You will hear it on the tour.
This Is Stop 02 of 16
on the Route 66 Walking Tour of Flagstaff.