Red Light District
When Flagstaff was as lawless as Tombstone, and the battle for the Southside's soul raged for a decade.
🎪Book Your TourThe History
In the 1880s, Flagstaff's Southside was rough. Saloons, brothels, and gambling houses operated openly. The town's population was overwhelmingly male, drawn by jobs at the lumber mill, and the Southside catered to their appetites.
As the town grew and families arrived, tension mounted. The conflict lasted nearly a decade before a young mayor from Iowa brokered a compromise that reshaped the neighborhood.
Historical Figures at This Stop
The Route 66 Story
The Red Light District story reveals something about Route 66 that the nostalgia often obscures. The road ran through real towns with real problems. How Flagstaff's Southside transformed from vice district to working neighborhood to Route 66 corridor is one of the tour's most dramatic arcs.
The rest of this story? You will hear it on the tour.
This Is Stop 13 of 16
on the Route 66 Walking Tour of Flagstaff.