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History · Ganado

Ganado’s post office opened in 1883, and 2 of its places are on the National Register

Most of Ganado was built recently: 1% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1989. 2 places in town are on the National Register, among them 2 National Historic Landmarks and two historic districts with 63 buildings between them. Below: 7 old photos and papers, maps from 1973 on, and the census since 2000.

1883first post office
2on the National Register
1%homes built before 1940
7old photos & papers
10famous people
Add an old photoShare a memory
From Ganado’s archive · credits on each photo
Quick answers

How Ganado began

When was Ganado founded?

1883

The Ganado post office opened in 1883, the earliest record of the town by name.

First census: 1,505 in 20002020 census: 883143 years
Founding year: the first Ganado post office (Blevins & Helbock, CC0).The full story ↓

What stands out about Ganado’s past

Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.

A historic districtThe Sage Memorial Hospital School of Nursing, Ganado Mission, a National Historic Landmark, takes in 52 historic buildings.Then and nowOne place photographed years apart. Drag to compare.A National Historic Landmark2 places on the National Register, 2 of them National Historic Landmarks.Famous sons and daughtersBrett Helquist, James S. Wall and 8 more were born here.
★ What stands out · On the National Register

2 listings protect 63 historic buildings

The country’s official list of buildings and places worth saving. 2 are National Historic Landmarks, the highest tier.

places listed
2
National Historic Landmarks
2
Hubbell Trading Post National Historic Site
historic buildings protected
63
each building in a district counts
first listed
1966
Hubbell Trading Post National Historic Site
Hubbell Trading Post National Historic Site, built 1965★Sage Memorial Hospital School of Nursing, Ganado Mission★
Districts★ landmark

Architectural styles listings

Mission Colonial Revival1
★ Landmark
Hubbell Trading Post National Historic SiteBuilt 1965
All 2 listings
Sage Memorial Hospital School of Nursing, Ganado MissionDistrict · listed 2009

National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited on each place’s page.

Then & now

The same spot, years apart

Drag across each photo to compare.

Hubbell Trading Post National Historic SiteJ.L. Hubbell's Indian Trading Post, Ganada, Arizona1905Today
J.L. Hubbell's Indian Trading Post, Ganada, ArizonaMatched from the two captions
The story

How Ganado came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Ganado.

Read it all →

The earliest peoples in the region are believed to have been nomadic hunters in search of big game roaming throughout the Four Corners region. The next wave of inhabitants are believed to have been smaller hunter-gatherer communities of similar nomadic characteristic. It is believed that archaic forms of agriculture came to the Little Colorado River basin around 1800 BCE.

ChaptersAncients and legendsApaches and NavajosMythologyNew SpainInvasion and Ganado MuchoHubbell trading postAmericanization of Navajo children and boarding schoolModern Ganado

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Timeline

Ganado, 1883 to 2009

Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.

  1. 19th century
  2. 1883Post officeThe Ganado post office opens
  3. 20th century
  4. 1905In the archiveIrrigating a field, Ganada, Arizona
  5. 1950Born hereAlbert Hale is born here
  6. 1956Born hereVee F. Browne is born here
  7. 1960LandmarkHubbell Trading Post National Historic Site named a National Historic Landmark
  8. 1964Born hereJames S. Wall is born here
  9. 1965BuiltHubbell Trading Post National Historic Site is built
  10. 1966Born hereBrett Helquist is born here
  11. 1973On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
  12. 21st century
  13. 2009LandmarkSage Memorial Hospital School of Nursing, Ganado Mission named a National Historic Landma…
By decade

Ganado, decade by decade

One decade in the archive so far: the 1900s. Scroll each row; tap a photo for its story.

1900s7 items
Irrigating a field, Ganada, Arizona1905Irrigating a field, Ganada, ArizonaAmong the Navajo blankets, Ganada, Arizona1905Among the Navajo blankets, Ganada, ArizonaA Navajo's summer hogan, Ganada, Arizona1905A Navajo's summer hogan, Ganada, ArizonaOn the banks of the irrigation stream, Ganada, Arizona1905On the banks of the irrigation stream, Ganada, ArizonaMr. Hubbell in his office, Ganada, Arizona1905Mr. Hubbell in his office, Ganada, ArizonaJ.L. Hubbell's Indian Trading Post, Ganada, Arizona1905J.L. Hubbell's Indian Trading Post, Ganada, ArizonaThe Navajo silver smith's home and family, near Ganada, Arizona1905The Navajo silver smith's home and family, near Ganad…
1910s–1990snothing yet
Nothing in the archives for these yearsWeddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.
Add from your album
Today4 recent
Snow blankets trees outside Ganado on Navajo Nation land in far northeast Arizona2018Snow blankets trees outside Ganado on Navajo Nation l…Ganado rug, Navajo, Honolulu Museum of Art accession 46892015Ganado rug, Navajo, Honolulu Museum of Art accession …Navajo Nation2013Navajo NationSmall Navajo Rug- Red white and black in Ganado style2010Small Navajo Rug- Red white and black in Ganado style
On the map

Ganado on the map, 1973 to 1984

Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Ganado. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.

Ganado on the 1973 USGS mapGanado on the 1984 USGS map1973Ganado sheet · 1:24,000

U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Ganado.

People over time

Ganado, census by census

02004006008001,0001,2001,4001,60020002020Peak: 1,505

Between 883 and 1,505 people in every census since 2000.

3 censuses, 2000–2020.

U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Ganado’s Wikipedia page.

Famous people

10 famous people were born in Ganado

Writers, athletes, leaders and more, ranked by how widely they’re known.

See all →
B
Brett HelquistAmerican artist · b. 1966
James S. WallCatholic bishop · b. 1964
A
Albert HaleAmerican politician from Arizona · b. 1950
V
Vee F. BrowneAmerican journalist · b. 1956
M
Milton Bluehouse, Sr.American politician · b. 1936
E
Elizabeth WoodyNavajo/Wasco/Warm Springs/Yakama artist, poet, … · b. 1959
Help out

Finish Ganado’s story

Most archives stop around 1920. The photos from after that are in family albums, not libraries.

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
1 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
Retake an old viewIrrigating a field, Ganada, Arizona: stand where they stood+15Share a family photoSign in to add one+10

Questions about Ganado’s history

What year was Ganado founded?

The Ganado post office opened in 1883, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records).

What is on the National Register in Ganado?

Two places: the Hubbell Trading Post National Historic Site (listed 1966) and the Sage Memorial Hospital School of Nursing, Ganado Mission (2009).

Memory lane

What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.

Town Square →
Start a conversation
Sources

Where this page comes from

Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021). How TownRatings grades history →

From Wikimedia Commons (3), the Library of Congress (8), Wikidata (1), the National Register of Historic Places (2), Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock) and the USGS Geographic Names Information System. Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.