Hannagan Meadow, Arizona
Encyclopedia
Hannagan Meadow is an unincorporated area in east central Arizona, elevation 9100 feet (2,774 m).

History

The explorer Coronado
Francisco Vásquez de Coronado
Francisco Vásquez de Coronado y Luján was a Spanish conquistador, who visited New Mexico and other parts of what are now the southwestern United States between 1540 and 1542...

 and his expedition passed through the area in the 1540s on their way from Mexico to Zuni, but it is unknown whether they passed by this particular site, although some have speculated that they may have.

The meadow was named after Robert Hannagan, a Nevada
Nevada
Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...

 miner and cattle rancher. One local legend is that Hannagan was chained to a tree by the meadow until his debt of $1,200 was paid off. Fortunately it was promptly paid by his son, but the name stuck. Another story suggests that Toles Cosper, a rancher from over to Luna
Luna, New Mexico
Luna is an unincorporated village in northwestern Catron County, New Mexico, United States. It is seven miles from the Arizona border and twentyone miles from Reserve on the San Francisco River and U.S. Route 180.-History:...

, was riding with the young Hannagan when they came across the meadow during the 1870s. They flipped a coin to see which man they would name it after, and Hannagan won.

In 1909, while surveying for US Route 191, John D. Guthrie observed that there was neither fence nor cabin at Hannagan Meadow. However with the advent of road construction on the Coronado Trail Road (later Coronado Trail Scenic Byway)
U.S. Route 191
U.S. Route 191 is a spur of U.S. Route 91 that has two branches. The southern branch runs for 1,465 miles from Douglas, Arizona on the Mexican border to the southern part of Yellowstone National Park. The northern branch runs for 440 miles from the northern part of Yellowstone National Park to...

 tourism became a possibility, and Toles Cosper's son, DeWitt Cosper, built a lodge there in 1926. The Hannagan Meadow Lodge provided tourists and travelers with rental cabins, single rooms for rent and a general store. As of 2011, the Lodge is still there and still serving tourists and travelers.

Climate

Hannagan Meadow is the highest point in Arizona to be inhabited throughout the entire year. and has a hemiboreal mountain climate. Not only is it the highest elevation settlement in Arizona, it is the coldest as well. In January, the mean high temperature is 37 degrees, with a mean low of 2 above 0. In July, the mean high temperature is 78 degrees with a mean low of 43. Annual precipitation is around 40 inches.

External links

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