History & Table of Contents
*TABLE OF CONTENTS AT BOTTOM! 
Legend has it when the Shoshone Indians settled the area some millennia ago, the sight they beheld from atop Hombre's Peak inspired a new shape for their weaponry...the arrowhead. But what is without question undeniably true, is that the over 33 million tourists that visit the city each year still echo the words of the legendary cattleman, gunslinger, and settler Big Joe Marsdon: "this here is the purdiest land my two eyes ever did gaze at..."
Sometime in the late 18th century, Spanish missionaries who traveled into the area sought to Christianize the local Shoshone population, and constructed a grandiose mission which still stands today and is one of the city’s most visited attractions: Mission San Isaías de Torreón. However, it was soon abandoned upon completion, because of which local historians are still trying to figure out. But the actual town itself has its roots in a group of cattlemen who after passing through the area on a cattle drive shortly after the Civil War, returned to the banks of the Shoshone Lagoon with their earned dollars and established a cattle drive outpost.
Captured by the enchanting, if not somewhat exotic beauty of the area, many people passing through stopped and stayed – permanently. Soon a general store was constructed, and many other buildings followed, not to mention the local saloon. As the cattle multiplied, so did the settlers, and their dollars too.
(An untitled bird’s-eye view painting of Arrowhead in 1871, by Adam Claxton, on permanent display in the Museum of the Wild West. Local historians are unsure as to why the painting is unfinished. Some speculate that perhaps the artist felt that a bird’s view is partially obscured by its beak. Others think it was the result of a feud between the artist and the person who commissioned it.)
At the turn of the century, architectural influences from the eastern U.S. spread westward and brick buildings became the new norm. The first brick building was constructed just west of the original town, along with new brick streets, and giant brick factories as the cattle drives were wearing thin and the discovery of oil underneath the banks of the Shoshone Lagoon fueled a new type of commerce.
(Old Town Arrowhead, circa 1930s. Confetti can still be seen on the streets after a local parade.)
Yet the old money from the cattle drive days was still prevalent in Arrowhead’s economy, and helped to preserve the original town as a historic site. As the West turned industrial, many people longed for some reminder of the old life, and thusly the old town became a tourist attraction and yes, drinks could still be had at the saloon. With the discovery of oil and the beginning of a booming tourism industry, Arrowhead grew rapidly and was headed to become one of the biggest cities in one of the remotest regions of the American West. As the population rose inside the city and in the surrounding areas, Arrowhead became a regional center for commercial services. Running out of undeveloped land west of the original town, local businessman Joe Marsdon III decided to convert his grandfather Big Joe’s original ranch just east of the old town into a new commercial district. Soon, what once was a big ranch protected by a big man with a big gun, a big mouth, and big dollars became the feet of giant skyscrapers. The old water tower in the center of the ranch was replaced with an iconic copper tower designed to give homage back to the old days of the Wild West. An encircling avenue enclosed the landmark and served as a transition point between the old days of the trail and the new days of big business.
("Big Joe" Square, circa 1940s)
With skyscrapers shooting up faster than the fastest gunslinger ever could, residents dubbed Arrowhead as the “New York of the West.” With little room for suburban sprawl, citizens began to fear that the beauty and nature of the area would soon be replaced by a concrete jungle. Luckily, many people on the city council at the time felt the same way, and created the Arrowhead Urban Planning Commission, which sought to limit the amount of skyscrapers built in the city and preserve nature wherever possible. While the commission today is more lenient on architectural styles, the strict landscaping codes are still in place, and no high-rises can be built in the neighborhoods of Boulder Hills, Western Flat, Mission Vista, South Head, and Arrow Hills. In the late ‘40s and ‘50s, the city began to grow outside of Downtown and Old Town, spreading out into the northeastern part of the city. This area became known as Arrow Hills, and was the first suburban neighborhood in Arrowhead.
(Arrow Hills)
In the 1980s, tourism was at an all-time high. That, combined with a continuing oil business, saw the construction of several condo towers in the Uptown neighborhood, which was and continues to be a hot bed of luxurious living and luxurious people.
(Uptown)
Today, Arrowhead is a large urban city with a small town feel. In fact, many people say it’s the “biggest small town in the world.” The city continues to thrive on tourism, and is one the most visited cities in the West, with an amount of tourists per year between that of San Antonio and Las Vegas. Did you know that there are so many things to do and see in the city, that it’s impossible to cover them all in one stay? This is a great situation for the city, and like San Antonio, it has a high number of repeat visitors. And if you ever want a real bird’s eye view of the city, forget an airplane or an old oil painting. Just stop by the lobby of Arrowhead City Hall, where you can take in the impressive 25 square foot polished-metal sculpture of the city, complete with the inscription: “IN GOD WE TRUST…AND OUR GUNS TOO.”
*A more detailed look at the city’s neighborhoods and corresponding attractions coming soon!
Attractions
Six Flags Boulder Canyon
Arrowhead Zoo
Mission San Isaías de Torreón
Arrowhead Boulders - NBA (pg. 6)
Arrowhead Cattlemen - MLS (pg. 4)
The Mall (pg. 4)
Arrowhead Country Club & Resort (pg. 17)
Welcome Park (pg. 9)
Hombre’s Overlook (pg. 1, 15)
TPC Arrowhead and the Ritz-Carlton Hombre’s Cove Resort & Spa (pg. 1, 15)
Old Town Historic District (pg. 6)
Downtown (pg. 2, 4)
Plaza del Sol Sunken Amphitheater (pg. 4)
Teepee Village (pg. 5)
Uptown Mall (pg. 7)
Marsdon County Fairgrounds (pg. 4)
Shoshone Lagoon (pg. 2, 4, 6, 10, 11, 12)
Fort Silver National Park (pg. 19, 20)
Neighborhoods<
Downtown (pg. 2, 4)
Mission Vista (pg. 5)
Old Town Historic District (pg. 6)
Uptown(pg. 7, 17)
Boulder Hills (pg. 8 )
Western Flat (“The Flat”) (pg. 9)
South Head (pg. 12)
West Jackson ("projects") (pg.14)
Arrow Hills (pg. 17)
Transportation
U.S. 193 (“The Trail”) (pg. 4, 5, 6, 7)
Cattleman's Loop (pg. 5, 6, 7, 9, 15, 17)
Arrowhead International Airport (pg. 10)
Buffalo Bill Bridge (“The Bridge”) (pg. 12)
Avenue of the West (pg. 4)
Arrow Blvd.(pg. 4)
Westward Blvd. (pg. 7, 8 )
Stagecoach Metropolitan Transit(bus line) (pg. 15)
Education
University of the American West (pg. 4)
John Strong College (pg. 6)
Suburbs
North Arrowhead (pg. 16)
Hombre's Valley (pg. 13)
Ranger’s Creek (pg. 22)
Grey Rock (pg. 25)
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