Historic Williams, Arizona and a visit with family!

Red Garter Bed and Bakery

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One of our favorite restaurants in the area is called Anna’s.  It is located in the Red Garter Bed & Bakery.  This building was originally built in 1897 and housed a saloon on the first floor and a brothel upstairs.  A steep flight of stairs known as the “Cowboy’s Endurance Test” led to the girls upstairs rooms.

The bordello thrived as miners, loggers, cowboys, and railroad workers stopped in for a drink and often to partake of the painted ladies upstairs. Behind the saloon, two rear rooms of the building once housed Chinese railroad workers, who both lived and operated a chophouse and opium den.

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Though Arizona outlawed prostitution in 1907, the law was only loosely enforced. Both businesses continued to operate successfully until the mid 1940s, when a murder was committed on the stairs of the Red Garter, leading to the eventual closure of the saloon and brothel.

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Over several decades, the building changed hands a few times and finally in 1994, it became a bed and breakfast.

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After opening, guests and staff began to report signs of ghostly activity, including the sound of footsteps when no one is around, doors mysteriously slamming, and strange “clunking” noises heard throughout the building.

Guests have reported seeing an apparition of a Hispanic girl with long dark hair and dressed in a white nightgown. One guest who claimed to have made contact with the spirit, said her name was Eve or Eva.

In the 1934 photograph above, it is believed that Eva is the smiling woman behind the counter to the left.  She is not reflected in the mirror behind her, starting speculation that the photographer actually caught the ghost on film.

Historic Signs

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If you love the era of the 1960’s, there is plenty to see in Williams.  Many of the old signs from when route 66 was in its heyday are still existing on the main roadways of the town.

Click here for more!

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11 thoughts on “Historic Williams, Arizona and a visit with family!”

  1. Thanks Suzy for sharing your families surprise visit.! Congratulations on being grandparents!! There is nothing better than to have sweet babies to hold and LOVE!!! Williams sounds like a wild place at one time. We live in NW Ga. and know all the campgrounds around. The KOA for our area is exit 296 I-75. It’s about 40 miles NW of ATL. Lake Allatoona a Corp of Engineers lake goes from Exit285? to 290. The lake runs from Ne to Sw. Canton Ga-Cartersville, about 20 miles. There is a state park Red Top Mtn.

    1. Hi Pamela!
      We are actively looking in your area for a campground this summer! Maybe we will run into each other!

      Thanks so much for following along!
      suzy

  2. Congratulations on the pending grandparenthood! We have 7, one all grown up, and all but one of the rest are teenagers. Enjoy them all you can! Time passes in a flash.
    We were in Williams several years ago. Thanks for the memories.

    Travel safe!

  3. Congratulations Grandparents, and to the young couple too 🙂
    Thanks for sharing this. I just love this journey you are both on.
    Take care and safe travels 🙂

  4. That is so cool about the saloon/brothel ghost stories. We were there once and I remember the local townspeople telling us about it but we didn’t get a chance to go in. That old photograph is kinda creepy, lol, they look like ma and pa kettle and that kid is totally not happy.

  5. What exciting news – a baby on the way! Congratulations all round.
    Loved your latest blog post – they are always so interesting. Life and scenery in USA is so different to New Zealand! Except for the travelling – we like to explore the country in our caravan, think you call them trailers.

  6. Hi Suzy,
    I just found your sites and am bumming because you are leaving and we are actually just about four hours from you! We are fulltimers as well and are in the Fort Mohave/Bullhead City area. We love Williams and sure wish we had been there during this past summer when is was 128 degrees here.
    Good luck on your winter. I am excited to have found your sites and can’t wait to start on some crafts. Maybe we’ll get down to the Tucson area sometime this winter!
    Take care and thanks for all the cool stuff you’ve posted!

    1. Hi Teri!
      We left Williams yesterday and are taking a few weeks off before heading down to Tucson. The website is a bit behind, but will be catching it up in the next few days. We are currently in Laughlin and then heading down to Lake Havasu City for the next few weeks. Maybe I’ll see you on the strip! LOL!
      suzy

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