Four Corners Research
Western States researchers have some great archives and libraries to tap into, and each week I highlight archives, libraries and collections I have found valuable, along with some of my finds there.
Anyone doing research in the Four Corners area (Utah, Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico) will want to take a look at the Northern Arizona Cline Library’s online collections http://archive.library.nau.edu/index.php , as well as doing some on-site research. It has some real gems in its Special Collections. These include:
TIP: On the homepage search by keyword, or try “advanced search” and select only the collection you want to search within.
Northern Arizona University is located at S San Francisco St, Flagstaff, Arizona 86011. (928) 523-901
Colorado Plateau Archives
The Colorado Plateau Archives, one of the collections above, is an online exhibit for the images, documents, oral histories, videos, and more for the region encompassing the Four Corners area of the United States.
It includes:
- Arizona Memory Project
- Arizona Champion-Coconino Sun Newspaper Index (1887-1894)
- Arizona Champion-Coconino Sun Newspaper Obituary Index (1883-2003)
- Manuscript Inventory
- Over 1 million photos
- Vertical files
United Indian Traders Association Oral History Project
Part of the Colorado Plateau Archives contains the United Indian Traders Association Oral History Project. This is an especially valuable collection. These are transcripts of interviews done with traders, and they are rich in information about the history of the area. There is also a huge collection of photographs, all searchable by keyword.
Interviews of particular interest to me as a researcher are the March 30, 1999 video interviews with Joe Tanner <http://tinyurl.com/cpn7ot2> and J.B. Tanner, who were sons of Ruel Lehi “Chunky” Tanner, grandsons of Joseph Baldwin Tanner, and great-grandsons of Seth Tanner. These are available online, and Joe talks a lot about the early Tanner history in the Four Corners area. I am descended from Ruel’s sister Annie Marie Tanner. There are also interviews with Russell, Jay, and Ed Foutz, who are descended from Joseph Lehi Foutz—another Great-great grandfather of mine.
Arizona Archives Online
NAU is part of the “Arizona Archives Online” http://www.azarchivesonline.org/xtf/search
This is a great way to search multiple archives and libraries at once. There are currently 14 institutions throughout the state of Arizona that contribute content to Arizona Archives Online. I will highlight some of the collections in these archives in future posts:
- Arizona State University Libraries, Department of Archives and Special Collections
- Northern Arizona University, Cline Library Special Collections and Archives
- University of Arizona Library Special Collections
- University of Arizona Libraries. Center for Creative Photography.
- Arizona State Museum
- Museum of Northern Arizona
- The Arizona Historical Society: Northern/Southern/Papago Park Divisions
- Sharlot Hall Museum
- Arizona State Library, History and Archives Division
- Arizona Historical Foundation
- Lowell Observatory Library and Archives
- Heard Museum Billie Jane Baguley Library and Archives
- Peggy J. Slusser Memorial Philatelic Library
On Granny's Trail 
Thanks for the lead to the AAO catalog — I’d been checking many of those one at a time since most of my recent research is in Utah sources, and just occasionally need to look south of the state border. That will make searches a lot quicker!