Willcox Arizona

Western Trips had the opportunity to visit historic Willcox Arizona. Willcox is not only filled with plenty of old west history but also offers several very unique museums and some excellent hiking opportunities.

Rex Allen Museum, Willcox AZ

Willcox Arizona is located along Interstate 40 about 50 miles west of the New Mexico border and about 80 miles east of Tucson. The Southern Pacific Railroad named the town of Willcox in 1880 in honor of Major General Orlando Bolivar Willcox. Major General Willcox was active during the Civil War years and was even captured and held prisoner for a year. In 1895, eight years after his retirement, Willcox was awarded the Medal of Honor for "most distinguished gallantry" at the Battle of Manassas 34 years before. 

Very often the railroad itself named towns after famous figures and/or railroad officers. In many cases such as with Willcox and Benson Arizona, the town wasn't established until the railroad built tracks through it. Another example of this is with Barstow California (named after an officer of the Santa Fe Railroad) , Holbrooke Arizona (named after the first chief engineer of the Atlantic and Pacific Railroad) and Gallup New Mexico (named after a paymaster for the Atlantic and Pacific Railroad).

Following are some of the Willcox Arizona attractions you'll want to add to your southern Arizona vacation planner.  

Statue of Rex Allen

The Rex Allen Museum

The singing cowboy star Rex Allen was a native of Willcox Arizona. The Rex Allen Museum opened it's doors in 1989 and is filled with memorabilia from his lifetime success in rodeo, radio, movies and televison. The museum is literally filled with photos, records, movie posters.

According to the Rex Allen Museum, the star's biography includes...As a boy Rex played guitar and sang at local functions with his fiddle-playing father. After high school graduation, he followed the rodeo circuit but decided that his future looked better with a guitar than with the rodeo. He got his start in show business on the radio in New Jersey as “Cactus Rex”, then performed in Chicago on the WLS Radio program, National Barn Dance. In 1948 he signed with Mercury Records where he recorded a number of successful country music albums. In 1952 he switched to the Decca label where he continued to record into the 1970s.

Rex Allen fans will want to be aware that the town of Willcox hosts an annual Rex Allen Days which in 2013 will be held from October 4th through the 6th.  Among the events during the Rex Allen Days are a parade, professional rodeo and concerts. Among the rodeo events are bull riding, bronc riding, steer wrestling, ropers and barrel racing. October is also an excellent month to visit southeastern Arizona.

The Dining Car, Willcox AZ

When in Willcox you'll also want to see the bronze statue directly across the street from the Rex Allen Museum. In this small [ark is a statue of Rex Allen as well as the grave of his horse KoKo.

It's said that Rex Allen made the last of the "singing cowboy" movies in the year 1954. Rex was born in Willcox in 1920 and died in 1999. The Rex Allen Museum is located at 150 N Railroad Ave just one block from the train depot.








The Southern Pacific Railroad Depot

The restored Willcox Arizona Southern Pacific Railroad depot which was originally built in 1881 has the distinction of being the only surviving on-site passenger depot which is still in use on the southern transcontinental route. Today's Amtrak Sunset Limited passes through Willcox on it's runs between Los Angeles and New Orleans. Today the old train station is used as the City Hall of Willcox.

Willcox AZ train station

When you visit Willcox and view the train station you'll also have the opportunity to dine in a real railroad car directly across the street. As you might guess, the name of this popular Willcox restaurant is The Dining Car. It's a great stop for a unique dining experience. The restaurant address is 130 E Maley. 

Chiricahua National Monument

This is a must stop when traveling in the Willcox area. The Chiricahua National Monument is one of the best geologic sites you can explore in southern Arizona. In addition to it's eight miles of paved scenic roads, hikers will especially enjoy the seventeen miles of day use hiking trails.

The Chiricahua National Monument is located 120 miles southeast of Tucson and about thirty-six miles southeast of Willcox Arizona via AZ Hwy 186. 

For those that have just a few hours to spend there you'll want to explore the Visitors Center and view the eight minute park movie. 

Store in Willcox Historic District

Enjoy a tour inside the Faraway Ranch House which is open throughout the year. The Faraway Ranch House was actually constructed at two different times. In the 1890's a two story frame home was built and then in 1915 a two story adobe was added on. The ranch dwelling was built by Neil Erickson from Sweden who emigrated to the U.S. and served in the army at nearby Fort Bowie. The Erickson's acquired cattle and also cultivated vegetables and planted an orchard.

If you can spend a half day or more at the park you'll want to explore the hiking trails. One short hike is found on the Massai Nature Trail. This is a half mile loop trail which lets you explore the geologic story of Chiricahua National Monument.

The 1.2 mile Silver Spur Meadow Trail starts at the Faraway Ranch Picnic Area takes you through the Faraway Ranch Historic District to the Stafford cabin, built in the 1880s.

A longer hike is found on the Natural Bridge Trail. This 4.8 mile round trip trail  starts from the Bonita Canyon Scenic Drive one-half mile past the campground trail. The trail will take you on a climb up to the woodlands and then leads down into the Apache pine forest. The trail ends at an overlook for the small water-carved bridge located across a canyon.

Southern Arizona geography

Links to three additional Western Trips photo articles include Tombstone and The Tombstone Epitaph, a visit to Historic Benson Arizona and Old Town Tucson.

Visiting Willcox Arizona

Being located along Interstate 10 in southeastern Arizona, Willcox is easy to reach. Souhtern Arizona is also rich in old west history and a stop in Willcox and the nearby Chiricahua National Monument fits in well with a longer trip that might include, Tombstone, Bisbee and Benson Arizona. All of these stops make great additions to your overall southern Arizona vacation planner. 

The history of southern Arizona is all about the Native Americans, mining (especially in the Tombstone and Bisbee areas), the U.S. Cavalry and the Southern Pacific Railroad. 

(Photos from author's private collection)
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