Two Guns site in Arizona under contract; fate remains unknown

The sale of historic but dilapidated Two Guns site along Route 66 in Arizona is pending after the 232-acre site was for sale for $3.715 million.

Route 66 researcher Blue Miller first reported Monday the property is under contract on the Historic Route 66 page on Facebook.

Sure enough, the site listing on Realtor.com states the sale is pending. The property had been listed for more than 650 days by Da Vinci Realty in nearby Flagstaff.

This is the property description:

Own a large piece of Arizona history! Rare development opportunity abounds just east of the now fully operational state-of-the-art Twin Arrows Resort and Casino. Be on the cusp of this growing sector of the state, and re-inhabit this lost town rich in history and lore. Property encompasses over 230 acres of level and development ready land as well as majestic and sinuous canyon-scape. Vestiges of a gas station and other antiquated out buildings remain, but the setting is ideal for myriad uses from commercial to residential (zoned General). Be the new owner to breathe life back into this once wild and colorful town. Phase 1 environmental report previously conducted with gas tanks now closed, and 3-phase power available from nearby sub-stations.

An attempt to reach the Realtor for comment was unsuccessful.

The history of Two Guns is too complex to recount here, except it involves a massacre of Native Americans; Billy the Kid and other Wild West outlaws; and several homicides involving early settlers or entrepreneurs. More may be read here.

The property started to decline about 50 years ago after a service station burned down. The crumbling ruins of a trading post, campground, cottages, zoo and service station remain.

In 1988, the Canyon Diablo Bridge was added to the National Register of Historic Places.

Two Guns has been explored for decades as a genuine Route 66 ghost town. Every so often, rumors of redevelopment would surface, but nothing would happen. The fact the property is under contract doesn’t mean anything will happen this time, either.

Regardless, Swa Frantzen, the creator of the Historic66.com website, gave some good advice:

Enjoy it while you still can, cause I doubt anybody putting in money to buy the property will let us continue to have free access at will and won’t bring in bulldozers to level it all.

(Image of the zoo ruins at Two Guns, Arizona, via Realtor.com listing)

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