However, despite this postcard's obvious visual appeal, we've always been perplexed. The young girl is NOT petting the fawn. Petting the animals was supposed to be part of the gig. So, what's happening here?
Well, we found out today, the young girl is FEEDING the fawn. Yessirrie, there was a vending machine onsite that dumped a child's hand size dose of corn kernels for a mere nickle. So, this young girl had obviously bought her five cents worth of corn to feed the fawn.
As a result of the April 19, 2020, "Arizona Daily Sun" article about Buffalo Park we received this email from Robyn Martin:
"I was born and raised in Flagstaff and celebrated my 6th birthday party at Buffalo Park. My best friend and I used to walk up Cedar Hill from where we lived on Forest Avenue (which was still dirt then and not a major thoroughfare) in the summers armed with our 1$ bill each, and hang out at Buffalo Park. There was a "petting zoo" of sorts, limited to very aggressive goats, that would react to the sound of a nickel dropped into the gum machine dispensers that instead released shelled corn for feed, and the goats would swarm. Okay when you are adult size, but not so great when child size-it was a little intimidating. I remember riding in both the stagecoach and the wagon (stagecoach best, because you could ride on the seat in the back which was outside."
So, Buffalo Park had a Feed Dispenser! And that little girl was feeding that fawn out of her hand!
Thank You, Robyn, for such a lovely story!
(Editor's Note: We're leaving the postcard view unsourced here because it is such a common listing on eBay. Simply search for "Buffalo Park Flagstaff Arizona" without quote marks, of course.
