Campaign & Results

Newspaper clips from the "Save Buffalo Park" campaign and the election results are below.
We will be adding more clips to this blog post in the near future.

Misleading billboards. Thu, Feb 13, 1986 – 1 · Arizona Daily Sun (Flagstaff, Arizona) · Newspapers.com
Billboard brouhaha. Thu, Feb 13, 1986 – 1 · Arizona Daily Sun (Flagstaff, Arizona) · Newspapers.com
Billboard article. Thu, Feb 13, 1986 – 1 · Arizona Daily Sun (Flagstaff, Arizona) · Newspapers.com
Pre-election summary Sun, Mar 2, 1986 – 5 · Arizona Daily Sun (Flagstaff, Arizona) · Newspapers.com
Misleading billboard. Fri, Feb 14, 1986 – 4 · Arizona Daily Sun (Flagstaff, Arizona) · Newspapers.com


The "pro" side of the coin. Sun, Feb 16, 1986 – 1 · Arizona Daily Sun (Flagstaff, Arizona) · Newspapers.com
"Pro" side continued. Sun, Feb 16, 1986 – 3 · Arizona Daily Sun (Flagstaff, Arizona) · Newspapers.com
"Con" side of coin. Sun, Feb 16, 1986 – 1 · Arizona Daily Sun (Flagstaff, Arizona) · Newspapers.com

"Con" side continued. Sun, Feb 16, 1986 – 3 · Arizona Daily Sun (Flagstaff, Arizona) · Newspapers.com
A Gre!at Victory Wed, Mar 5, 1986 – 1 · Arizona Daily Sun (Flagstaff, Arizona) · Newspapers.com
Election Results Wed, Mar 5, 1986 – 5 · Arizona Daily Sun (Flagstaff, Arizona) · Newspapers.com

Editoral post-mortem. Sun, Mar 9, 1986 – 14 · Arizona Daily Sun (Flagstaff, Arizona) · Newspapers.com

"Con" side of coin. Sun, Feb 16, 1986 – 1 · Arizona Daily Sun (Flagstaff, Arizona) · Newspapers.com

The Grassroots grew

The citizens initiative really took off in October 1985.

Buffalo Park Day. Thu, Oct 17, 1985 – 1 · Arizona Daily Sun (Flagstaff, Arizona) · Newspapers.com
Mayor Moody signs petition. Fri, Oct 25, 1985 – 3 · Arizona Daily Sun (Flagstaff, Arizona) · Newspapers.com
Asbestos underwear? Mon, Oct 21, 1985 – 1 · Arizona Daily Sun (Flagstaff, Arizona) · Newspapers.com

Petitions submitted

November 8, 1985 wa s Dear Diary Day for Buffalo Park!

Petitions turned in. Fri, Nov 8, 1985 – 1 · Arizona Daily Sun (Flagstaff, Arizona) · Newspapers.com
Signature Success! Fri, Nov 8, 1985 – 1 · Arizona Daily Sun (Flagstaff, Arizona) · Newspapers.com
What the petition said. Fri, Nov 8, 1985 – 1 · Arizona Daily Sun (Flagstaff, Arizona) · Newspapers.com

Save Buffalo Park gathers momentum

Everything really started coming together in early fall 1985 for efforts to Save Buffalo Park.
The process begins. Tue, Sep 17, 1985 – 1 · Arizona Daily Sun (Flagstaff, Arizona) · Newspapers.com
The petition is born. Thu, Sep 19, 1985 – 1 · Arizona Daily Sun (Flagstaff, Arizona) · Newspapers.com
Birth of initiative process Sun, Sep 29, 1985 – 4 · Arizona Daily Sun (Flagstaff, Arizona) · Newspapers.com

"Save Buffalo Park" beginnings

We're having trouble finding when the "Save Buffalo Park" movement began in the early 1980's.  It received mention in this February 1984 column so presumably the efforts began well before then, perhaps in late 1983.

"Save Buffalo Park" early mention. Sun, Feb 26, 1984 – 18 · Arizona Daily Sun (Flagstaff, Arizona) · Newspapers.com
Below is a February 9, 1984 Letter to the Editor.  It's possible the Editor above was simply morphing the title that the newspaper itself wrote for this letter into the context used in the column above.
An early plea. Thu, Feb 9, 1984 – 4 · Arizona Daily Sun (Flagstaff, Arizona) · Newspapers.com
Counterpoint to February 26, 1984 column. Sun, Mar 4, 1984 – 17 · Arizona Daily Sun (Flagstaff, Arizona) · Newspapers.com
Below is proof that Flagstaff runners took the lead in suggesting preservation of Buffalo Park! Runners in the lead! Wed, Jan 25, 1984 – 4 · Arizona Daily Sun (Flagstaff, Arizona) · Newspapers.com

"Jog" hadn't been invented. Thu, Jun 28, 1984 – 1 · Arizona Daily Sun (Flagstaff, Arizona) · Newspapers.com


First organized opposition. Sun, Feb 5, 1984 – 4 · Arizona Daily Sun (Flagstaff, Arizona) · Newspapers.com

Anita Wood opposed Gemini Parkway. Sun, Feb 26, 1984 – 3 · Arizona Daily Sun (Flagstaff, Arizona) · Newspapers.com

Straight from the horse's mouth

Buffalo Park had a good run for five years before failing to open for the sixth season.  Even in its fifth year of operation, Buffalo Park was still making the news on a regular basis.
Another celebrity at Buffalo Park Thu, Jun 13, 1968 – 2 · Arizona Daily Sun (Flagstaff, Arizona) · Newspapers.com

Randy Cowan's Story

On March 28, 2020, we received a short story from Randy Cowan sating: "My mom ran Buffalo Park in the 60s. I remember going to work with her every summer. I would hang out with the guy that drove the Stagecoach and I would sit up top with him. I remember one time mom made me stay and eat lunch boy was I made but lucky she did. On that trip out the horse's broke loose from the Stagecoach and drugged the driver across the rocks. He spent some time in the Hospital. A reporter from the Arizona Daily Sun came up to do a story and showed her where the Stagecoach was so she could take pictures and I got my picture taken and put in the paper standing by the Stagecoach."

After three hours of searching Newspapers Dot Com we finally found Randy's photo.  Thank You for the Story, Randy!  It is Much Appreciated!

Note that the accident happened on Tuesday August 13, 1968 and was featured on the front page of "The Arizona Daily Sun" Wednesday issue, August 14, 1968.

Randy Comer on front page! Wed, Aug 14, 1968 – 1 · Arizona Daily Sun (Flagstaff, Arizona) · Newspapers.com