Green Dynamix Spring / Summer 2023 Newsletter

went is a historical mystery, known in the Southwest as The Great Abandonment.
Some believe the Sinagua holy men foresaw the coming of the white
man and chose to leave. Others believe they migrated north to the Hopi Mesas.
There are different theories with no concrete evidence to definitively tell us what
happened to the Sinagua, but the mark they left on the landscape adds to the
beauty and mystery that draws people in.
In the very late 1800’s, about fifteen homesteading families came to settle
in Sedona and were able to use the water from Oak Creek to irrigate their crops,
as did the Native Americans before them. As these early farmers learned to channel
the water, this desert place became known for its fruiting orchards – especially
apples and peaches
– which were significant to the economy
at the time. The fruit grown in Sedona
became so popular, people would come
from neighboring cities just to buy it. By
the late 1970’s and 1980’s, the robust
commercial orcharding stopped and the
amazing Sedona scenery gave way to
a new era in moviemaking. Westerns
were all the rage in American culture
and Sedona
became the backdrop for
nearly 100 feature films over
the years, including John
Wayne’s Angel and the
Badman.
Today, the town is
known for its art community,
breathtaking canyons,
and red rock landscapes.
Some of the descendants
of the original settling families still reside
there today. Stepping into Sedona
is a surreal experience. It’s a place
where you can touch the mystery, but
you can’t uncover it.
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