McMillan Homestead

Introduction

Text-to-speech Audio

The McMillan Homestead is a historic site once owned by Thomas Forsyth McMillan, the father of Flagstaff and the nephew of President James Polk's wife. The property features the two-story saltbox house McMillan built (along with a separate building nearby) and is part of the Museum of Northern Arizona campus. McMillan acquired the homestead in 1876 and built the original part of the house in 1886. He later expanded it in 1888. The house was eventually restored to its original appearance. McMillan was a successful sheep rancher and played a large role in the city's development in its early years. The homestead was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1975.

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The McMillan Homestead was originally established by the father of Flagstaff, Thomas F. McMillan, in 1876.

Backstory and Context

Text-to-speech Audio

Thomas F. McMillan was born in Mount Pleasant, Tennessee on January 1, 1833 (one source indicates he was born in 1832). In his late teens or early 20s he went to California to search for gold before traveling to Australia where he raised sheep. He arrived in what would become Flagstaff in 1876 and bought the homestead, which was around 85 acres in size. At that time, a group of pioneers from Boston camped next to a spring that was located on his ranch. On July 4th, 1876 they cut and stripped a pine tree off its branches and raised it in a ceremony with an American flag attached. This is how the city got its name.

McMillan eventually increased the size of the ranch to 160 acres. He married his wife, Katherine, in 1888. She already had a son (she was a widow) but they would have two more children.

McMillan was an active member and promoter of the community. To support the town's growth, he built the Bank Hotel in 1888, which still stands and is also referred to as the McMillan Building. The building operated as a bank and hotel, and was terminus for a stage coach line that brought tourists to and from the Grand Canyon. McMillan also served several terms on the Board of Supervisors for the county, became the first Postmaster, and was a member of the first library board. In these ways, he helped the town become incorporated in 1894. At some point the McMillan family moved into the second floor of the Bank Hotel building. McMillan died in 1906 but Katherine continued to run the hotel until she passed away in 1923.

Four years later, zoologist and cofounder of the Museum of Northern Arizona, Dr. Harold S. Colton and his wife bought the homestead. By that point, the ranch house had fallen into disrepair. They renovated it and offered it as housing for summer visitors. They also used it as a biology lab and collections storage. Dr. Colton, who also had a strong interest in northern Arizona archaeology, served as the museum's director from its founding in 1928 until he retired in 1958. Later owners renovated the house in the 1950s. It appears the museum acquired the homestead in the 1970s and the house became the home of the museum director. It is unclear what the house is used for today.

Sources

"Detailed Obituary Information for Thomas Forsythe McMillan, Senior:" Northern Arizona University, Cline Library. Accessed September 25, 2020. https://cf.nau.edu/library/da/obits/display/show_rec.cfm?obit_id=3402.

"Flagstaff Flag-Raising." The Historical Marker Database. Accessed September 25, 2020. https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=33365.

"McMillan Building 1887." The Historical Marker Database. Accessed September 24, 2020. https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=33271.

"McMillan Homestead." Museum of Northern Arizona. Accessed September 25, 2020. https://musnaz.org/about/buildings-and-campus/mcmillan-homestead.

Wilson, Marjorie. "The Homestead." National Park Service - National Register of Historic Places Nomination Form. May 27, 1975. https://npgallery.nps.gov/GetAsset/7e09a56f-d4c3-43c8-96b8-70a623d07d0c.

Image Sources(Click to expand)

Museum of Northern Arizona