Quiz It: Arizona - How much do you know about the Grand Canyon State? Winslow, Arizona

Question: "Standin" on the Corner” Park in Winslow, Arizona was built in honor of which famous situation?

Your choices are:

1. A famous Civil War battle, the Battle of Winslow, was fought at this location.
2. Barry Goldwater, a Republican from Phoenix, who made an unsuccessful bid for the U. S. Presidency, announced his candidacy and had his first campaign rally on this corner.
3. A song called "Take It Easy" which was written by Glenn Frey and Jackson Browne and then performed by the Eagles mentioned this location.
4. Albert Einstein developed his Theory of Relativity while "Standin' on a Corner" in Winslow, Arizona.
5. The Arizona state flag was created during a quilting bee that took place on this corner.

The Answer Is:

The song, "Take It Easy," was written by Glenn Frey and Jackson Browne in 1972 and performed by the Eagles. The lyrics include the words, "Standin' on the corner in Winslow, Arizona."

In an interview, Jackson Browne talked about the song and the event that inspired him to write it. Apparently, he was standing at a hot dog stand in Flagstaff, Arizona when a girl in a flatbed Ford drove by. Browne thought "Standin’ on a corner in Flagstaff, Arizona" didn’t sound quite right, so he changed the town in the song to Winslow, Arizona.

The location in Flagstaff where the event of the song took place is now The Dog Haus on Route 66 and Switzer Canyon. A copy of the interview is taped on the window of their drive-thru.

Take it Easy

Winslow, Arizona is located in the high plateau region of northeastern Arizona. At one time, Winslow was the thriving home to railroad shops and offices. Tourism was its primary source of revenue.

Winslow suffered the loss of tourist dollars when Route 66, its main east-west highway, was supplanted by Interstate 40 in the 1960s. Despite the fact that the new road improved travel across the northern part of the state, Interstate 40 completely bypassed Winslow and struck a nearly fatal blow to the town’s economy. (The longest contiguous strip of the original Route 66 cuts through Arizona.)

The popularity of the Eagles’ “Take it Easy” brought attention back to Winslow, and the city experienced a renewal of interest and increased tourism.

Such a Fine Sight to See

The city of Winslow has since created the "Standin’ on the Corner" Park on the corner of Kinsley and Second Street in honor of the song. It also posted a billboard on Interstate 40 with the words: Winslow, Arizona says 'Take it easy.'

The main features of the park are a mural of a window reflecting the girl in a flatbed Ford by John Pugh and a statue by sculptor Ron Adamson of a man standing on the corner, wearing jeans, boots, a shirt, and a vest. A guitar is balanced on the toe of his boot.

On October 18, 2004, the building on which the mural of the girl driving the "flatbed Ford" was painted was gutted by fire. Only the outside wall remains. The citizens of Winslow have vowed to rebuild it, and are collecting funds to restore the wall.