FACT #1:  SEDONA'S LAYERS
 
Sedona's rocks are comprised of layers of sediment that have been deposited over hundreds of millions of years.  The shale foundation of Sedona is the remainder of ancient swamp lands.  The Red Rocks are the remainder of an ancient beachfront, known as the "Schnebly Hill Formation," that deposited iron into the sediment about 275 million years ago.  This iron is what gives Sedona's rocks their rich red color. The Coconino sandstone was formed at a time when a Sahara like dune field covered the majority of the Western United States. The Kaibab limestone was deposited when a warm shallow sea covered this area approximately 250 million years ago. The Red Rocks we see today were formed several million years ago when the uplifting of the Colorado Plateau that created the Grand Canyon also caused water to carve out Sedona's rock layer exposing the Schnebly Hill Formation.  Currently, Sedona is considered to be a part of the Colorado Plateau and is in the process of making mountains, raising an average of one inch every 60-80 years.
 
FACT #2:  IT'S ALL IN A NAME

Sedona Schnebly

When applying for a postal permit, one of Sedona's founding fathers, Theodore Carlton Schnebly, submitted the names "Schnebly Station" and "Oak Creek Crossing" which were both rejected as being too long to fit on a cancellation stamp. T. Carl tried again, this time proffering his wife's name, Sedona. The name was officially approved by the postal system in 1902.
 
FACT #3:  THE POWER OF PRODUCE
 
Sedona's original Anglo settler, John James Thompson, was lucky enough to stumble upon an abandoned Yavapai garden which was still producing crops. If not for this surreptitious find, Thompson very well may have moved on to more fertile grounds. Never underestimate the positive power of produce! (read the inside story of JJ Thompson.)
 
FACT #4:  LIKE WATER FOR PEACHES
 
Sedona's early agricultural crop of apples and peaches can be said to have developed in the smoke. Apparently the area's first fruit producer, Will Jordan, set up his orchards in the

Angel and the Badman

FACT #5:  SEDONA WEST AND THE BADMAN
 
In the 20th Century Sedona had become the preferred location to film Hollywood Westerns.  In 1945 a replica of an early Western frontier town was erected near Coffee Pot Rock for the filming of the John Wayne classic "The Angel and the Badman." The set was utilized for several films before being dismantled to make way for a West Sedona residential subdivision.
 
FACT #6:  BEAM ME UP, BELL ROCK

Bell Rock

In 1987 the participants of the world wide meditation event known as the "Harmonic Convergence" rolled in to Sedona, which had earned the reputation over the years as a spiritual hot spot. During the festivities a rumor started circulating, claiming a space ship would emerge from the apex of Bell Rock at the height of the Convergence. Many unsuspecting seekers found their wallets not so mysteriously lightened the next day after paying $150 to see a stellar hoax that never transpired.
 
FACT #7:  UNDER THE TURQUOISE ARCHES

McDonalds (Sedona, AZ)

This area is remarkable for any number of reasons, not the least of which is that Sedona is the only location, world wide mind you, where you can find a McDonald's restaurant sans the golden arches.  In this town of strong artistic sensibilities, yellow arches just will not do! So come to Sedona for the only place on the entire planet where you can consume a Big Mac under the Turquoise arches.
 
FACT #8:  MOTHER, OR IS THAT - MADAME - OF INVENTION
 
The word around town is that a visit to the local Cat House can make a body powerful thirsty! Whether "the word" is true or not, it is true that the first wells drilled in the Village of Oak Creek (VOC) were at the behest of local Madame, Fanny Belle Gulick.  Fanny owned a large stretch of land which is today known as the Village of Oak Creek and asked a new Sedona transplant, Geologist Carl E. Williams, to drill for water on her property.  Naysayers be damned, Carl reconnoitered the area and found water where most said water could not be found.  No wonder the VOC is so risqué! It began its career as the site of a thriving brothel.

Other articles:  Sedona Sweet Spots
 
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