Hubbell Trading Post National Historic Site
I looked forward to visiting Hubbell Trading Post National Historic Site expecting to find a trading post filled with Native crafts, handmade rugs, jewelry and traditional wares. I pictured something frozen in time.
This was not simply a museum display created for tourists. It was still an active trading post serving the local Navajo community and is recognized as the oldest continuously operating trading post in the American Southwest. Alongside Native artwork were shelves stocked with everyday necessities and even junk food. I realized that trading posts were meant to be practical community centers where people came not only to trade crafts but to buy supplies and the necessities of daily life.
The trading post was established in 1878 by John Lorenzo Hubbell, a businessman who became one of the most influential traders in the Southwest. Hubbell developed close relationships with the Navajo people and built a network of trading posts throughout the region. Over time, the Hubbell Trading Post became an important cultural and economic center where trade, communication and relationships developed across generations.
Recognizing its historical and cultural importance, Hubbell Trading Post National Historic Site became part of the National Park System in 1967. Today, the trading post continues to operate, preserving the living traditions and connections between the Navajo people and this historic place.
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