Flagstaff, Arizona

Episode 406 / 15 July 2023 / 68 min / express

Not Even A Little Sorry

"We're going to Flagstaff, Arizona." about 0:03:20

The case: Murder of Rita Bryer (November 11, 1987). Read the case file.

The figures, as told in 2023

Population

76,028

Median household income

$51,758

Median home value

$565,400

History, in brief

• The town has two mottos, the City of Seven Wonders and Dark Sky City. about 0:05:11
• The area was settled long ago because of fertile land created by volcanic ash eruptions in the 11th century. about 0:05:37
• It became its present-day city in about 1876. about 0:05:48
• In 1894 it was recommended to Percival Lowell as the site of the Lowell Observatory, which was built on Mars Hill. about 0:05:53
• Flagstaff became a town that year, 1894, and grew rapidly with the railroad. about 0:06:05
• Local businessmen lobbied for Route 66 to pass through the city, and it did, which helped it grow. about 0:06:18
• In 1930 Pluto was discovered from Flagstaff at the observatory. about 0:06:23
• The observatories chose the moon landing sites for the Apollo moon missions. about 0:06:31
• In the 1970s and 1980s downtown declined, but it was revitalised in the 1990s. about 0:06:53
• In 2001 it was recognised as the world's first international dark sky city by the International Dark Sky Association. about 0:07:00

The reviews read out

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