In August 1908, USFS employees Raphael Zon, Willard Drake, and Gustaf A. Pearson were riding through the Coconino National Forest from Flagstaff seeking a site to establish the nation's first USFS Experiment Station. They chose the northwest corner of an open park known as Fort Valley, at the base of the San Francisco Peaks and about nine miles northwest of Flagstaff. Fort Valley was selected because of the isolation and pureness of the surrounding forest, the imminent danger from extensive logging in the Flagstaff area, and the esteem in which Gifford Pinchot held Coconino National Forest Supervisor Frank C.W. Pooler. Pooler had recently directed the transfer of smaller forest areas into the vast Coconino, and his influence caused Pinchot to consider northern Arizona for the first Experiment Station. These Stations were to supply a solid technical foundation for national forest management; created for the purpose of gaining knowledge of American silviculture and the best use of forest products. They were considered educational sites for foresters and the public and Pearson wrote that scientific work is the only reason Experiment Stations exist.
The name was changed from the Coconino Experiment Station to the Fort Valley Experiment Station (FVES) in 1911, and has undergone further name changes. Pearson was the first Director, and wintered alone during 1908-9 in the old Fort Valley ranger cabin. He credited much of his survival to Pat and Mike, the two mules that brought supplies, equipment, and men to the station between 1908-1918. After more staff arrived, the mules also escorted the young men to and from town for Saturday night entertainment.
The field (summer) season at Fort Valley meant several permanent technical men and sometimes ten to twelve temporary workers. Foresters who spent time at Fort Valley early in their careers and later were involved in national forest policy include: Clarence F. Korstian, Edward C. Crafts, W.R. Mattoon, Charles K. Cooperrider, Max H. Foerster, T.S. Woolsey, Jr., Emanuel Fritz, E.M. Hornibrook, Edward C. Martin, and Edward M. Gaines.
Sparse living and research space existed at Fort Valley, and by 1927, only four buildings had been constructed. Funding has always been slight; yet the Fort Valley Station boasts the first bathroom in Region 3 (Arizona, New Mexico, and parts of Oklahoma and Texas), added in 1918. It actually was a bath house and built inches away from the existing structure as funds were available for new buildings, but not for improving old ones. Work Projects Administration funding during the 1930s enabled more improvements and electricity replaced gas lights. A two and one-half mile water pipe-line was constructed in 1935 that eliminated the need for a windmill. The Station, located at an elevation of about 7,300 feet, continued to operate seasonally, due to minimal funding and cold winters. A natural gas pipeline reached the site in 1954 and this, plus a paved highway between the station and Flagstaff, permitted year-round accessibility.
FVES research sites are positioned around the southwest forest and range lands so that study may occur upon the different microclimates of the region. The majority of sites are on the Coconino National Forest, and in 1931, a Forester's Order established the Fort Valley Experimental Forest from Coconino lands which protected 2,420 acres. Later amendments added more lands for a total of 4,950 acres on the Experimental Forest.
Long-time objectives of Fort Valley ponderosa pine research involve natural and artificial regeneration, stand improvement methods, and mensurational (measuring) studies. Between 1916 and 1920, station personnel began recording climatological information, a project that continues today. Research has also included seed spot experiments, pinon tree nut production, range monitoring, fence post durability, and logging and timber sale regulating. In 1927, research scope expanded to include Range studies and the name became Fort Valley Forest and Range Experiment Station.
During the 1940s, the Fort Valley staff involved the public in the ongoing research by giving radio interviews on forest topics promoting the importance of research on national resources in wartime. Post-war 1953 meant cuts to the research dollar, and the Southwest Station merged with the Rocky Mountain Forest and Range Experiment Station. Since this time FVES has served as a field site for research facilities constructed on the Northern Arizona University campus.
The Station today has a peaceful ambiance and isolation that Zon, Drake, and Pearson first noted in 1908. The historic buildings are nestled amidst pine, spruce, and fir, and a visitor can almost hear Pat and Mike chomping on hay in their barn. Cooperative administrative efforts between the US Forest Service and Northern Arizona University are planning for the Stations' future which includes use as an environmental education center, continuing research site, and retreat facility.