Downtown Rock Garden & 1881 Mosaic

The Downtown Rock Garden and 1881 Mosaic were built over a period of time in a downtown beautification effort. The "Y" of the roads on the East and West ends of downtown Gallup were created in the late 1920s when Route 66 came through downtown. From 1929-1934 Route 66 was actually two one-way roads: one ran west on the road we currently recognize as Route 66, and the other ran east down the current Coal Avenue. The rock garden and brick mosaic within were donated by a property developer, and the mosaic at the end of the garden has the date the City of Gallup was founded (1881). The mural is in the image of the New Mexico state flag, yellow with a red Zia, but also contains a unique Gallup element with a U-shaped Yei image similar to those found in Navajo tapestries.