Winona, Arizona
unincorporated community in Coconino County, Arizona, United States
Winona is a small populated place in Coconino County in the northern part of the U.S. state of Arizona. At one time it was also called Walnut, and Winona's railroad station was renamed Darling in honor of an engineer.
History
Winona was once an incorporated village called Walnut Creek, until the 1950s when it became part of Flagstaff. Walnut Creek runs through Winona. It has been a dry creek bed since a dam was built above Walnut Canyon in the 1950s to provide Flagstaff with a reservoir. Before this, the creek ran year round.
Railroad
Winona train station was renamed on 6 December 1959 as "Darling" after William B. Darling, a local railroad engineer. Darling Cinder Pit to the north east of Winona is also named after him.
The history of Darling is tied directly to the railroad that crosses through it. The Southwest Chief has been a regular visitor and for many years it was served by the Santa Fe Railway.
The public source identifies “Winona, Arizona” as unincorporated community in Coconino County, Arizona, United States. This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around Winona, Arizona and unincorporated.
Why this record matters
A short description can identify a subject without explaining its stakes. For “Winona, Arizona”, the useful work is to connect “unincorporated community in Coconino County, Arizona, United States” to the records capable of establishing context and consequence.
Place names and jurisdictional language are key evidence: both can reveal earlier catalogue descriptions and overlooked record series. The source revision retrieved here is dated May 17, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q2584795. Authority coordinates are 35.205, -111.408. 1 of 1 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 1959.
A single description cannot reconcile every naming convention, rebuilding phase or administrative transfer associated with a place. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Treat names, boundaries and functions as historically changeable. Maps, plans, inventories and administrative records can clarify what the place meant at different dates.
- Historic place names
- Jurisdictional context
- Routes into maps and plans
Contemporary maps, plans, listed-building records, estate papers and the responsible local or national archive.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Winona, Arizona”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Winona, Arizona primary sources, Winona, Arizona archive and Winona research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Winona, Arizona”?
- Which authority defined the place, boundary or structure at the relevant date?
- Which earlier names or jurisdictions may reveal additional records?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Winona, Arizona” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.