In a secret corner of the enchanted forest, hidden among towering trees and deep moss, lies a dwarfed magic laboratory. This whimsical space is nestled within the roots of a giant oak tree, its entrance a narrow passage covered in ivy and guarded by mystical creatures. Inside the laboratory, a symphony of colors and sparkling lights greet visitors. Glass jars filled with powdered unicorn horn, starlight crystals, and ground dragon scales line the shelves, each labeled with carefully handwritten notes. Potions bubble and hiss in elaborately adorned cauldrons, releasing intoxicating scents that fill the air. In one corner, a dwarf with a long gray beard and oversized spectacles tirelessly mixes ingredients, his gnarled hands expertly manipulating the fragile magic.

At the crossroads of health and commerce

(Editor's note: In an effort to chronicle the beauty and diversity of the Navajo Nation, as well as its issues, the Navajo Times has committed to visiting all 110 chapters in alphabetical order. This is the 30th in the series.)

(Times photo — Cindy Yurth)

SECOND FROM THE TOP: Like Manuelito, Ganado Mucho (known simply by his clan name, Totsonii Hastiin, in Navajo) was one of the "ricos" — wealthy Navajos who won respect among their people and became leaders. Originally known as Pueblo Colorado, the settlement around Hubbell Trading Post was rechristened "Ganado" by the great chief's friend, trader Lorenzo Hubbell, when the U.S. Postal Service set up a post office there and needed an official name for the town. TBHIRD FROM THE TOP: A horse enjoys the solitude of Ganado Lake last Thursday. Although the lake is an open secret among fishermen, no attempt has been made to cater to them with a campground or bait shop. FOURTH FROMT HE TOP: With trader Steve Pickle retiring this month, his associate trader Edison Eskeets becomes the first Navajo to run the trading post at Hubbell Trading Post National Historic Site. Originally from Springstead, N.M., Eskeets worked at Northern Arizona Museum in Flagstaff before moving back to New Mexico and eventually making his way to Hubbell, where he has been since 2007.

T he local ruin Lok'aa Niteel (Wide Reeds) attests that people have been living along the Pueblo Colorado Wash since Anasazi times, but Ganado really took off after the band of Ganado Mucho (Spanish for "Many Cattle") followed the chief here after the Long Walk.

The area was not part of the original reservation created by the Treaty of 1868, but that did not bother Ganado Mucho, known to his followers as Totsonii Hastiin ("Big Water Man").

If anything, it gave the chief and his band the freedom to do as they wished without constantly consulting the Indian agent at Fort Defiance. They established farms and began building up their herds.

Traders followed the Diné settlers. William Leonard had a cluster of adobe buildings at the site of the present Hubbell Trading Post, and Charlie Hubbell had a post south of Ganado Lake.

Things went on like this, with the impoverished Navajos attempting to build back up to their former prosperity, when an event took place that became known as the Navajo Witch Purge.

In 1878, up to 40 people in the Ganado area were accused of being witches and killed — one of them right on the doorstep of Charlie Hubbell's trading post.

Knowing that the Navajo would never again enter that building, Charlie's brother, John Lorenzo Hubbell, bought Leonard's operation, eventually building it into not only a trading post but a way station and nearly self-sufficient farm that attracted politicians and artists from all over the country.

Hubbell and Ganado Mucho were friends, and when the U.S. Post Office set up shop in the post, it was Hubbell who convinced the government to call the town "Ganado."

Hubbell loved the deep red dye used by the local rug dealers and encouraged its use, fostering the style now known as "Ganado Red."

Presbyterian missionaries, attracted by the fertile flood plain and Hubbell's apparent good relationship with the Navajos, came in the early 1900s, building a church and a school. A hospital followed in 1911, and in 1930, Dr. Clarence Salsbury founded the country's first nursing school for Native American women.

According to the nomination for Sage Memorial Hospital School of Nursing's registry on the National Register of Historic Places (which was granted in 2008), many Anglos at the time did not believe minority women had the capacity to become good nurses. Minority students had a hard time getting into nursing schools, or any colleges for that matter.

The Ganado school proved them wrong, attracting students from 50 American tribes and several foreign countries. The school developed such a good reputation that white students were soon clamoring to get in, but Salsbury turned them away, pointing out that they could get their education anywhere, but his was the only such institution for non-whites. The school operated until 1951.

Today, the school is gone but Navajo Technical College and Diné College both have branches here. Both the hospital and the trading post are still operating.

Although Sage's historic stone buildings are picturesque, they're in bad shape and hard to retrofit for modern conveniences. A new hospital is on the drawing board.

Hubbell Trading post, sold to the National Park Service by Hubbell's daughter in 1967, is now a National Historic Site whose acting superintendent, Stanley Belinte, is the first Navajo in that position.

The trading post is still operating, and the main trader, Steve Pickle, has announced his retirement. The heir apparent, his assistant Edison Eskeets, is also Navajo.

And Ganado continues on as a center of commerce.

At the junction of two main highways, U.S. 191 and Arizona 264, it hosts three gas stations with convenience stores. The community is trying to lure in a full-fledged supermarket, revealed the chapter's Accounts Maintenance Specialist Lela Sangster, and has withdrawn land across from the post office for other businesses.

Ty's Tire Shop, established in 2010, is prospering, and there a couple of non-emergency transport companies.

Apache County District II is headquartered here, and according to Sangster, "works very well with the chapter." The two entities are looking at collaborating on a new senior citizens center and a veterans memorial.

Ganado High School and its stadium and aquatic center offer another focal point for the community.

An electrical line is in the works in the Burnside area.

At the junction of two main highways, "We can get wherever we want to go," said the chapter's receptionist, Eva Louis.

Based on this industrious chapter's history, that's true figuratively as well.

Ganado at a Glance

Name — After local headman Ganado Mucho ("Many Cattle"), known in Navajo as Totsonii Hastiin ("Big Water Man"). Navajos also call the community Lok'aa Niteel ("Wide Reeds") after a local ruin.

Population — 1,210 at the 2010 Census

Land area — 8.9 square miles

Features — Hubbell Trading Post National Historic Site, Sage Memorial Hospital, Ganado Lake, intersection of two main highways

Problems — traffic accidents, substance abuse

In one corner, a dwarf with a long gray beard and oversized spectacles tirelessly mixes ingredients, his gnarled hands expertly manipulating the fragile magic. A spellbook, its pages yellowed with age, is opened beside him, providing guidance and ancient wisdom. The dwarf mutters incantations under his breath, the words swirling with power and significance.

Chapter Series

• Whitehorse Lake's future is a tale of two pipelines
• White Cone: Return to the range
• Whippoorwill draws public offices
• Upper Fruitland: Corn, craps and cryptids
• Twin Lakes/Bahastl'ah has hosted summits since prehistoric times
• Tsé Si Ani's glory days are in the past -- or the future
• Tsé Lichii is poised to absorb Gallup's overflow
• Tsélani/Cottonwood went after what it needed and still does
• Tse'ii'ahi on firm footing
• Tse Daa' Kaan has plenty of water but can't use it
• Tsé Al Náoztii struggles with nature, internal conflict
• Tsayatoh a hidden gem in sight of Gallup
• Tsaile/Wheatfields/Blackrock is more than Diné College
• Ts'ah bii Kin: The canyons were Ts'ah bii Kin's lifeblood
• Torreon/Star Lake clings proudly to its Navajo roots
• To' Nanees' Dizi weaves a tangled web, bounces back
• Tonalea Tonalea's fortunes depend on the road
• Tolikan Sweetwater to no water
• Tolani Lake Barren Tolani Lake Chapter is rich in history
• Tohatchi Poised for progress
• To'hajilee The 'Enemy Navajo' of To'hajilee strike up a friendship with Hollywood
• Toadlena/Two Grey Hills Rugs, fish and the tribal council
• Thoreau On the road to hope
• Teesto Home of the Navahopis
• Teec Nos Pos Coming full circle
• Blue Gap/Tachee Closed mines, open minds
• Steamboat Chugging along: Steamboat has always led the way
• Smith Lake Cleaning up its act . But don't fill your jugs in Smith Lake just yet
• Shonto Shonto looks toward a sunny future
• Shiprock Blessed by water and commerce, Shiprock takes wing
• Sheep Springs Sheep Springs is the gateway to everywhere
• Sawmill The once-vibrant community of Sawmill awaits its next opportunity
• San Juan Stranded by its namesake, San Juan Chapter needs a bridge to develop
• St. Michaels St. Michaels is ready to claim its due
• Round Rock A Heritage of Conflict: Round Rock has fought the Spanish, an Indian agent, and now neglect
• Rough Rock Home of the first contract school
• Rock Springs Rock Springs wants to be more than a bedroom for Gallup
• Rock Point The flood-plain community of Rock Point clings fast to culture
• Red Valley The widows of Red Valley pressed for uranium justice
• Red Mesa Red Mesa waits for the tribe, the state the feds -- and charges on
• Red Lake Red Lake struggles to retrieve its former grandeur
• Ramah Wolves, moonshine and Billy the Kid
• Pueblo Pintado Guarding the Great House
• Piñon Piñon starting to tame its wild frontier
• Pinedale The Superfund chapter Pinedale is haunted by its nuclear legacy
• Oljato The recalcitrant beauty Oljato Chapter basks in uninvited glory
• Ojo Encino An eye on the past and the future: Still remote, Ojo Encino has developed quickly
• Oak Springs The two-headed chapter: Oak Springs and Pine Springs are siblings and sometimes rivals
• Newcomb Corralled by cows: Grazing permits, arch sites keep Newcomb from developing
• Nenahzedad Anxiously watching developments at Navajo Mine
• Nazlini To be from Nazlini is to keep your eyes on the lists
• Navajo Mountain A good place to hide
• Naschitti The four-story chapter: Naschitti is digging in for a more settled life
• Nahodishgish The Sociable Chapter: There's no gap in the social structure of Nahodishgish
• Nahata Dziil There are pros and cons to being the New Lands
• Nageezi To develop, Nageezi needs a truce with the Anasazi
• Manuelito From ugly to beautiful . again: Manuelito undergoes a physical and fiscal makeover
• Many Farms Few farms, but good ones
• Mariano Lake Mariano Lake has found creative ways to do things on its own
• Mexican Water The ancient camp of Mexican Water takes off in a bold new direction
• Lukachukai Lukachukai Chapter is blessed indeed
• Low Mountain Low Mountain struggles to regain footing after relocation
• Littlewater Littlewater residents would just as soon forget their chapter's claim to fame
• Leupp Leupp has a history of both progress and paranoia
• LeChee LeChee is taking the plunge toward a (hopefully) brighter future
• Lake Valley Lake Valley is a place with a history, hoping for a future
• Klagetoh Klagetoh is home to the famous, the traditional, and (almost) enough water
• Kin Dah Lichii Kin Dah Lichii chapter is divided by a creek
• Kayenta Kayenta combines beauty with economic muscle
• Kaibeto Kaibeto finds itself suddenly on the beaten track
• Jeddito Jeddito is surrounded by Hopi
• Iyanbito After tough times, little Iyanbito is poised to grow
• Indian Wells Land of giants and eagles
• Huerfano The orphan on the checkerboard
• Houck The Mother Road's stepchild
• Hardrock Hard rocks, tough people
• Greasewood Springs They're Number 1
• Ganado At the crossroads of health and commerce
• Gadii'ahi/To'Koi The invisible chapter
• Fort Defiance Visibly historic
• Forest Lake Home of the fighting grannies
• Dilkon Dancing with drought
• Dennehotso Getting back to green
• Crystal Dodge country
• Crownpoint Split down the middle
• Coyote Canyon Manuelito's legacy
• Cove The Moab of the rez
• Counselor On the fringe of the Rez
• Cornfields Top priorities of infrastructure, creating businesses
• Coppermine What lies beneath
• Coalmine Canyon The relocated chapter
• Church Rock Aspiring to greatness
• Chinle The middle spot
• Chilchinbeto Swept under the rug
• Chichiltah The homeless chapter
• Casamero Lake A whirlwind on the lake
• Cameron Waiting for a fair wind
• Burnham In T'iis Tsoh Sikaad, a sense of humor is imperative
• Bodaway/Gap Almost forgotten
• Black Mesa Rising from the ruins
• Bird Springs Tsidi To'ii boasts oases for the body and the mind
• Beclabito Water underneath, kindness on top
• Becenti The burbs of Crownpoint
• Baca-Prewitt Where it all started
• Baahaali Between Gallup and Zuni, a Navajo chapter slices out an identity
• Aneth Oil and water: Blessed with natural resources, Aneth hasn't fully reaped their benefits
• Alamo The Navajo Nation's stepchild has found creative ways to prosper on its own

Next to him, an array of enchanted objects covers a workbench, glinting with hidden enchantments and mysterious properties. Small figurines carved with intricate details bring miniature scenes to life, while tiny bottled fairies flit and dance, captivating onlookers with their delicate wings and mischievous antics. In the center of the laboratory, a circular table stretches out, covered in a mosaic of ancient symbols. Here, the dwarf gathers with fellow magic practitioners - fairies, leprechauns, and other woodland creatures - to share their latest discoveries and troubleshoot magical conundrums. The atmosphere in the laboratory is one of excitement and awe, as magical experiments take shape and new spells are forged. The enchanted forest outside provides an abundant source of inspiration, with its ethereal creatures and hidden wonders that have yet to be uncovered. Visitors leave the dwarfed magic laboratory with a sense of wonder and a newfound respect for the delicate art of spellcasting. This hidden gem in the heart of the forest reminds them of the ancient traditions and untamed magic that still thrives in the world, waiting to be explored and embraced..

Reviews for "Small Wonders: The Delights of the Dwarfed Magic Laboratory"

1. John - 2/5 - I was really disappointed with the Dwarfed Magic Laboratory. The attractions were limited and not very exciting. The staff seemed disinterested and unenthusiastic about their job. The overall atmosphere was dull and uninspiring. I wouldn't recommend this place to anyone looking for a fun and magical experience.

2. Lisa - 1/5 - I had high hopes for the Dwarfed Magic Laboratory, but it fell short in every aspect. The exhibits were outdated and poorly maintained. The interactive displays were glitchy and barely functioned. The ticket prices were way too high for the underwhelming experience offered. Save your time and money, and look for a better magical attraction elsewhere.

3. Mike - 2/5 - The Dwarfed Magic Laboratory lacked the charm and wonder I was expecting. The setup was confusing, and there were no clear directions on how to navigate through the different sections. The displays appeared cheaply made, and some even had missing or broken parts. The whole experience felt rushed and poorly executed. I regret spending my money on this disappointment.

4. Sarah - 2/5 - I was unimpressed with the Dwarfed Magic Laboratory. The exhibits were repetitive and offered nothing new or exciting. The staff seemed disorganized and struggled to answer basic questions. The layout of the laboratory was confusing, and it was easy to get lost without any clear signs or maps. Overall, it was a lackluster experience that I wouldn't recommend to others.

The Magic of Scale: Discovering the Dwarfed Magic Laboratory