The workers were building the dam by hand and needed a place to hold supplies. In 1903 the Apache Trail was developed- a 40+ mile long dirt round that twists and turns through the Superstition Mountains, connecting to where the Roosevelt Dam was being built. Thus, he came up with the name of Tortilla Flat! One pioneer by the name of John Cline was said to have camped at the site while traveling through.Īs the story goes, Cline and his fellow men had nothing left but flour with them one night, so they made tortillas. used it as a campsite since the terrain was flat and had fresh water supply and grass for the horses. The trail they created was known as the Yavapai, or Tonto Trail, and is said to have been a difficult one to traverse.Įventually the Natives, along with prospectors, cattle ranchers, etc. Before its official establishment, the area is said to have been used by the early Natives traveling between the central Arizona mountains and Salt River Valley. That process will begin after Lara's closes and should take about three months.The history of this resilient Western town is quite remarkable. 'But we became good friends, and we decided that it would be a great opportunity.'Įdgar Sandoval said the new owners will embark on a thorough remodel of the Lara's building, widening windows, expanding the bar and reworking the theme inside. 'We weren't planning on anything in Oshkosh,' Edgar Sandoval said. She hadn't been considering selling the restaurant, but after a meeting, she decided retirement could be a good option. It was Antonio Sandoval who first approached Thimke about the prospect of selling the business. RELATED: Streetwise: Affordable Audiology gets new owner RELATED: Streetwise: Developer eyes Kmart site on Koeller from Tortilla Flats owner Ada Thimke and is planning to remodel the restaurant in a new theme, Sandoval's son Edgar said. But another ethnic eatery is poised to take its place.Īntonio Sandoval, who owns El Jaripeo in Appleton, Little Chute and Greenville, purchased the business at 715 N. OSHKOSH – One of the first Mexican restaurants in the Fox Valley, Lara's Tortilla Flats will close after 42 years at the end of March.

Tortilla flats restaurant