Richardson Trading Post

Gallup’s rich Native American tradition comes from its population of people from the Hopi, Zuni, and Navajo tribes, giving rise to its nickname “the Heart of Indian Country.” Positioned on the edge of the Navajo Nation, as well as along the official Trails of the Ancients Scenic Byway, Gallup is home to dozens of trading posts selling authentic Native American jewelry and artisan crafts. 

One of the most historic trading posts and a must-see stop on a visit to Gallup is Richardson Trading Post (sometimes also written Richardsons or Richardson’s), which has been serving the community since 1913. 

Bill Richardson, who operated the trading post for decades and shares a name with a former New Mexico governor, passed away a few years short of his 100th birthday in 2017. A New York Times article from 2003 noted that he spoke Navajo, despite not having Native ancestry himself. The store is still family-operated to this day. 

Inside, an impressive rug room boasts 1,500 handcrafted Native American rugs for sale; over a thousand leather saddles are also available, as are animal products like buckskins and deerskins. Aisles are stocked full of one-of-a-kind turquoise, coral, and silver jewelry crafted by local artisans and unique pottery from seven different pueblos, tribes, and nations in the area. 

The light-up sign outside Richardson’s is a landmark in its own right, as a perfect encapsulation of the neon style beloved by Route 66 enthusiasts. It reads “RICHARDSON CASH PAWN” and indeed, many of the items inside are not technically for sale but “for pawn”—referring to a historic Navajo trading practice that emerged as members of the Navajo Nation struggled to find banks that would accept them as customers. 

Instead, they would offer goods to local trading posts and receive small cash loans in return. Pawnshops served a dual purpose for the Navajo people: a holding facility for valuable goods as well as a means of accessing credit when money was tight. 

Bill Richardson’s father, the founder of Richardson’s, didn’t turn a profit on his pawn operation, instead allowing the Navajo people to use his establishment as a reliable banking system. 

Today, Richardson’s is an iconic establishment for those who pass through Gallup as well as for local residents, dedicated to selling authentic handmade goods from New Mexico’s Native communities.