Catalog Search Results
141) Early Bisbee
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Before Bisbee became a bustling mining camp, it was a haven to Native Americans for centuries. However, their presence brought the intrusion of army scouts and prospectors into the Mule Mountains. The coincidental discovery of vast mineral wealth at the future site of Bisbee permanently affixed the fate of the land forever. Rising from the remote desert was a dynamic mining city, a city that grew into one of the most influential communities in the...
142) Pinnacle Peak
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Pinnacle Peak is north Scottsdale's most prominent landmark, rising out of the desert floor to an elevation of 3,170 feet. For years, Pinnacle Peak was Scottsdale's "secret" destination for hiking, rock climbing, and horseback riding. In 1985, with urban sprawl surging northward, Scottsdale's city council acted to preserve Pinnacle Peak as a municipal park. Pinnacle Peak visitors are impressed by the sweeping vistas, the rugged beauty of the Sonoran...
143) Chandler
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Chandler is located 20 miles southeast of Phoenix and has been the home of innovative, forward-thinking people for many decades. As Phoenix began to grow in the late 19th century, a young veterinarian decided to aquire several acres of the surrounding land. Dr. Alexander J. Chandler took a few business gambles with his new acquisition, and the 18,000 acres known then as Chandler Ranch were soon split into lots and sold as the new town of Chandler....
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In 1956, a fresh-faced Sanford Clark recorded 'The Fool' with guitarist Al Casey at Floyd Ramsey's small Phoenix recording studio. Written by local deejay Lee Hazlewood, the song became a top-ten Billboard hit nationwide and launched a new trailblazing era of Arizona music. Their success paved the way for other Phoenix acts and producers to chart national hits. Grammy-winning audio engineer Jack Miller started out in Ramsey's studio, and Hazlewood...
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Nestled in the Arizona mountains are several small, unassuming towns that belie the importance of their heyday. These towns are all intrinsic to each other for one reason: mining. The nearby ranches were established to feed the miners, and in many cases, residents moved back and forth among them depending on which mines were prosperous or closed. Some no longer exist, evidenced now by rock walls or other harder-to-find clues. Some have turned into...
146) Empire Ranch
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The Empire Ranch sits in the heart of the rolling grasslands and oak-studded foothills of Las Cienegas National Conservation Area in southeastern Arizona. Its remarkable history and the ranching way of life are told through the stories of the men, women, and children of the Empire, most notably the Vail, Boice, and Donaldson families. Walter L. Vail and Herbert R. Hislop purchased the Empire Ranch homestead for $2,000 in 1876. The Vail family operated...
147) Sunnyslope
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Founded in 1911 by William R. Norton, Sunnyslope is older than the State of Arizona. By 1919, the desert settlement had only four or five cottages and no roads, no electricity, and no running water. That soon changed as those recovering from tuberculosis sought the relief of Sunnyslope's dry climate. In 1927, the Desert Mission was established, with its nurses dubbed the "Angels of the Desert." This would eventually become the modern, multistory John...
148) Wickenburg
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Once known as the "Dude Ranch Capital of the World," Wickenburg, Arizona, has had many lives since its founding during the Civil War years. When German immigrant Henry Wickenburg discovered the Vulture Gold Mine in the fall of 1863 and put down roots as a miner and farmer, he also set down the beginnings of the city that would be named in his honor. Early residents and visitors included miners, ranchers, gunslingers, newspaper editors, and saloon...
149) Cottonwood
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In the last quarter of the 19th century, a circle of 16 tall Cottonwood trees stood in the wash that extended to the Verde River just north of where the old jail building now stands. Cattlemen and ranchers from Oak Creek and the mountains made their overnight stops under these trees and the location became known as "The Cottonwoods." The lush riparian area attracted hardy settlers, and Fort Verde's military camp and the copper mines of Jerome provided...
150) Downtown Phoenix
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On a bed of a primordial ocean floor and in a valley surrounded by jagged mountains, a city was founded atop the ruins of a vanished civilization. In 1867, former Confederate soldier Jack Swilling saw the remains of an ancient canal system and the potential for the area to blossom into a thriving agricultural center. Pioneers moved into the settlement searching for new opportunities, and on October 20, 1870, residents living in adobe structures that...
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For more than 140 years, the Hash Knife brand has intrigued Western history lovers. From its rough-and-ready-sounding name to its travels throughout Texas, Montana, and Arizona, the Hash Knife sports a romance like few others in the cattle industry. Several outfits have been proud to call the brand their own, and the stories behind the men who worked for these companies are the epitome of Western lore and truth combined. Beginning in 1884, the Hash...
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Three surveyors in the late 19th century were so attracted to the area's desert beauty that they named it "the Paradise Valley." Starting in the 1920s, adobe homes were constructed in various revival styles. In 1936, the Camelback Inn resort set a high-quality standard with an inviting and relaxed character. Other guest lodges arrived, including the Hermosa Inn and the El Chorro Lodge. The 1950s brought more luxurious resorts, including the Paradise...
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Coronado scorned this region as unpopulated when he labored through southeastern Arizona in 1540, but he could have found 12,000-year-old spear points in the remains of giant bison near Cave Creek Cienega, grinding hollows in boulders, and shamanic figures in high caves of the Chiricahuas towering above valleys and grasslands. Searing drought forced people to abandon their villages by 1400, but Apaches wandered down from Canada about the time Spaniards...
154) Clarkdale
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Clarkdale is recognized as a "Place of History" in the National Register of Historic Places, possessing both historical and architectural significance. Clarkdale's story began eons ago with the creation of its natural environment. The first people came thousands of years ago to this lush land, followed by subsequent cultures that made use of the abundant water, rich soil, and moderate climate. In the early 20th century, mining magnate William Clark...
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Yavapai County, Arizona, is regarded as the most historically significant area within the state. After Arizona was proclaimed an American territory by Pres. Abraham Lincoln in 1863, it was here that the first territorial government was established. Yavapai County history and culture is reflected in its simple but deeply reverent burial grounds where many of Arizona's early pioneers are buried. The county has many cemeteries, and this book focuses...
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Founded in 1885, the Prescott Fire Department began with four 25-man volunteer companies, the Dudes, the Toughs, the Mechanics Hook & Ladders, and the O.K.s. These 100 men reflected both the common man and the leaders of the region. Over the years, their numbers would include governors-to-be F.A. Tritle and Thomas Campbell, business leaders H.D. Aitken and A.A. "Tony" Johns, and numerous members of the Goldwater family. The department and its community...
157) Meteor crater
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"There have been numerous books and periodicals written about Meteor Crater, the meteorites, and the crater s scientific value, but this book, with supporting images, is more about people. The story covers some history of the crater s founding and the many people who have been, and presently are, associated with the custody and maintenance of the site, preserving it for future scientific study and generations of visitors. These people include geologists,...
158) Litchfield Park
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In 1908, William Kriegbaum, a California citrus grower, arrived as the first settler in what was to become Litchfield Park. He, along with other settlers from California, owned the land until 1916, when Paul Litchfield of Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company came to the area and purchased 16,000 acres to plant cotton for tires. In 1918, the townsite was planned with tree-lined streets and buildings to include an “organizational house” for Goodyear...
159) Haunted Prescott
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When Arizona was created as a U.S. territory in 1864, Prescott became its first capital. Accompanying the city's rich history is an equally dramatic heritage of supernatural manifestations. Visitors report a strange chill in the Palace Restaurant and taps on the shoulder at the Smoki Museum. Lingering spirits crowd famed hotels like the Vendome and the Hassayampa Inn, as well as theaters such as the Elks Opera House and Prescott Center for the Arts....
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Arizona's baseball roots run long and deep, but the star of the show is the Cactus League. The state's spring training history is filled with social, political, and cultural intrigue, not to mention a roster of baseball greats. Early on, fans watched Joe DiMaggio, Ted Williams, Willie Mays, and the American League's first black player, Larry Doby. Beyond the field, baseball became part of the state's social fabric, as players and fans alike flocked...
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