Name: The Phoenix Area's Parks and Preserves
Brand: Donna Hartz
SKU: 9780738548869
Price: 18.74 USD
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The Phoenix Area's Parks and Preserves

9780738548869

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Metropolitan Phoenix is one of the country's fastest growing areas, contains the nation's fifth largest city, adds more than 100,000 residents each year, and rapidly consumes the surrounding desert. However, it is not losing all of its open space. One can stand anywhere in the Valley of the Sun and look toward the horizon--in just about any direction the glories of nearly 100 years of preservation efforts are visible. All told, over 300 square miles of the most beautiful desert and mountain scenery are preserved or targeted for preservation in the Phoenix area. This book celebrates the beauty of these special places, and the foresight, determination, and efforts required to preserve this critical link to the great outdoors. Using more than a century's worth of historical photographs, it tells the stories of the acquisition and development of seven of the Phoenix area's most important parks and preserves.

Casa Grande

9780738579535

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Casa Grande, Arizona, is located on desert and farmland between Tucson and Phoenix and began as the end of an unfinished railroad line--thus its early name, Terminus. On May 19, 1879, when early summer heat halted construction of the railroad in what would soon become Casa Grande, only three buildings and five residents constituted the town. The names reflect the ethnic diversity of the sparse population: Buckalew, Ochoa, Smith, Watzlavocki, and Fryer. In September 1880, executives of the Southern Pacific Railroad Company named the town Casa Grande after the prehistoric Hohokam Indian ruins located 20 miles to the east. This volume illustrates how a desert railroad stop grew into a city. Today, as Casa Grande's population increases, new neighborhoods, schools, malls, and entertainment venues provide exciting new reasons for living here. However, as the population grows, the town struggles to retain its identity as an agricultural community.

Prescott

9780738548586

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In 1864, the beautiful park-like basin under Thumb Butte was surveyed, and the town that is now Prescott was laid out along Granite Creek where gold had been panned. Twice designated the capital of the newly established Territory of Arizona, Prescott suffered a devastating fire in July 1900 that destroyed the downtown district, but the blaze afforded the town's resilient citizens the opportunity to rebuild in more durable brick and stone. Since then, the mining and ranching opportunities, the cowboy-and-Indian lore, the commercial ventures, the salubrious climate, and the picturesque landscape have characterized Prescott as one of the most desirable and livable communities in the country. The city's dedication to preserving its unique heritage has resulted in more than 600 buildings being placed on the National Register of Historic Places, and the 1864 Governor's Mansion has been beautifully preserved as part of the Sharlot Hall Museum, which opened in 1927.

Grand Canyon National Park

9780738578569

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Arizona is proud to have one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World--the Grand Canyon. With the arrival of the Santa Fe and Union Pacific Railroad in the early 20th century, the development of the canyon began in earnest. The railroads, along with the Santa Fe's business partner, the Fred Harvey Company, greatly promoted the Grand Canyon as a tourist destination through books, pamphlets, and magazine advertisements. On February 26, 1919, Congress established the Grand Canyon National Park, and the federal government became a promoter of the Grand Canyon, too. But perhaps the best promoters of the Grand Canyon were the people who wrote home on picture postcards telling their friends and families about the amazing canyon. A number of the postcards published about the park can be found within the pages of this book.

Phoenix Zoo

9781467128346

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In the late 1950s, philanthropist Robert Maytag, the grandson of the Maytag Company founder, had a dream that the growing city of Phoenix needed a world-class zoo. Under Maytag's formidable vision and leadership, the dream became a reality in 1962. Now the Phoenix Zoo is one of the biggest privately owned, nonprofit zoos in the United States and one of the most visited places in Arizona. The zoo maintains a year-round staff of over 300 employees and covers 125 acres housing 3,000 animals, including 30 threatened or endangered species. Without much room to expand, the zoo utilizes its current space to rebuild and renovate. Since opening, the Phoenix Zoo has welcomed more than 43 million visitors through its gates, fulfilling its mission of providing experiences that inspire and motivate people to care for the natural world.

Lake Havasu City

9780738530123

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Founded in 1964 as a planned community, Lake Havasu City is nestled amid craggy desert peaks on the Colorado River in western Arizona. Perhaps best known as the American home of the famous London Bridge--moved to town, piece by piece, in 1971 and painstakingly reconstructed--Lake Havasu City was first home to natives of the Mohave and Chemehuevi tribes. Steamboats plying the waters of the Colorado, mining interests in the region, and the construction of Parker Dam, which resulted in the 45-mile-long Lake Havasu, all played important roles in the development of this unique community. Today, the city's more than 50,000 residents and 2.5 million annual visitors enjoy myriad recreational opportunities in this desert oasis,
as well as a historical legacy unlike any other.

Pinetop-Lakeside

9781467132169

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In 1984, the White Mountain communities of Pinetop and Lakeside in east-central Arizona undertook a "marriage of convenience" and incorporated. Historically, they could not be more different. Like rival sisters, one was pious and churchgoing while the other was wayward and fun loving. But in the best of American traditions, they formed a town government to provide services for their combined residents. Pinetop-Lakeside's history is as rough-and-tumble as that of any Western town. Settlement began with the establishment of Fort Apache in 1871. The cavalry post provided employment for freighters and skilled laborers, as well as a market for beef, hay, and grain. The 1880s brought colonists from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. They built the dams and lakes that in the next century would become the basis for an economy based on outdoor recreational tourism. Today, Pinetop-Lakeside is a thriving community of approximately 4,500 residents. One thing that hasn't changed since the time of the pioneers is the natural beauty that defines life on the mountain.

The Tohono O'odham and Pimeria Alta

9780738556338

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The Tohono O'odham have lived in southern Arizona's Sonoran Desert for millennia. Formerly known as the Papago, the people, acting as a nation in 1986, voted to change the colonial applied name, Papago, to their true name, Tohono O'odham, a name literally meaning "desert people." Living within a region the Spanish termed Pimeria Alta, the Tohono O'odham, from the time of Spanish Jesuit Kino's first missionary efforts in the late 1680s, have been witness to numerous governmental, philosophical, and religious intrusions. Yet throughout, they have adapted and survived. Today the Tohono O'odham Nation occupies the second largest land reserve in the United States, covering more than 2.8 million acres. The images in this volume date largely between 1870 and 1950, a period that documents great change in Tohono O'odham traditions, culture, and identity.

Oro Valley

9780738548340

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Located on ancient land between the Tortolita and Santa Catalina Mountains north of Tucson, the town of Oro Valley is very much a newcomer, having officially incorporated in 1974. But its earliest families date back to 1100, when the Hohokam established villages in the area. In the 1800s, hardy pioneers used the abundant waters of the nearby Cañada del Oro to establish cattle ranches, while the early 1900s brought health seekers to ranch or establish other business endeavors. In the 20th century, the Cañada del Oro dried up, forcing many residents to move. But others remained and fought to keep their community from being absorbed by a booming Tucson. They were successful, and today the growing Oro Valley boasts a fascinating history, thriving technology sector, emerging arts scene, and all the comforts of modern living.

Oracle and the San Pedro River Valley

9780738556390

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A green haven along a desert highway, Oracle is one of the very few Arizona communities nestled under a canopy of live oaks. With an interspersion of huge granite boulders and towering granite dells, this area has serenity that is unique. Oracle began as a preferred environment for recuperating tuberculosis patients and a winter retreat for wealthy city folk. In true Teddy Roosevelt fashion, both patients and visitors slept in tents or on the porches believing the fresh air would bring good health. Eventually mining and ranching became the base not only for Oracle, but also for Redington and Mammoth. The peak in mining was Magma Copper's huge San Manuel Mine, which opened in 1953 and produced copper for 50 years. Today the mine lays a silent mark on the landscape, the huge smelter carted away for scrap, and the twin smoke stacks lie in the dust.

Goodyear

9780738571171

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In 1916, Paul W. Litchfield, vice president of The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company, purchased 16,000 acres west of Phoenix to grow long staple cotton for use in the pneumatic tires the company manufactured. With this, the Southwest Cotton Company was formed. This huge undertaking required drilling wells and building power lines, roads, canals, and, of course, housing for workers. The war years brought Goodyear Aircraft, built by the U.S. Department of Defense on land leased from Southwest Cotton Company, and Litchfield Naval Air Facility. With the arrival of Goodyear Aircraft and the navy base, homes, apartments, and basic retail services sprang up. The town of Goodyear was incorporated on November 19, 1946, with a population of 1,250. Named an All-America City in 2008, Goodyear is now a thriving community of 58,000 residents and the spring training home of Major League Baseball's Cleveland Indians and Cincinnati Reds.

Northern Arizona Space Training

9781467126137

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During the 1960s and early 1970s, northern Arizona played a critical role in fulfilling President Kennedy's bold challenge of sending humans to the moon. From the rocky depths of the Grand Canyon to lofty cosmic views from Flagstaff's dark skies, northern Arizona was ideal for activities ranging from moon buggy testing and geology training to lunar mapping and mission simulation. Every astronaut who walked on the moon, from Neil Armstrong to Gene Cernan, prepared for his journey in northern Arizona, and all used maps created by Flagstaff artists to navigate their way around the lunar surface. This book captures the spirit of these pioneers with stunning images from NASA, the US Geological Survey, and others.

Cover image for Northern Arizona Space Training, isbn: 9781467126137

Peoria

9780738571102

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The city of Peoria, Arizona, located 14 miles northwest of Phoenix, was founded in 1886 near the eastern bank of New River by settlers from Peoria, Illinois. The pioneers used the Arizona Canal to irrigate the surrounding dry desert, turning the town into a farming community. Peoria became a stop along the Santa Fe, Prescott, and Phoenix Railroad in 1895 and boasted its own train station and landmark water tower. A small commercial section developed nearby. Peoria was the last, full-service stop on the way out of the Salt River Valley along U.S. Highway 60 (Grand Avenue) before Wickenburg, 40 miles to the northwest. The town began to take shape as a suburb of Phoenix in the latter half of the 20th century, growing from 600 people in 1920 to over 151,000 in 2007. The city continues to expand by population and land annexation. It now includes the popular recreation area Lake Pleasant and extends into a small portion of Yavapai County.

Vanishing Phoenix

9780738578811

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Lord Darrell Duppa, along with his friend Jack Swilling, suggested the name "Phoenix" for the city he had cofounded because it described a city born from the ruins of a former civilization. Settled on the ancestral lands of the Hohokam Indians, Phoenix was thriving by the early 1920s when craftsmanship and attention to detail were the orders of the day. Buildings were designed to welcome residents and travelers alike. Today the Fox Theater, the Clark Churchill House, the Kon Tiki Hotel, and the Fleming Building exist only in photographs and in the memories of Phoenix residents. The National Register of Historic Places and the Phoenix Historic Property Register have heightened public awareness and appreciation for the community's historic landmarks, but much has been lost already. Remembering these buildings and landmarks is essential to understanding this remarkable city.

Globe

9780738548333

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According to Arizona folklore, "Globe City" was named for an extremely large globe-shaped silver nugget found along Pinal Creek in the 1870s. The town site, nestled in the foothills of the Pinal Mountains, was laid out in 1876, and miners and prospectors soon flooded the camp, joining ranchers already in the area. In 1881, Globe was named the county seat of Gila County, allowing for the continued growth and development of mining, ranching, and commerce. Many Arizonans who helped shepherd the Territory of Arizona into statehood came from Globe, including the state's first governor, businessmen George W. P. Hunt. Today Globe is a thriving community of 7,500 residents who take pride in their town's unique historic legacy.

Apache Trail

9780738558622

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Pres. Theodore Roosevelt once referred to the Apache Trail as "one of the most spectacular best-worth-seeing sights of the world." The once narrow, ancient foot trail built as a supply road for the construction of Roosevelt Dam has now evolved into a state highway with majestic scenic vistas and historical grandeur. Even in the 1920s, the Southern Pacific Railroad touted this road as a "must-see side trip." Each year, thousands of people venture along the trail to take a step back in time and relish the breathtaking experience of this fabulous journey. The Fish Creek Hill section remains much as it was back in the early 1900s, a narrow one-vehicle passage on an extremely steep incline that drops 900 feet within a mile along the edge of a steep cliff. Although several miles of the road are now paved, dirt portions remain that allow tourists a sense of perilous adventure.

Prescott

9780738579061

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Prescott was founded in 1864 as the territorial capital of Arizona. In 1900, the business center burned to the ground, but the courthouse in the town square was saved, and the burned-out area's former wooden buildings were replaced by brick structures. Because the closest interstate highway is more than 30 miles away, much of Prescott's history and sense of community have been preserved, and historical districts abound. The local chamber of commerce refers to Prescott as "Everybody's Hometown." It is also known as the "Christmas City of Arizona" and holds an annual Christmas parade, with appropriate courthouse lighting.

Grand Canyon Pioneer Cemetery

9781467132237

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One of the most historically significant places at the Grand Canyon, yet one of the least known, is the Grand Canyon Pioneer Cemetery. Very few national parks have an active burial ground, but the pioneers who rest here represent all walks of life throughout the canyon's history. Pioneer Cemetery is the final resting place for miners, businessmen, park superintendents, rangers, mule wranglers, and even some local characters. Legendary residents of the Grand Canyon, including John Hance, Pete Berry, Ralph Cameron, William Wallace Bass, and the Kolb brothers are also buried onsite, secluded in a beautiful grove of pine trees. It is an area of the Grand Canyon that is seldom written about or discussed.

Bullhead City

9781467132466

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Bullhead City, situated on the east bank of the Colorado River in the Mojave Desert, is built upon the historical site of Hardyville, founded in 1864 by William H. Hardy. Hardyville was a frontier outpost that flourished for 19 years with a ferry service, trading post, and toll road that extended east to Prescott, Arizona. Gold and silver had been discovered in the mid-1800s, and commerce was thriving as steamboats transporting freight and passengers plied the river. By the 1920s, a series of dams was planned to harness the power of the Colorado River, but work on Davis Dam wasn't started until 1942 and was then delayed until after World War II. Bullhead City evolved after Davis Dam was completed in 1953. Many of the workers who built the dam stayed on, and in the 1960s, land developers promoting the river as a recreational destination made Bullhead a boomtown. Bullhead City was incorporated in 1984.

Paradise Valley Architecture

9780738596594

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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 Valley Racquet Club and the Mountain Shadows Resort. With the threat of Phoenix or Scottsdale annexing the area, the citizens started debating incorporation in 1949 and were successful in 1961. Churches, schools, town facilities, and single-family homes followed. Numerous town ordinances were adopted to preserve a quiet, desert lifestyle such as burying all utilities, restrictive zoning, and hillside preservation.

Prescott Fire Department

9781467131780

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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 survived the great fire of July 14, 1900, as well as the loss of 19 of its own Granite Mountain Hotshots on June 30, 2013. The Prescott Fire Department would go from a volunteer department to a fully paid department of 80 firefighters, operating out of five stations and covering an area of 40 square miles.

Pinnacle Peak

9780738579849

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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 Desert, the manicured golf courses, and the unique wildlife. Few people realize that the surrounding landscape covers the forgotten footprints of prehistoric hunter-gatherers, Hohokam, Yavapai, the US Cavalry miners, homesteaders, ranchers, developers, and colorful characters of the past. Spanning 150 acres, Pinnacle Peak Park has become one of the most popular attractions in the Phoenix metropolitan area, and its scenic beauty is enjoyed by people from all over the world.

Cave Creek and Carefree

9781467130394

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The towns of Cave Creek and Carefree are nestled in the lush foothills of the Sonoran Desert 35 miles north of Phoenix. Theprehistoric Hohokam first inhabited the area, settling along Cave Creek and elsewhere above the washes. The settlement of Cave Creek dates to the 1870s and has a rich history of mining, ranching, and homesteading. Early settlers persevered in this beautiful but rugged environment, isolated from the conveniences of urban life. Carefree, in contrast, was a master-planned town built in the late 1950s, providing modern amenities and infrastructure. Both towns offer a dramatic landscape and profuse desert plant life. Visitors are drawn to the area for the abundant recreational activities, community festivals, and art fairs as well as a unique blend of Western and contemporary cultures. The two towns are committed to protecting the desert environment and the welcoming, small-town atmosphere that is their historical legacy.

Tombstone

9780738579337

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In the 1800s, Tombstone was a rowdy silver-mining camp and the scene of a famous gunfight that enhanced its wicked reputation. When the rich silver mines were tapped out, Tombstone managed to survive and lived up to its motto, "The Town Too Tough to Die." The movie industry enhanced this wild reputation by portraying legendary gunfights at the O.K. Corral--which never actually took place at that location. For many years, the town has used its history to attract visitors by giving them a sense of life in the Old West. This volume includes many of the postcards tourists mailed home depicting romanticized and legendary views of Tombstone.

Midtown Phoenix

9781467115551

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At the turn of the 20th century, downtown Phoenix was the center of commerce and government of the young city. North of downtown, the homes of business and civic leaders, along with farms and ranches, lined Central Avenue, informally known as "Millionaires' Row." As the city grew, houses and agricultural operations eventually yielded to subdivisions, commercial buildings, and high-rises. While midtown Phoenix changed dramatically over the years, it has retained much of its historic character and is continuously evolving to meet the needs of the community.

Pearce and Sunsites

9780738584737

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Discovery of gold in 1895 brought fortune seekers to the Sulphur Springs Valley, once the stomping ground of Cochise and Geronimo. A lawman turned train robber, an Arizona Ranger murdered by his wife, and a famous artist were just a few of the people who settled in Pearce. The Commonwealth Mine provided resources for a flourishing community until the Depression and the mine's decline. In the early 1960s, the Horizon Corporation began marketing Valley land as a utopian retirement destination for the World War II generation. Bit by bit, Sunsites sprang up just 2 miles from sparsely populated Pearce. Today the residents of Pearce and Sunsites share amenities, a quiet lifestyle, and views of the spectacular Chiricahua and Dragoon mountain ranges.

Glendale

9780738578958

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More than a century ago, the building of a canal allowed a barren and dry area to flourish. Soon settlers were drawn to the canal, and they created a thriving community. From those early beginnings, Glendale has become one of the fastest growing cities in the country.

Chandler

9780738585215

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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. Once the town was established in 1912, Dr. Chandler relied on industrial agriculture and the new, lavish San Marcos Hotel to attract new residents. Later, Dr. Chandler brought Frank Lloyd Wright to redesign downtown and build a new hotel. During World War II, several families and businesses came to the area because of the new Williams Air Force Base. Following the war, high-tech businesses and bioscience firms created a new economy in Chandler, which led to a modern patchwork of people who represent Chandler today.

Around Miami

9780738585123

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During the late 1800s, prospectors in search of gold, silver, and copper began to settle around the Pinal Mountains area in Miami. By 1918, several mining companies had established roots and contributed to the town's booming growth. The community established housing, schools, a hospital, and a town government, and the population grew to 5,000. Soon, Miami achieved recognition as one of the main mining towns in the state, along with neighboring Globe, Jerome, Morenci, Superior, Ajo, and Ray-Sonora. The new mining opportunities brought immigrants from around the world to settle in the area and eventually turned Arizona into a leading contributor to the copper industry. Although mining's hold on the local economy has changed over the years, today at least 20 percent of Miami-area employment is centered around copper mining, which remains close to the heart of the first hardy miners' descendants.

Petrified Forest National Park

9781467104906

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Petrified Forest National Park in Northeast Arizona was set aside in 1906 by Pres. Theodore Roosevelt to protect the scientifically important Mesozoic forests. With a boundary encompassing 225,000 acres, the park protects not only the largest and most colorful deposits of petrified wood in the world but also significant archeological and ecological resources and other important fossils, like the oldest dinosaurs in North America. The park has been a crossroads for travelers and a destination for scientists, including Albert Einstein and John Muir. As a work site of the Civilian Conservation Corps, the only national park crossed by the famous Route 66, and a centerpiece of the National Park Service's Mission 66 initiative, Petrified Forest National Park has a history that rivals that of more familiar national parks.

Arizona State Museum

9781467131629

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In 1893, nineteen years before statehood, the first anthropology museum in the Arizona Territory was created on the campus of the fledgling University of Arizona. Located in the small desert city of Tucson and originally occupying a single room, what was first called the Arizona Territorial Museum had one part-time curator and has steadily grown over the last 120 years. Dedicated to the archaeology, history, culture, and arts of the peoples of Arizona and the Southwest, the Arizona State Museum is the oldest and largest anthropology museum in the region. It cares for the world's largest collections of Southwestern Native American pottery, basketry, textiles, and fiber arts, all of which have been designated American Treasures. Its exceptional artifactual, biological, and documentary collections, maintained by an accomplished staff and faculty, keep its programs at the forefront of scholarly investigations while providing public outreach to Arizona's multicultural communities and visitors from around the world.

Greeks in Phoenix

9780738556345

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The Greek community in Phoenix began in 1907, when the Sanichas brothers, Charles and Chris, arrived in the city to establish the Sanichas Confectionery Store. By 1912, the year of Arizona's statehood, the community had grown to nine families, including the Georgouses family of five brothers. In 1930, ground was broken for the construction of the Hellenic Community House, where religious services were held until l947, when the Hellenic Orthodox Church was built. Today the legacy of the area's Greek pioneers lives on through the Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Cathedral, which has established a research archive and museum to preserve and celebrate the Greek history of Phoenix.

Tempe

9780738579269

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Charles Trumbull Hayden built the first canal on the south side of the Salt River in 1870. Soon after, he built a store, a flour mill, and a cable ferry across the river, and he started a town. Since then, Tempe has changed from a small farming community to a lively urban center. Moreover, Tempe's residential growth has made it the seventh-largest town in Arizona.

Legendary Locals of Tempe

9781467102285

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Tempe started collaboratively, and its innovative citizens continue to work together, creatively solving problems and capitalizing on opportunities in the landlocked 40 square miles surrounded by Phoenix, Scottsdale, Mesa, Chandler, and Guadalupe. The vision began with freighter Charles Trumbull Hayden, who worked with Mexican settlers to optimize the productivity of the valley south of the Salt River with his ferry, canal building, and milling activities in 1870, and continued with the 1885 founding of the Territorial Normal School, now Arizona State University. Subsequently, Tempe has remained successful due to both individual innovations, like creating Big Surf, the first man-made wave pool in the United States, and city-led initiatives like the development of Tempe Town Lake, which reinvigorated the shore line of a river bottom frequently left dry since the implementation of a dam system.

Prescott Valley

9780738570709

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When gold was discovered along Lynx Creek in 1863, the area that would later become Prescott Valley began to attract attention from the outside world. Miners came and so did the military, which established Fort Whipple in nearby Prescott but made use of Glassford Hill as part of a communication system. By the early 1900s, homesteaders, merchants, freighters, and ranchers had also arrived. As the 20th century progressed, what had been a peaceful stretch of grazing land known as Lonesome Valley gave way to a budding town finally incorporated in 1978 with 1,520 citizens. On the land where a volcano erupted long ago, mammoths once roamed, prehistoric people hunted, miners sought their fortunes, and ranchers herded cattle, Prescott Valley is today a thriving--and rapidly growing--town of more than 35,000 residents that has retained much of its small-town character and charm.