After more than half a century, Stagecoach Days may be on its last wheel

Stagecoach Days, started in 1958, has served as a point of pride and time of celebration for the community and its history.

But the celebration’s prominence has faded.

What used to be a weekend full of Wild West-inspired events harkening back to Maricopa’s history, has morphed into a two-week collection of minor events.

The city took over the event once it incorporated in 2003, and eventually merged it with Founders’ Day, which commemorated Maricopa’s incorporation.

This will be the first year the Stagecoach and Founders’ Day event will spread out over two weeks.

“The event was changed from being in the spring to fall a few years back and was merged with Founders’ Day in 2009,” said Brent Murphree, president of the Maricopa Historical Society.

“We decided it wasn’t cost-effective with the amount of money we spent and the number of people who attended,” said the city’s special events and marketing manager, Niesha Whitman.
Whitman said the city decided to use its funds for a new “Merrycopa” holiday event for families in December.

Stage Coach Days began exactly 100 years after the establishment of the Butterfield Overland Express and Mail Company, which transported U.S. mail and passengers from St. Louis to San Francisco.

“This was the spur that fed Phoenix,” Murphree said

“The railway that ran through Maricopa was lifeblood for the Valley at large.”

Maricopa, or Maricopa Wells as it was known then, was the location of the Butterfield Stage Stop, where late 19th century travelers could expect dusty trails and open land.

“Maricopa wasn’t always a bedroom community. It had a vital impact to the area and the economy of the state in the early statehood days,” said Murphree, a Maricopa resident since 1968.

Stagecoach Days raised money for the Rotary Pool.

“It has traditionally been a very community-oriented event with lots of community input and was always used to benefit activities for kids at the pool,” Murphree said.

Stagecoach Days was a time for the whole town and surrounding area to come together for a weekend and participate in activities such as a barn dance, silent auction, boot races, greased pig and beard growing contests.

“Men would grow beards from the first of the year until March or April when Stagecoach Days was held,” Murphree said. “The barn dance would always be held on a Saturday night, and then the rest of the activities would be held on Sunday afternoon in the location where the Post Office currently is.”

“We used to bring the big rodeo here and contracted a small circus to entertain the towns people as well,” longtime Maricopa resident and Maricopa Historical Society member Barbara Brady said. “It was a highlight for our city.”