The last years of Lorenzo and Olive Oatman
EDITOR’S NOTE: This is the last in a series of articles dealing with the Massacre of the Oatman family in 1851 and those who...
Street names a road to city’s history
People are moving to Maricopa every day. But do the newcomers — or the old timers, for that matter — give any thought to the...
How Mike Ingram brought together building blocks of Maricopa (VIDEO)
Mike Ingram is not crazy or stupid.
That may be obvious to observers now, but 25 years ago, many of Arizona’s most knowledgeable movers and...
Shirley Ann Hartman rode into town and, with hubby ‘McD,’ built a legacy
Beauty. Grace. Hard charging. There is a wistful congruency between the horses Shirley Ann Hartman loves and Shirley Ann Hartman.
Philip “McD” Hartman likely didn’t...
Life with the cotton, the cattle and The Duke (VIDEO)
Alice Kulbeth Johnson-McKinney first traveled from Arkansas to Arizona in 1955 at age 15.
“My dad had a heart condition, and the doctor said, ‘If...
John Wayne Parkway draws scrutiny for namesake’s old comments
After a group in Orange County, California, started a movement to remove John Wayne’s name from the airport in Santa Ana, the chatter began...
The rise and fall – and rise again – of Maricopa
Maricopa’s growth since incorporation in 2003 may be perceived by some as an overnight success.
When you drive up and down John Wayne Parkway, businesses...
John Wayne at 110: Man meets myth in Maricopa
Before Maricopa was a city, it was a tiny town in the Wild West. In fact, its history spans nearly 150 years prior to...
Smith son follows in dad’s footprints for UofA Award
Maricopa farming pioneer John Smith and his son Mark are familiar with cultivating growth in their agricultural communities.
John farmed cotton and other crops here...
Signs of life at ‘ghost subdivision’
Maricopa’s “ghost subdivision” is coming back to life. Dormant for a decade, the Santa Rosa Crossing development with a long history and no homes...
Curtis: Battle of Pima Butte made history
Like most Maricopa residents, I have driven past Pima Butte (“M” mountain) many, many times. But only recently did I learn that a significant event...
Historical Zephyr passenger car to debut as museum in just weeks
The majestic, silver car with domed roof evokes memories of the glory days of luxury train service — the 1940s, ’50s and ’60s —...
Man and volcano: Retired Forest Service worker shares Mount St. Helens story
It was 43 years ago — May 18, 1980 — when Reed Gardner was working at the federal building in downtown Las Vegas. He...
Wild horses still run in desert near Maricopa
By Michael K. Rich
Cell phones, laptops, the Internet…the world is transforming into a place in which everyone is connected one way or another through...
‘Big Boy’ historic locomotive to pass through Maricopa
Union Pacific’s historic Big Boy steam locomotive No. 4014 is touring the Union Pacific system throughout 2019 to commemorate the transcontinental railroad's 150th anniversary.Tips from...
Flash to the past: When grocery shopping wasn’t nearly as pricey
With inflation high these days, it’s interesting to look at what prices on a few staples were back in 2009.
At Bashas’, chicken breasts were...
History Photo: Maricopa’s Water Tower
The last of three massive water towers that marked the Maricopa area on the railroad tracks in the 1880s, the 60-foot water tower has...
Historical Society debuts city’s ‘rich tapestry’ in Black-history exhibit
The Maricopa Historical Society, hoping to illustrate the city’s diverse history and culture, has opened an exhibit featuring prominent Black figures since the city’s...
Air Maricopa
Maricopa’s airfield ran perpendicular to John Wayne Parkway, more exactly where the overpass now sits. In this photo from the early 1900s, one of...
Library hosts presentation on Juan Bautista de Anza
A little-known Spanish Colonial era trail paints a colorful history in our minds’ eye. If You Go
What: Presentation on the Juan Bautista de Anza...
20 YEARS: A ‘taxing’ history
Maricopa’s property tax as we now know it started in 2006 when residents voted in favor of Proposition 400, a referendum that would allow...
Flash to the past: Big red pump and electricity
A water tank that held 500,000 gallons of water sat just west of the railroad station in Maricopa in the early 1900s. Southern Pacific...
Celebrating Italian Americans’ contributions to America
Italian-American Heritage Month is celebrated in Maricopa and across the country during October to honor and recognize the centuries of achievements, successes and valuable...
Historic rest stop
The Maricopa Hotel was owned and operated by Arthur Deal (pictured with his son) from 1917 to 1931. It sat on a plot of...
History Photo: Maricopa Depot 1900
By Patricia Brock, Maricopa Historical Society
Three trains were in daily operation from Phoenix to Maricopa in the early 1900s, and Maricopa was quite a...
Graffiti artist brightens up landmark tower
A colorful portrait of Maricopa history now sits 60 feet in the air, overlooking the very desert and mountains it depicts.
Graffiti artist Danny Dyster...
HISTORY: All along the water tower
The old water tower is a familiar landmark that highlights the city’s history as a hub for trains. This old tower has seen it...
Rock art theorized as ancient trail shrines (VIDEO)
By Michelle Chance
Rural Maricopa is home to several archaeological sites that contain petroglyphs along local mountain passes.
Aaron Wright, preservation archaeologist with Archaeology Southwest, said...
History photo: Yes, Maricopa can flood
One of Maricopa’s more memorable floods came in 1983, when Santa Cruz waters invaded most existing structures south of the tracks, including the elementary...
History: A look back at education in Maricopa
In the photo above, the Maricopa eighth-grade class of 1955 is pictured. In the fall, 28 students would enter as freshmen in the new...
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