History photo: flood of memories
This flooding scene near the Richfield service station on the old Maricopa Road in 1949 was captured by a photographer looking north from atop...
A water tower and an overpass
In the 1930s, a couple of men came to Maricopa and set up a woodcutting business. They contacted the people on the reservation and...
CURTIS: The Oatman Massacre – Part Two: rescued by the Mojave
This is the second in a series about the massacre of the Oatman family in 1851 after leaving Maricopa Wells.
You will recall that two...
Maricopa’s new museum reflects a 21st-century city on the move
Maricopa regards itself as a 21st-century city on the move. Actually, it has been on the move since the middle of the 19th century,...
Veterans Day: Ex-paratrooper brings get-it-done attitude to Ak-Chin Council
When Octavio Machado enlisted in the U.S. Army at age 19, he was following a family tradition that went back to his grandfather, who...
‘Lost mine’ in Sierra Estrella: Fact or Folklore? (VIDEO)
Embedded in Arizona is a history rife with facts, folklore and fantasy.“The structure is one of the more substantial mining structures that I’ve seen....
History photos: Student explosion
The Maricopa High School campus has grown considerably over the years. The football players and cheerleaders pictured were among the 28 MHS students —...
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: A slow ride to Scottsdale
This building was Southern Pacific Railroad’s Maricopa depot from the early 1930s through 1961.
The depot was then moved to Phoenix as a playhouse in...
Native Grill owner tastes success despite 9/11, housing crash, fires and COVID-19
All business owners encounter hurdles as they are getting things going; it’s part of the process.
Pat Kieny, the owner of Native Grill & Wings,...
History photo: ‘Instant messaging’ at Maricopa Wells
During the first decade of Arizona’s territorial years, Maricopa Wells served not only as the hub for a network of wagon roads, but also...
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...
There yesterday, gone today
Shown is a picture of the NAPA Auto Parts from the 1960s. The store was razed at the end of 2020 due in large...
History photo: The Corner Lot
The Maricopa Hotel was owned and operated by Arthur Deal (pictured with his son) from 1917 to 1931. Called Edwards Hotel in the 1890s...
Maricopa Museum and Visitor Center opens after years of planning, digging
The Maricopa Museum and Visitor Center opened Saturday morning with extensive displays telling Maricopa's history.
Read other stories about the new museum here.
The museum plans...
History photo: St. Francis of Assisi Mission
Used as both a school and a Catholic church, St. Francis of Assisi Mission was built in the Ak-Chin community in 1920-21.
Despite changes over...
Where are they now: ‘Rolling Pilot’ still flying high in Arizona
Michael “The Rolling Pilot” Glen is as passionate as ever about hot-air ballooning.
Nearly a decade has passed since our last contact with Glen, who...
History photo: 19th century scene
This photo from the 1890s looks east along the railroad tracks while a steam engine is stopped at the Maricopa Depot, on left. The...
Cotton to claustrophobia
Cotton is swallowed up by a picker in the field behind John and Mary Lou Smith's house in the 1980s, when farmers grew about...
Curtis: Bright light will soon shine on city history
As a relative newcomer in Maricopa, I have been surprised by how much there is to do in our town. True, we have no...
HISTORY: Signs of change
The O.S. Stapley store opened in 1955 south of the railroad tracks and east of Maricopa High School on Maricopa Road. The store carried...
Flash to the past: Maricopa PD on patrol New Year’s Eve for first time
A look back 15 years:
In 2008, while most of Maricopa was kicking back to celebrate the passing of another year, Maricopa Police Chief Patrick...
20 YEARS: Visionaries
Monty Ortman
El Dorado Holdings co-founder, Vintage Partners principal
Why did you decide to invest in Maricopa?
In the late 1980s, my partner and I had just...
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...
Top 10 Historical & Archaeological Sites around Maricopa (VIDEO)
By Maricopa Historical Society Vice President Denny Hoeh
For Archeology & Heritage Awareness Month, Maricopa Historical Society Vice President Denny Hoeh shared his top 10...
History: Progress in action
This month, Desert Sunrise High School will accept its first students. It’s a milestone and a statement about the population growth in Maricopa over...
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...
City residents divided on cemetery
Believe it or not, Maricopa, with a population of more than 60,000, does not have a cemetery. The city is exploring the possibility of...
A history of pecans in Maricopa
By Patricia Brock, Oliver Anderson and the Maricopa Historical Society
Maricopa lost its importance as a railroad junction when the railroad redirected a line through...
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...