![Maricopa Road and Maricopa-Casa Grand Highway [Brian Petersheim Jr.]](https://www.inmaricopa.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/History-Maricopa-Road-today-2-534x462.jpg "History: Maricopa Road’s metamorphosis")
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...
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...
DNA test reveals a father – and a family
It’s said life can turn on a dime. For Mike Otis, it changed on a $69 DNA test.
Otis, a retired technical writer, did what...
Pedestrian bridge would link Heritage District, South Bridge
Two highly visible economic development projects – the Heritage District and South Bridge – would blend together as envisioned by city staff.
During a recent...
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,...
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...
Christmas treasure: ‘Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus’
In 1897, an eight-year-old girl on the Upper West Side of Manhattan asked her father whether Santa Claus really existed.
Dr. Philip O'Hanlon, a coroner's...
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...
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...
A Promise Kept: Korean War veteran Joaquin Comaduran
By Fran Lyons
He said to himself, “No wars in the U.S.”
He wanted our country to be protected and safe. He wanted freedom and he...
History photo: Farming staples
The O.S. Stapley store opened in Maricopa in 1955 south of the railroad tracks and east of the high school on Maricopa Road. The...
Where are they now? For original city councilman, work is a numbers game
Kelly Haddad, one of the original members of city council, entered community service at the invitation of civic leader Ed Farrell when Maricopa was just a patch in the desert.
He...
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...
Where are they now: Former MUSD superintendent enjoying retirement
Steve Chestnut, who led the Maricopa Unified School District from 2012 to 2018 as superintendent, is now living happily in Scottsdale.
Chestnut left MUSD to...
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...
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...
History photo: Changing landscape
The 1917 perspective of what used to be the town center no longer exists but for the top of the ever-present water tower. The...
Where Are They Now: Former vice mayor reflects on growth in city, career
It has been three years since Brent Murphree’s career in the cotton industry took him away from his Rancho El Dorado home and local...
Veterans remember 9/11 and the sacrifices of so many
“We pay tribute and honor the brave men and women who perished 19 years ago. May their families bear this burden.”
Those prayerful words from...
History Photo: Never out of style
A former barracks from Williams Field Air Force Base has stood the test of time and continues to change purposes as needs arise. In...
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...
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...
Train car wrapped against the elements
With its windows removed for a special project, the vintage Silver Horizons railcar from the California Zephyr was left vulnerable to upcoming winds, dust...
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 Photo: How did that turn out?
In 1990, construction started on Maricopa Town Centre, a shopping plaza on Hathaway Avenue next to the post office, which was also constructed around...
Drive-by parade celebrates Mary Lou Smith’s 90th birthday
Mary Lou Smith celebrated her 90th birthday Saturday, greeted with a parade of family and friends who drove by her home honking horns and...
Window replacement part of Silver Horizon rehab (VIDEO)
While Maricopa Historical Society canceled or postponed much of its spring events as a precaution against COVID-19, it has quietly continued some programs, such...
History Photo: Hole lotta nothin’
For decades, Maricopans were able to cool off in the summer with a dip in the swimming pool at Rotary Park. Built to lessen...
History photo: Fast Times at Maricopa High
Before it was relegated to its current status as the 600 building, the library at Maricopa High School was the office. Between 2000 and...
History photo: Maricopa from the air
The growth of Maricopa was dramatic between 2002 and 2006, when the city was a poster child of the housing boom. The post-recession surge...