History

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...

Two highly visible economic development projects – the Heritage District and South Bridge – would blend together as envisioned by city staff. During a recent...

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,...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

The Maricopa Hotel was owned and operated by Arthur Deal (pictured with his son) from 1917 to 1931. Called Edwards Hotel in the 1890s...

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...

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...

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...

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...

“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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

IF YOU GO What: Masik Tas Where: Ak-Chin Circle Field & Arena, 16000 N. Maricopa Road When: Dec. 5-15 Dec. 5-8: Basketball tournaments Dec. 7, 7 p.m.: Light Parade...

Three members of the Buffalo Soldiers of America, led by Arizona chapter President Chaz Jackson spoke to two sessions of students at Maricopa High...

At War: Fresh-faced WAVES recruit did her part After the United States declared war on Japan in 1941, Mary Francis Holmes Abrahams was just 16....

Within hours of the California Zephyr train’s Silver Horizon railcar being placed at its new home in January, there was speculation it might be...

IF YOU GO What: Tales & Treasures Who: Maricopa Historical Society When: Oct. 26, 3-6 p.m. Where: Leading Edge Academy, 18700 N. Porter Road How much: Advance tickets $40/member...

To understand Arizona history, you have to learn about Italian explorer Eusebio Kino.IF YOU GO What: Maricopa Historical Society Speaker Series When: First Mondays, October-April, 5:30...

Every Sept. 11, we remember those we lost in one of history’s greatest tragedies in 2001. Mountain Pointe High School graduate Raul Ontiveros is...

They often say one must think small to make it big, but for Ernie Adams it’s better to think big to make it small.“I...

  This week about 180 Maricopa 14- to 18-year-olds are re-creating the handcart trek of western pioneers across the country. The re-creation, called a Youth Trek,...

By Michelle ChanceHave you experienced paranormal activity in Maricopa? Tell us about it at Facebook.com/InMaricopa. Maricopa’s history is chronicled well into the mid-19th century, when...