Maricopa history: The first Founder’s Day celebration
The first Founder's Day celebration was held at The Duke in honor of the 1-year anniversary of Maricopa's incorporation.
The city was incorporated on Oct....
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...
Then & now: Honeycutt and Taft avenues
In this aerial photo from 1955, Maricopa High School is in the foreground. Beyond are pecan orchards and desert.
Today the high school remains and...
Flash to the past: Our changing means of transporting goods to market
The Maricopa and Pima tribes farmed the lands adjacent to the Gila River and raised beans, corn, pumpkins, watermelons, muskmelons, cotton and their principal...
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...
Restoration of Silver Horizon progressing
The renovation of one of Maricopa’s most iconic historical landmarks, the Silver Horizon rail car, is progressing – with a milestone coming soon.
Paul Shirk,...
Thanking veterans for their service
They've put on the uniforms of the United States of America's armed forces to defend our rights and our way of life.
Many of them...
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...
Recipes for Thanksgiving dishes from the Maricopa Historical Society
While you prepare your Thanksgiving feast, take a moment to review some recipes that Maricopans have shared through the years.
Right out of a historic...
Maricopa Zephyr railcar open to public Nov. 14
The Maricopa Historical Society announced the Nov. 14 historic tour of Maricopa’s California Zephyr from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. at the Amtrak station.
There...
Flash to the past: TV show sees city as ‘microcosm’ of country’s growth
In October of 2006, a “CBS News Sunday Morning” crew visited Maricopa to film a segment on population growth in America entitled "300 Million...
Historical Society presenter offers ‘base camp’ for Vietnam vets
Located down a winding, county road and bunkered beneath a small mountain in Thunderbird Farms is a hidden haven for Vietnam veterans.IF YOU GO
What:...
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...
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...
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...
Kazi Haque: 10 years as Maricopa planning’s inside man
The city of Maricopa has witnessed numerous changes since its incorporation in 2003. New homes bloomed, businesses formed and the population swelled.
Kazi Haque, zoning...
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...
Maricopa history moves over
The State Route 347/John Wayne Parkway railroad overpass was a major step forward in moving traffic through Maricopa. It came at a price, however.
The...
Unusual history of Maricopa Post Office includes fires, trains and a bobcat
In the early 1950s, a man named Harry Brock moved to Maricopa to begin work as a rural mail carrier. He roomed in the...
HISTORY: A past rooted in farming
This black-and-white photo (left) shows a young Maricopa 4-Her with a prize cow.
In 1953, area residents began teaching the youth cooking and sewing, which...
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...
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...
Collection of ‘new’ history donated to Maricopa Historical Society
Now with the confidence of having future storage and display space for their many items of historical significance to the community, Maricopa Historical Society...
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...
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...
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...
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...
THIS WEEK IN HISTORY: Fishing derby reels in record numbers in 2008
This story was published 15 years ago this week, written by RuthAnn Hogue.
Maricopa's annual fishing derby for kids attracted 579 anglers, hosts and representatives...
‘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....
Ex-MP survived ‘The Surge’ in Iraq, now helps other female veterans
Lynise Grell has a knack for putting herself in other people’s shoes.
She spent eight years in the U.S. Army as a military-police officer. During...
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