Believed to have been taken between 1900 and 1920, this photo of a train at the pumping station with the iconic water tower nearby is so typical of Maricopa at that time it served as a postcard. For 40 years, Maricopa was a junction for the Southern Pacific Railroad where passengers bound for Phoenix could catch the Doodlebug into town. Just like the train, they could stop for a little refreshment in Maricopa before continuing on their journey. The east-west tracks now belong to Union Pacific, and the northbound spur was torn up.

Library of Congress

This item appears in the July issue of InMaricopa.

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