1983 photo – Maricopa Historical Society

 

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 school and, shown here, First Baptist Church of Maricopa. Built in 1954, the church has kept its identifiable frame over the years, though the spire was added and the main entry altered since then. The ’83 flood was caused by a broken dam at the Green Reservoir on the Santa Cruz River, and the Arizona National Guard was brought in to help.


2020 photo – Kyle Norby


This item appears in the July issue of InMaricopa.