Maricopa: one of the oldest communities in Arizona

Editor’s note:  Maricopa factoids will be a regular feature on InMaricopa.com.  They are provided by the Maricopa History Committee, a branch of the Friends of the Maricopa Public Library.  Most of the photos and information come from “Reflections of a Desert Town” by author and history committee chairperson Patricia Brock. 

Maricopa is one of the oldest communities in the state of Arizona.  It is unique in that it has had three locations over the years, and with each move played a major role in the growth and development of the Southwest. 

Maricopa Wells, its first location, was indeed an oasis in the desert and a favorite stopover for thousands of immigrants traveling through Arizona to California in the 1800s.  It offered plenty of fresh water, good food and an assortment of businesses to accommodate most basic needs of the travelers.  Maricopa Wells became the major relay stage station in Arizona territory for the San Antonio and San Diego Mail Line in 1857, and served in the same capacity for the Butterfield Overland Mail Line in 1858. 

When people began to settle the Salt River Valley, there were no stores and they had two choices for buying supplies: Maricopa Wells or Wickenburg.  Frequently, they traveled out to the Wells for their needs.  After the building of the Southern Pacific to Maricopaville, Maricopa Wells continued to be a supply point for the Salt River Valley until the railroad was in operation three miles east.  At this point, its day of glory disappeared; today it is a mass of ruins, overgrown mesquite and other desert plants.

Photo courtesy of Patricia Brock