Maricopa’s busy railroad station

Three trains were in daily operation from Phoenix to Maricopa in the early 1900s, and Maricopa was quite a busy station. 

During a trip to Tucson, February 21, 1900, Tom Gregory, a Maricopa resident, reported to the Arizona Daily Citizen that Maricopa had never been so busy. 

Mr. Gregory took care of the many passengers from the trains at one of the hotels and related this information: “For three months, we have had our hotel filled to the attic every nigh,t and the other hotel is crowded, too. The depot has its usual number of loungers, and the Pullman accommodations have been generously patronized. Maricopa has never been so busy. The crowds going to Phoenix this winter have been greater than ever. And… if Phoenix continues to advertise as it has in the past year, the crowds will be even greater. I believe that Maricopa has the finest winter weather on earth and is the perfect place for invalids with its pure desert air.”

Editor’s note:  Maricopa factoids are a regular feature on InMaricopa.com. They are provided by the Maricopa Historical Society, 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 historical society chairperson Patricia Brock. 

Submitted photo