The big red pump: Maricopa’s only source of electricity

A large water tank that held 500,000 gallons of water was west of the railroad station in Maricopa in the early 1900s. 

Southern Pacific Railroad owned the tank and supplied water to the many steam engines pulling trains through Maricopa and to the Maricopa residents.  The water was taken from a well by an electric pump.  A very large one-cylinder engine, with a large flywheel approximately eight feet in diameter, drove the pump.  It was painted bright red with various parts painted bright green.  According to Donald Dehart, it was a beautiful piece of machinery and kept spotlessly clean by the railroad employee in charge of it, Charley Barker. The engine burned oil that heated the water to create steam. 

The trains had to take on water at several stations between Tucson and Yuma where oil was stored.  Maricopa was one of the water stops.

The electric pump was in operation from 6 p.m. until 6 a.m. daily so that the citizens of Maricopa could have electric power for lights, radios, etc. This engine was the only source of electricity in Maricopa, and the radio was one of the main sources of entertainment. If Barker was late in turning it on, residents were apt to miss their favorite radio program, “Amos and Andy”…and missing Amos and Andy was not a good thing. Barker usually heard about it. 

Photo courtesy of Maricopa Historical Society

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. 

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