How do you remember Phoenix? Stories from long time residents... (Safford: prison, dancing)

[SluggoF16]

Originally Posted by Dave Bob

Heh. Did "Nuisance Complaint" mean the Air Force thought the complainer was being a nuisance?

Speaking of aircraft, does anyone recall that South Mountain High School used to have a WWII bomber (maybe a B-25 or B-26) parked out in front?

There are a lot of complaints, most are legitimate. The nuisance complaints were filed by people who liked to complain. No basis.

I have fielded a few as a commander and have also been the cause of a couple (there's a ranch near Tucumcari with a red circle on the map with my name on it, it was in fact legitimate. Oops!).

The aircraft in question at South Mountain appears to be an A/B-26 Invader. It was modified by On Mark, used by Garrett, and donated to the school. It was the precursor to the Lear Jet, in that it was fast and stylish. An overhead view and really good up-close pics at this site.

[desertratz]

Originally Posted by Dave Bob

Heh. Did "Nuisance Complaint" mean the Air Force thought the complainer was being a nuisance?

Speaking of aircraft, does anyone recall that South Mountain High School used to have a WWII bomber (maybe a B-25 or B-26) parked out in front?

It was an A/B-26 that AiResearch used as a flying testbed for their turboprop engines. It was donated to SMHS when they upgraded to a newer testbed, a used Boeing 720B that they used for their turbofans and probably for their props as well. I remember it well as I had to pass it quite often in the years I worked there. This plane was in all probability used to flight test the T76 engines that they used on the OV-10's.

The 720B didn't fare as well after retirement in 2007. See the link to YouTube for a time lapse video of her destruction.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BHjl0rLKoqw

[roosevelt]

Originally Posted by Dave Bob

Heh. Did "Nuisance Complaint" mean the Air Force thought the complainer was being a nuisance?

Speaking of aircraft, does anyone recall that South Mountain High School used to have a WWII bomber (maybe a B-25 or B-26) parked out in front?

Phoenix Tech had a P-38 for years and the Aero Theater on west Van Buren had an airplane wing sticking out of the ground.

[SluggoF16]

Originally Posted by desertratz

It was an A/B-26 that AiResearch used as a flying testbed for their turboprop engines. It was donated to SMHS when they upgraded to a newer testbed, a used Boeing 720B that they used for their turbofans and probably for their props as well. I remember it well as I had to pass it quite often in the years I worked there. This plane was in all probability used to flight test the T76 engines that they used on the OV-10's.

Civilian version of the engine was the TPE-331. Here's an OV-10 at Williams AFB, 6 March 1988 that I flew in. Can't tell if it's the Superstitions or the Santans in the background. I flew the Bronco 1986-1989... not very fast but better than a desk.

ASU had a work-study and engineering cross-talk program with Garrett/AiResearch that was very beneficial to those of us in the aero engineering program.

[jack swilling]

Originally Posted by roosevelt

Erickson is listed in the yellow pages at 32 West Cypress, just off Central above Palm Lane. Psychotherapy and family counseling. Must have worked out of his house at the time.

As usual, Roosevelt, thanks a million.

And again, thank you, 1937 Gal, and your uncle.

[trillcatz]

Originally Posted by roosevelt

In 1957 it was Saguaro Beach exactly at the same location; maybe the name was changed later or earlier.

Another old pool in the 40's was Joyland at 35th Street and Van Buren.

I'll bet you're right...I'd never heard of Saguaro Beach but I didn't start going there until about '62. I tried googling Palm Beach but couldn't find anything so I'm sure it's long out of business.

[trillcatz]

Originally Posted by AZDesertBrat

I don't remember the name of the place but in 1960 there was place on Baseline with a huge pool and slides into the water. I remember going there with my boyfriend. It wasn't too far from a big trailer park my aunt and uncle owned and I don't recall the name of that either...something Montana. I don't really remember how far either was from the fields of flowers but around the same area. All these years later my memories are dim but I do remember those places. I should ask my aunt.

I think the flower gardens were out about 24th St. I went to school with the Watanabe and Otsuka kids. We played out on the canal bank just south of the flower fields. Is that all housing now? Claude Moore owned some Sunkist groves out that way too...I believe he was also the editor of the AR and PG in the early 60's.

[trillcatz]

Originally Posted by AZDesertBrat

I went to Phoenix today to see my aunt but because of scheduling conflicts I didn't get to see her. Since it was fairly early in the day I decided to go to South Phoenix and check it out. Oh MY!!! Things have changed so much down there I could hardly find ANY of my old landmarks!

I drove from the 17 to Baseline and took a 'detour' past my grandparents old house that they built in 1954. I recognized very little. My dad's old second hand store, just south of the river, is still there but all boarded up and sad looking. Pete's Fish & Chips was still there at Jones and Central. That surprised me. Their sign says "since 1947" so it was started when I was five! My old school was at the end of Jones St. but I didn't check that out. Broadway and Central is mostly different too. The old Rexall drug store is long gone and on the SE corner used to be a coffee shop that is also long gone and so is the entire block. Actually it's a lot of acres of plain old dirt! The strip mall on the NE corner of Broadway is still there. I didn't drive out to the Broadway pool but I'd bet it's gone too. Further up Central was my grandparents first house and it's been gone a long time. I can't even tell anymore just where it was. And Doyle's second hand store is gone too. Then there was the Corral drive in, now a laundry/dry cleaning place. The old Silver Dollar drive in is also long gone. So many memories down the tubes. Sigh.

I was surprised that my grandparents second house looks as good as it does. Whoever owns it has kept it up nice. Does anyone remember Stapely's Hardware? Stapelys owned the house across the street from my grandparents and, back then, I thought it was a mansion! I suppose, for the times, it was. It's still big and still looks nice. Not long ago I was going through newspaper archives online and found an article in the AZ Republic about my grandparents house. It was quite snazzy for the time too. Houses were small back then so a 2500 sq. ft. house was something of a mini-mansion, albeit a one level Ranch. Stapley's house was at least 3000, maybe bigger. My grandparents house had three BRs, two baths, formal living/dining rooms, a big den with a nice bar, big fireplace, built in TV and square holes in the wall next to that for the movie projector. It also had maids quarters. It had nearly two acres of grapefruit in back and date palms out front. I felt positively 'rich' living there. lol It also had a central AM-FM radio system. Every room in the house, and the patio, had a speaker. My grandmother used to wake me up every morning at 7:00 by turning it on LOUD and it was ALWAYS a singing Firestone Tire ad. I'll never forget that but it DID get me out of bed! lol

Coming back I took Central all the way to Thomas and I have to say that downtown is FAR from a ghost town during the day. So many people it was hard to make any kind of turn off of Central. It was interesting to see the MetroLink(?). Sleek looking for sure! I'm glad I did that today but have to admit I'm glad I don't live there anymore. It's just too big, too much traffic, too many people...just too much. I like my comparably quiet little burg a lot more.

Wasn't the "Skate Ranch" (skating rink - can't quite remember the name) just north of the NE corner of B'way and Central? I remember going there. I remember the Corral Laundromat from about '70 when I did my laundry there...I remember the building from the 60's but don't know if it was still a cafe or not. lol Spent many Friday/Saturday nights at the Silver Buck (as we called it). Turk's was the best fast food...this was before the chain ff joints came about. Turk never could get a class A health certificate but we didn't care...food was great. As a young child I remember his cigarettes turned up in the sleeve of his white t-shirt. I still remember and miss his chili colorado burros...that pot never left the stove...just kept adding to it. I went down to southside a couple of years ago...first time since about '73 and had hoped to go to Turk's...there was an ad in the phone book but it was boarded up when we went by...looked like it hadn't been closed too long. I thought the area looked pretty good...much better than the '60's.

[trillcatz]

Originally Posted by David Wendell

Thanks for the memories! When we were first married we used to go to the Corral Laundry. A really nice lady showed us a neat way to fold sheets. There was a upholstery shop near Central and Jones, Bertha's, I believe. My Mom woked at a Goodwill store on Central and Jones. Denny's transmissions was also there. Grimes Hamburgers was in the area somewhere. How about Turk's?

I frequented the Goodwill shop in the late 60's and my dad was appalled...guess he didn't fancy me in an army jacket. Grimes' was originally next to the White Horse Tavern which I think was north of Southern...maybe closer to Roser Rd. By the time I graduated in '71 they'd moved into what was originally Der Weinerschnitzel - just south of the gas station on the SE corner of Central and Southern. Turk's was originally on the east side of Central south of Baseline...when the old market/gas station (Richfield Boron) ...maybe Yee's Market (not sure if it was Yee's...lol I think it was Tommy Dong's grandpas place) was torn down and a little strip mall was built on the SW corner of Baseline and Central Turk's opened a 'modern' hamburger joint. We all hung out at Turk's when ditching school...the boys all played pinball there and Turk yelled at us to spend more money or take off. Amazing how long a kid could nurse a 10 cent cup of soda...and refills were unheard of in those days. He moved after '71 because the Turk's that was closed a couple of years back was up by the Corral Laundromat. Good memories guys!

[trillcatz]

Originally Posted by AZDesertBrat

Most of my memories are from the early 50s to early 60s because although I was born down there I didn't live there much. I've mostly lived up here in Cottonwood and in Tucson from 1st thru 5th grade. But we were there to see family a lot.

I remember going to the Corral when it was still a restaurant. I think I remember the upholstery shop but barely. I remember the funeral home and Bloom's Flower shop which is still there...sorta. I don't think it's a business anymore but the building is still there. At one time there was a thrift store built where my grandparents first home was and then it was a cabinet building shop. I don't remember Turk's. What was the business?

There was a Dairy Queen across the street from my grandparents house and a restaurant next to that but I don't recall the name.

Driving down Central I was remembering when it was just a two lane street with Tamarak trees and the irrigation ditch on the west side. Boy has that changed!

There used to be a little grocery store just north of Jones St. and I remember my mom sending me there to buy a pound of butter. Well, she DID say butter so that's what I got. She meant margarine and when she found out I paid nearly $1 for it she about had a fit! lol

There was a Dairy Queen on the west side of Central by St. Catherine's Church...just behind South Plaza...is that the one you're referring to? I remember Central as two-lane also until they widened it at Southern going north. It was still two-lane going south.