How do you remember Phoenix? Stories from long time residents...

[_Charles_]

Originally Posted by pbenjamin

Can you please provide something to substantiate this? It just doesn't sound right. South Mountain Park was a Phoenix City Park dating back to the 1920s.

It is not correct. What is now called south Phoenix was part of the original urban area of Phoenix dating back to incorporation in 1881.

The city expanded steadily after incorporation.

[Dave Bob]

Originally Posted by roosevelt

Here is your race track, hardly anyone knows of it. On the photo you can see Park Central is not built yet, lower left St. Joe, lower right Bob's Big Boy and even the old Pepsi Cola bottling plant just north of the vacant Park Central. The old Osborn school is there too.
Attachment 45079

Thanks to roosevelt for the photo I could study old Phx pix all day. Lots of interesting history in this one--

The existence of a horse track in that area is certainly news to me. Apparently there was also one near 64th St & Thomas, W of the Crosscut canal. I stumbled across a 1940s aerial photo of it somewhere (maybe one of roosevelt's!). Must have been wiped out by subdivisions in the '50s.

You can see a large white structure at the NW corner of Central & Indian School--the Carnation dairy? My parents took me to the restaurant there for a milkshake after my nursery school graduation(!) around 1957. The nursery school was just west of 7th St & Thomas near a photography studio (Wilson's??). Another dairy I recall was Kruft near 44th & McDowell; we got milk delivered from them in the late 50's-early 60s.

Interesting that the 3rd Ave "chicane" at Catalina-Earll was there even before Park Central. Wonder why? Maybe just artistic license by whomever laid out the streets. I used to think 3rd Ave might have been rerouted when P.C. was built to allow a bigger parking lot.

The bend in 7th Ave north of Indian School is also visible in the photo; it fascinated me as a tot (guess I was easily amused); I seem to recall that the original Toy Cottage (one of my most favorite places, naturally) was near that bend, and across the street from it was some kind of drive-thru "milk depot."

[roosevelt]

Originally Posted by Dave Bob

Thanks to roosevelt for the photo I could study old Phx pix all day. Lots of interesting history in this one--

The existence of a horse track in that area is certainly news to me. Apparently there was also one near 64th St & Thomas, W of the Crosscut canal. I stumbled across a 1940s aerial photo of it somewhere (maybe one of roosevelt's!). Must have been wiped out by subdivisions in the '50s.

You can see a large white structure at the NW corner of Central & Indian School--the Carnation dairy? My parents took me to the restaurant there for a milkshake after my nursery school graduation(!) around 1957. The nursery school was just west of 7th St & Thomas near a photography studio (Wilson's??). Another dairy I recall was Kruft near 44th & McDowell; we got milk delivered from them in the late 50's-early 60s.

Interesting that the 3rd Ave "chicane" at Catalina-Earll was there even before Park Central. Wonder why? Maybe just artistic license by whomever laid out the streets. I used to think 3rd Ave might have been rerouted when P.C. was built to allow a bigger parking lot.

The bend in 7th Ave north of Indian School is also visible in the photo; it fascinated me as a tot (guess I was easily amused); I seem to recall that the original Toy Cottage (one of my most favorite places, naturally) was near that bend, and across the street from it was some kind of drive-thru "milk depot."

Here are some girl scouts at the Kruft Dairy and only known photo of Carnation's restaurant in the 40's. I think of the bends and jags in city streets had something to do with the original survey of Phoenix and they got the street off a bit measuring from an old tree or ditch so when the city expanded the new extension of the street would be moved over to where it should have been. The one in my old neighborhood was at 12th Street and Roosevelt. Going west on Roosevelt, one could end up on the sidewalk if you were not paying attention. I have no idea where the curve at 3rd Ave. came from except I have another old aerial showing a group of small buildings there, maybe the road just went around them and became the property line after Central Dairy sold off the land on 7th Ave.

[nmweatherman]

Roosevelt: "I have no idea where the curve at 3rd Ave. came from except I have another old aerial showing a group of small buildings there, maybe the road just went around them and became the property line after Central Dairy sold off the land on 7th Ave."


That has happened a lot in Arizona history. Long before statehood, the surveyors in charge of Arizona's southern border came from the southeast corner of what is now Arizona, got very thirsty surveying westward, and headed for Yuma for a beer.

Check the southern border of Arizona from east to west and you will see this is true,

They never got to Puerto Penasco, where they were supposed to go...

[observer53]

Originally Posted by willard e. kissinger jr.

Yes, but that was South Mtn. Park, an area annexed by Phoenix. You can look at many cities' maps and see that the incorporated areas are often discontinuous or separated by unincorporated areas or even by areas incorporated by other municipalities. You could check old maps or you could check with the City of Phoenix's relevant offices--maps, zoning, maybe archeology. Or try historical societies or ASU or UA. It is interesting, but I remember it. If you find it was not so, I would love to hear from you. Many almost unbelievable things simply were not much written about at the time, because few felt that they were newsworthy. You might research the archives of the Republic/Gazette or go to the State Archives at the State building or to the Arizona Room, ASU.

Well, I haven't had time to go to any of those places, but I also do not believe it to be true that South Phoenix was ever a separately incorporated city, much less "up until the mid-50s". Rather than having those of us who think your memory is faulty on this issue do the research, perhaps you could direct us to your own research.

[bobhertzog]

Lots of AZ history here, even though I'm only 40 years old. My grandfather moved here in 1929, and lived on Longview and the Canal (just North of Indian School Rd). He tells stories of actually taking a trolley to Downtown Phoenix on an electric trolley to see movies with his buddies. He was in the first graduating class at North HS. Think of that, North High School was considered North Phoenix (at 12th St and Indian School!) Where would North HS be today? Carefree Hwy and 12th st? In his days, all 10 kids slept out on the porch at night in the summer. They would get sheets, wet them down, and lay them on top of them to keep cool at night! When he got back from WWII, he helped build the Stewart Mtn Dam (Saguaro Lake), then helped build all of those SRP Irrigation Stations that you see around Phoenix that have the flagstone sides on them (he was on the crew that put the flagstone on them). Then, he went to work for Mtn Bell, as a telephone pole/line installer...This was before they had cranes...They had to climb those poles with "tree-spikes", which he still has a pair of them. He's 83 now, and still mows his 1 acre of grass with a push mower. God love him Thank God he's still alive to share...

Now, for my favorite Phoenix Memories....

Living on a "Ranch" at 21st Ave and Northern, with Horses, Cows, and anything else we adopted (it was probably an acre or so, but that land is now condos)

My first haircut at "Rofflers" at Bethany Home and 19th Ave, then going to Mary Coyle for Ice Cream.

The Bob's Big Boy at 19th Ave/Bethany

Seeing Bambi (my first movie) at the Bethany Theaters at Bethany/I-17

Der Weinershnitzel at 19th/Bethany

My first drive-in as a kid was "A Man Called Horse" at 7th St/Missouri ( I think)...I was pretty young

LEGEND CITY!

Trying to shoot rabbits with a bb-gun with my great grandfather in the middle of nowhere at the time (7th St/Bell)

Here's one for you... The monkey at Chris-Town Mall that would take pennies from your hand. Next would be the Orange Julius

Ice Skating, then Farrel's at MetroCenter (the "new" mall at the time)

Taking Swimming Lessons from Mrs. England at 15th Ave, on the North Side of Dunlap (it seemed like everyone took lessons from her)

Riding motorcycles in what is now North Mountain Park

Watching Wallace & Ladmo, then Sesame Street, every single morning (I still wish I could get a Ladmo Bag)

Those goofy field trips we used to take to Pioneer Village

Hazel, the Gorilla, at the Phoenix Zoo

There's so much more....Just a few of my favorite memories of this great city we live in now

I'm so glad I found this forum. It's so much fun to see everyone's memories

[Ritchie_az]

There is an incorporated town called South Tucson, that is just south of downtown Tucson. But I've never heard of a town called South Phoenix.

[Sublue]

Born in Phoenix in 1983 and been there since. I remember Christown Mall near Bethany Home and 19th Ave. when it was vibrant. My friends and I would go there after school, it was the place to be. I remember Encanto Park, huge beautiful trees, ducks in the water, still the same place. My boyfriend's dad was born in Phx in 1939 and still lives there. He remembers when homes along the canal had docks in the canal, and people would swim, fish, and sail along the canals in the backs of the houses. I remember the crazy monsoon storms we used to have when I was kid, and how cold it would be on Halloween. I remember being in awe of the homes with veritable jungle yards around St. Gregory's church near 19th Ave. and Osborn. I remember all of this and more. Phoenix is a wonderful place, and it will always be home. Sure, there's not really much glitz and glamour like in LA or NYC, but its a huge city full of hardworking folks and there's magic here, too!

[_Charles_]

Originally Posted by Ritchie_az

There is an incorporated town called South Tucson, that is just south of downtown Tucson. But I've never heard of a town called South Phoenix.

There never was a separate, incorporated South Phoenix.

[azfrybaby]

Originally Posted by roosevelt

Could this be the base of the Sunnyslope Mtns? There was a Yale's Arizona Stables at 8500 N. Central that also served chuck wagon dinners.

I know there were riding stables at South Mountain and the only name my brain zeroed in on was "Rooster". I remember driving by a steak house up there when we went up to Look Out Point just so we could look at the Phoenix lights . . . yeh, uha, for sure, that's what we were doing.