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Greatday made a comment in another post about how he remembers when Sky Harbor Airport was a grass strip...out in the middle of nowhere. That had to have been quite a while back...but I love to hear of how Phoenix used to be.
If you've never been, I highly recommend checking out some of the downtown neighborhoods...right off 7th Ave, east to about Central, and just south of McDowell. The streets are lined with huge palm trees, the houses are small, everyone has lawns and it just has a great feel about it.
I've heard stories of when I-17 stopped at Bell Rd and everything up here in North Phoenix was just orange tree groves in every direciton...that must have been something!
I've been here since 1992 and didn't catch any of that, but things have changed a bit since I've been here.
The 101 was...well, there was no 101. The bridges for the overpasses were in place, but it was just dirt and Beardsley was the road that everyone used. There were some older houses north of Beardsley (101), but only between 35th Ave and say 7th St...nothing else was developed, it was just open desert. I remember the merchantile store at 91st Ave and Pinnacle Peak being in the middle of nowhere and it was sort of a half way point on the way to Lake Pleasant, a place you stopped to gas up and grab some snacks...now it's in the middle of everything.
Native of Phoenix writes:
Having been born here in Phoenix some 67 years ago, I have seen a lot of changes. My family arrived in the valley about 1900. I have traveled the old "Black Canyon" hiway many times with my uncle George on the way north when it was just a small two lane road. To pass the time, we would watch for cars that drove off the side into the canyons. Also remember having to stop at the top of the hill where there was a water tank to refill the radiator before it overheated. As a kid, we used to swim in the canals that irrigated the citrus fields. Would not think of letting my grandkids do that even if they could today.
I took my first airplane ride out of Sky Harbor when I was nine. I flew to Denver on the Frontier Airlines DC-3. I remember Sky Harbor as a small airport with a neat terminal where you walked out to the stairway and boarded the plane. Nothing like the hustle and bustle of today. I also saw the first jet airliner land at Sky Harbor. It was an American Airlines 707. What a sight that was for a young boy. President Eisenhour (sp) also landed there on his visit to Phoenix.
We lived on the old Henshaw Road on 11th Street which is now Buckeye. So as a kid I got to see many airplanes depart and arrive at Sky harbor.
Downtown was small with the usual department stores. I remember the Indians sitting on the sidewalks in front of Woolworths selling their silver etc. Gene Updike studios would have a cameraman on the street taking your picture as you walked down the street. He gave you a numbered ticket and you could see if you wanted to buy it when it was developed.
Hello Ritchie_az... Yes your right. Just to clarify for everyone. The Super Chief always was a Northern Arizona train transiting from Chicago to Los Angeles via Santa Fe's main line. There were are still are numerous stops on the merged BNSF line where passengers can board the Amtrak train now named the Southwest Chief including Winslow, Flagstaff and Kingman. Phoenix has Amtrak train service known as the "Sunset Limited" which runs from Los Angeles to Phoenix and continues on to Tucson, San Antonio and finally Jacksonville. It runs over the former Southern Pacific Railroad tracks now a part of Union Pacific RR. Our family has over 150 years of railroad experience with Santa Fe, UP and MKT Katy Railroads. Will be interesting to see what becomes of high speed rail in Arizona's future, if any.
Two corrections. Amtrak stopped service to Phoenix a number of years ago and now the closest stop is in the town of Maricopa. Also, since Hurricane Katrina, the easternmost station for the Sunset Limited is New Orleans (which has been the easternmost terminal for that train for most of it's long history).
Native of Phoenix writes:
Having been born here in Phoenix some 67 years ago, I have seen a lot of changes. My family arrived in the valley about 1900. I have traveled the old "Black Canyon" hiway many times with my uncle George on the way north when it was just a small two lane road. To pass the time, we would watch for cars that drove off the side into the canyons. Also remember having to stop at the top of the hill where there was a water tank to refill the radiator before it overheated. As a kid, we used to swim in the canals that irrigated the citrus fields. Would not think of letting my grandkids do that even if they could today.
I took my first airplane ride out of Sky Harbor when I was nine. I flew to Denver on the Frontier Airlines DC-3. I remember Sky Harbor as a small airport with a neat terminal where you walked out to the stairway and boarded the plane. Nothing like the hustle and bustle of today. I also saw the first jet airliner land at Sky Harbor. It was an American Airlines 707. What a sight that was for a young boy. President Eisenhour (sp) also landed there on his visit to Phoenix.
We lived on the old Henshaw Road on 11th Street which is now Buckeye. So as a kid I got to see many airplanes depart and arrive at Sky harbor.
Downtown was small with the usual department stores. I remember the Indians sitting on the sidewalks in front of Woolworths selling their silver etc. Gene Updike studios would have a cameraman on the street taking your picture as you walked down the street. He gave you a numbered ticket and you could see if you wanted to buy it when it was developed.
Fond memories - many more than room to write.
I was also born in Phoenix, but some 68 years ago, so can certainly identify with you about the "changes"! We weren't allowed to swim in the canals but we lived on So. Central Ave. and had plenty of fun in the irrigation ditches! Until my friend cut her foot badly on a broken jar!
I remember downtown vividly. That's where we did ALL our shopping but I think the first strip mall was built around 1950 at Roeser Rd. and I remember a Safeway two doors up from our house. I have pics of me, when I was really little, taken at Updike studios.
I also remember being taken out to the airport just to watch the planes land and takeoff. We were easily entertained back then, I guess.
Oh yeah...the Old Black Canyon Hiway...! My family moved from Phoenix to Cottonwood in 1932 so there was plenty of back and forth trips. I remember it well! We always had a canvas bag of water hanging off the front of the car, in case of overheating. lol Sometimes we took the Wickenburg route and it was almost as bad/fun. Yarnell Hill scared me half to death when I was little! It's almost like freeway these days.
I was also born in Phoenix, but some 68 years ago, so can certainly identify with you about the "changes"! We weren't allowed to swim in the canals but we lived on So. Central Ave. and had plenty of fun in the irrigation ditches! Until my friend cut her foot badly on a broken jar!
I remember downtown vividly. That's where we did ALL our shopping but I think the first strip mall was built around 1950 at Roeser Rd. and I remember a Safeway two doors up from our house. I have pics of me, when I was really little, taken at Updike studios.
I also remember being taken out to the airport just to watch the planes land and takeoff. We were easily entertained back then, I guess.
Oh yeah...the Old Black Canyon Hiway...! My family moved from Phoenix to Cottonwood in 1932 so there was plenty of back and forth trips. I remember it well! We always had a canvas bag of water hanging off the front of the car, in case of overheating. lol Sometimes we took the Wickenburg route and it was almost as bad/fun. Yarnell Hill scared me half to death when I was little! It's almost like freeway these days.
I lived in south Phoenix too...but moved there about 1960...we lived south of Dobbins and that was out in the boonies almost back then. I went to Valley View Elementary and graduated from South Mt. High. I remember when the Black Canyon was extended to 7th St. Shopping downtown at Korrick's. And my dad still had one of those canvas water bags for just in case. Southside sure looks alot different today!
Does Phoenix still have Stuart Andersen's "Black Angus" Restaurants? We used to eat out at the MetroCenter location on the perimeter loop east side. Place was always packed. What about the Mexican place just up the street? I cant recall the full name. El Toritos or something like that. I think they were a chain from Calif. Seems to me they were busy most of the time too but we usually drove to Macayos on Central.
Phoenicians.... remember Bitsy Mama's Restaurant near the Glendale city square? Great little hole in the wall Mexican restaurant. Im not sure if this is the place or not. Seems there were two Mexican restaurants but nearby the square, on the east side of it, was a Mexican restaurant that was started by a Glendale Mexican American family. He was a Sargeant on Glendale PD police force. They served one menu item and was written in white chalk on a chalkboard daily. Nothing else that I can recall was available or prepared that day. They were the grandmother's recipes handed down to the wife's family.
Hey did they ever let Charles "Charlie" Keating of American Continental Corporation out of jail? He was the one that ran some of the scams involving the S & L crisis and caused the Resolution Trust Corporation to be formed to sell the "bad assets". Whenever that guy came on TV during the "perp walk", he looked like he was holier than thou and everyone else was just a pawn in "his" game. I hope the door to the slammer is still closed. Maybe it would wake some of the current scam artists following in his footsteps like Bernie Madoff etc. Maybe someone out there reading this is on Keating's AZ parole board. One vote here for "no early release." Sorry guy. No more golden stiched slippers with your initials.
Ah the good old days. A new 4 bedroom 2.5 bath luxury Suggs home at 52nd Ave and Northern near the Glen Lakes Golf Course purchased in 1978 for the bargain price of $59,900 USD. Sold it in 1981 for $106,000 USD and thought that was the most money in the world. Where else can you double your investment in 3 years. Get ready Phoenix Valley of the Sun metro. It will come roaring back someday. Especially when California realizes they are flat broke and force people out with high taxes etc. Its not just a good place to invest but a great place to play 18 holes at a local golf course. Love Hillcrest GC at Del Webb's Sun City West. We had such great neighbors. What are we in our family missing the most about Phoenix? Really? The people. Some were survivors of the war on Great Britain in WWII and immigrated from London to Phoenix to take on a good job here.They lived next door. The Butler family. They grew mint in their garden out back and picked dates from their date palm trees for us and shared oranges with us. Always a kind word and an invitation to be included for afternoon tea. They always wanted to make sure we American "Yanks" knew how truly grateful they were we were there for them and helped make the sacrifices in those dark days of the war for Britain. Thanks for your friendship Mr and Mrs Butler.
Does Phoenix still have Stuart Andersen's "Black Angus" Restaurants? We used to eat out at the MetroCenter location on the perimeter loop east side. Place was always packed. What about the Mexican place just up the street? I cant recall the full name. El Toritos or something like that. I think they were a chain from Calif. Seems to me they were busy most of the time too but we usually drove to Macayos on Central.
The Black Angus at Metrocenter is still there. There are fewer BA locations than there were in its heyday. El Torito is not there, it's still a Mexican restaurant, but the name is different.
I remember the Bill Johnson Big Apple Restaurtants on Van Buren St it was a treat to go to when we came to town to vist my aunts and uncle who lived in the valley of the sun .
also remember the Cine Capri on 24th street and indian school road ..I saw starwars there for the first time when i came back from the military and my mom was liveing down in Phx takeing care of my grandmother..
I remember flying into the old airport and it beening one building and it termial two i think with it flat roof and nothing else or flying into Williams Air base out in the middle of nowhere and my mom comeing and picking me up from the base ..
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