How do you remember Phoenix? Stories from long time residents... (Glendale: abandoned, oriental)

[roosevelt]

There used to be used inner-tubes (with dozens of patches) for sale in front of service stations. The truck tubes were the best. It was a pain in the neck to drop the gang off at the top of the river and then drive to the bottom parking lot and have to wait. Taking two cars was the only way. I was robbed several times; breaking into cars for their tapes and players was all the rage. The cost of the new tape player could be $20, and for maybe $5 resale the crook would bust out a window and rip the deck out costing me another $100.

[desertskies]

Originally Posted by roosevelt

There used to be used inner-tubes (with dozens of patches) for sale in front of service stations. The truck tubes were the best.

I remember the Mobil station at Shea Blvd and Scottsdale Rd having a couple of racks of inner tubes (with prerequisite patches) for sale. They had no problem unloading them on weekends. We're taking early 70's.

In an unrelated subject, I was watching an episode of COPS, taped here in Phoenix in the early 90's, that included a segment that involved the Guardian Angels. I lived in the South at the time and was surprised to see this episode, when it first ran. It included an incident at a hotel I once worked at (Rodeway Inn, 24th St and Buckeye Rd, close to the then west entrance to Sky Harbor Airport).

I understand the Angels were getting some bad local press at the time. The segment did not make them look good.
Were they "persuaded" to disband the Phoenix chapter, then?

Watching the COPS episode just got me to thinking.

[taharvey]

Originally Posted by azdr0710

gee, trill, you haven't been up there in a while, eh??!!!!

that's been going on for many years!

Salt River Tubing and Recreation - Arizona's Floating Picnic!

but I did drive by it recently after many years and they have it all organized now....upgraded parking areas, rules signs, numbered launch areas or something, the whole bit....

I remember in the old days (70s), we'd be pretty much on our own....buy tubes at some gas station in town, clamber down to just below the dam to start, get caught in some snags and try to rescue the kid who went under as a result, take the wrong fork and have to scramble back to the main channel....I remember how far voices would carry, too, on that water

we used to take a card table and chairs and sit under the bridge, play poker get hammered and bug the girls, what a time!

[roosevelt]

Can anyone verify this is Goodyear. It is dated 1951 and must have been quite a rain. Looks like a 1950 Ford up on the sidewalk.

[observer53]

Originally Posted by roosevelt

Can anyone verify this is Goodyear. It is dated 1951 and must have been quite a rain. Looks like a 1950 Ford up on the sidewalk.
Attachment 79353

It is. Look at the pic in this link,

Goodyear, AZ - Official Website - History

with the reference to Abraham's Market on the right. Apparently, that's Litchfield Rd. Yes, that must have been some rain!

[desertratz]

Originally Posted by observer53

It is. Look at the pic in this link,

Goodyear, AZ - Official Website - History

with the reference to Abraham's Market on the right. Apparently, that's Litchfield Rd. Yes, that must have been some rain!

The original town of Goodyear was first located SW of Chandler along what is now Ocotillo Rd before the company moved it to Litchfield. Check out this link,

Driving Chandler's Streets (http://www.cgc.maricopa.edu/academic-affairs/library/communityhistory/Old%20Community%20History/Chandler%20Streets/ocotillo.html - broken link)

[observer53]

Originally Posted by desertratz

The original town of Goodyear was first located SW of Chandler along what is now Ocotillo Rd before the company moved it to Litchfield. Check out this link,

Driving Chandler's Streets (http://www.cgc.maricopa.edu/academic-affairs/library/communityhistory/Old%20Community%20History/Chandler%20Streets/ocotillo.html - broken link)

I never knew that. Thanks for that piece of history! Interesting that they started Litchfield Park as another "company town" and then, apparently, Goodyear too.

[SluggoF16]

Originally Posted by desertratz

The original town of Goodyear was first located SW of Chandler along what is now Ocotillo Rd before the company moved it to Litchfield.

The airfield near the Sun Lakes exit off of I-10 was known initially Williams Auxiliary Army Airfield #5, and later as Goodyear Air Force Aux Field. It was later still known as Goodyear Memorial. For years it was empty, today it is named Gila River Memorial. The Goodyear on the west side is well-documented in the links in previous postings; did not know the Blue Angels were based there.

This link has some interesting older photos of Goodyear east.

[roosevelt]

Anyone remember the 1983 tent city, not the jail, that was located a few blocks from the state capitol? There was a city renewal program that shut down most of the missions, soup kitchens and cheap hotels by intending to open up services in other parts of town but it didn't happen and tent city sprung up. I remember it was under some structure with pillars and a chain link fence. The homeless were streaming in and building shacks out of cardboard, plastic, tin and cloth. Lots of shopping carts. It was on a one way street, perhaps Washington. It was abruptly closed after some incident.

[desdwell]

I remember helping tow a car back from Apache Junction using a station wagon. I was sitting on the back of the towed vehicle holding a lantern. There were no street lights, or businesses from Mesa to A.J., then no lights from A.J. to Tempe, then no lights from Tempe to Phoenix. Just long stretches of desert on a narrow 2-lane road.

I remember riding the Monster Mouse and Rage Cage at Legend City.

In 1965 I remember my dad dropping us off at the Fox Theater in downtown to watch The Sound of Music.

In 1973 I remember seeing American Graffiti at a drive-in, and watching lots of lightning flashing from summer storms ready to roll in. I remember the moody yellow lighting at those drive-in snack shops, and those large, clunky speakers you'd hang on the windows.

I remember in 1975 sneaking out to the vacant lot behind Camelback High School where I tried pot for the 1st time. That lot is now the entire Esplanade Complex at 24th St and Camelback.