How do you remember Phoenix? Stories from long time residents... (Scottsdale: fireplace, foreign)

[Dave Bob]

Originally Posted by 1937Gal

This very subject (Sportsman's Park) is what brought me to this forum. I had attended a class reunion at Metro Tech (my old West Phoenix High School) and I asked one of the classmates the name of the race track at 7th Ave and Osborn. She didn't remember. I sure remembered it because my friend and I would stand on the west side of 7th Ave and Weldon and google the cute boys who worked at the windows. I came here, asked who could tell me the name and it was then that the wonderful Jack Swilling appeared with the name Sportman's Park. I couln't wait to tell my high school friend so she wouldn't think I was completely nutso, dreaming up a race track in our neighborhoods.

Neat stories & photos of Sportsman's Park. I imagine lots of current residents wouldn't believe it was ever there.

Over on the east side of Phx, the 1957 aerial photos show a horse track at 64th & Thomas, next to the "new" Crosscut canal and right across Thomas from the big circular water reservoirs (which are still there). Anyone know something about it?

[scutt]

Hi,

I have been wondering about this for a long time, and I think this is the best place to find an answer. I grew up around 12 street and Northern ave, we moved there in the early 1990's. If you take Nothern ave. west, just past Central, there is a large dirt lot on the south side of the road. As long as I can remember it has always been dirt. Its seems weird there are no houses built, as that is a very popular area around central. Does anybody remember what used to be there on that spot? Is there a reason the land is not used?

Any help would be great,

Scott

[1937Gal]

Imagine what ASU looked like when my class of 1955 attended there. What a difference today. When I drive in that area it is like driving in another state.

Originally Posted by trillcatz

I remember when Grady Gammage Hall was built 20 years earlier in '64. I went to Tempe High in '69 and ASU seemed huge then but I did a drive through a year or so ago and WOW!!! Big changes.

[desertskies]

Originally Posted by Dave Bob

Neat stories & photos of Sportsman's Park. I imagine lots of current residents wouldn't believe it was ever there.

Over on the east side of Phx, the 1957 aerial photos show a horse track at 64th & Thomas, next to the "new" Crosscut canal and right across Thomas from the big circular water reservoirs (which are still there). Anyone know something about it?

I located a 1949 aerial shot of the track and it seemed a challenge was at hand. A cursory email to the Scottsdale Public Library brought back a response of no real information is available, however they did find a track name of Phoenix Speedway and/or Thomas Track at 62nd Street and Thomas Rd, an AUTO track. SPL found nothing at the State Archive, ASU or UofA libraries either.

[jack swilling]

Can anyone remember when the town was smaller, and we were simpler, in the fifties, and the Dunlop family filed bankruptcy? I guess that was the family that Dunlop Avenue was named for. (Of course, it was named before they filed.)
The Republic or the Gazette had an extra edition with the headline,
"DUNLOP FAMILY FILES BANKRUPTCY."
Print was cheaper in those days, and there was no internet.
Extras at the drop of a hat: when Mike Todd died in the plane crash, when TWA and United collided over the Canyon. Why, I am surprised they did not put out an extra edition when Roosevelt, and 1937 Gal, and I were born.
Maybe they did.

[1937Gal]

I will look it up, but the Avenue just 4 streets south of my house is Dunlap rather than Dunlop. Do you suppose these are one and the same as the Dunlop Family?... As I recall I was living in Flagstaff when the two planes collided over the Grand Canyon, the man who lived next door to us was a helicopter pilot and he was one of the crew that went to the area and "retrieved"....and as I recall, at the Flag cemetary they had a big headstone that named all parties on board. I bet there was a mention in the paper July 1937 when I was born that said "electrical storm blows out electricity at Good Samartian Hospital. I was born by infrared light. Much to my mother's dismay due to all of the electrical guys roaming around the delivery room.

Originally Posted by jack swilling

Can anyone remember when the town was smaller, and we were simpler, in the fifties, and the Dunlop family filed bankruptcy? I guess that was the family that Dunlop Avenue was named for. (Of course, it was named before they filed.)
The Republic or the Gazette had an extra edition with the headline,
"DUNLOP FAMILY FILES BANKRUPTCY."
Print was cheaper in those days, and there was no internet.
Extras at the drop of a hat: when Mike Todd died in the plane crash, when TWA and United collided over the Canyon. Why, I am surprised they did not put out an extra edition when Roosevelt, and 1937 Gal, and I were born.
Maybe they did.

[Commander Max]

Originally Posted by 1937Gal

Imagine what ASU looked like when my class of 1955 attended there. What a difference today. When I drive in that area it is like driving in another state.

I can say the same thing, I went there in the early 1990's.
We are referring to it as the cinder-block curtain.

[jukebox47]

Originally Posted by jack swilling

Can anyone remember when the town was smaller, and we were simpler, in the fifties, and the Dunlop family filed bankruptcy? I guess that was the family that Dunlop Avenue was named for. (Of course, it was named before they filed.)
The Republic or the Gazette had an extra edition with the headline,
"DUNLOP FAMILY FILES BANKRUPTCY."
Print was cheaper in those days, and there was no internet.
Extras at the drop of a hat: when Mike Todd died in the plane crash, when TWA and United collided over the Canyon. Why, I am surprised they did not put out an extra edition when Roosevelt, and 1937 Gal, and I were born.
Maybe they did.

I remember the "in flight" collison of the United and TWA airliners. The TWA was, of course a Constellation and the United was a DC6 or DC7. I always get those mixed up. My sister and I were in Warren, Michigan with a "Rich Aunt" at the time for the summer. We flew on a DC6 or DC7 to get there so it kind of made us take notice even as little kids. We had never flown before. One or both airplanes had modified their course to provide passengers a view of the canyon, as I remember. Maybe someone can add or detract from that memory.

[jukebox47]

I just wondered if anyone remembered these dealers. They were both on East Van Buren. Royal was a small dealer, probably there for a short time only and Sarwark was big with many cars. I bought a 1953 Ford at Royal. I thought I was a real smart teenager and checked that thing closely. It ran so well. I got a big surprise though later!

They let me pay some amount down, about $50, I think, but I could not take it until it was paid for. I paid about $10 per week. It didn't matter too much, I was not 16 yet at the time. My dad drove it home when I finally got it paid off.

The pickle place, I think it was Arnold's, was also on East Van Buren. Those pickle odors were really potent some days.

[observer53]

The road is DunLAP, not DunLOP.