Chandler is located 20 miles southeast of Phoenix and has been the home of innovative, forward-thinking people for many decades. As Phoenix began to grow in the late 19th century, a young veterinarian decided to aquire several acres of the surrounding land. Dr. Alexander J. Chandler took a few business gambles with his new acquisition, and the 18,000 acres known then as Chandler Ranch were soon split into lots and sold as the new town of Chandler....

Nestled in the Arizona mountains are several small, unassuming towns that belie the importance of their heyday. These towns are all intrinsic to each other for one reason: mining. The nearby ranches were established to feed the miners, and in many cases, residents moved back and forth among them depending on which mines were prosperous or closed. Some no longer exist, evidenced now by rock walls or other harder-to-find clues. Some have turned into...

Founded in 1911 by William R. Norton, Sunnyslope is older than the State of Arizona. By 1919, the desert settlement had only four or five cottages and no roads, no electricity, and no running water. That soon changed as those recovering from tuberculosis sought the relief of Sunnyslope's dry climate. In 1927, the Desert Mission was established, with its nurses dubbed the "Angels of the Desert." This would eventually become the modern, multistory John...

Three surveyors in the late 19th century were so attracted to the area's desert beauty that they named it "the Paradise Valley." Starting in the 1920s, adobe homes were constructed in various revival styles. In 1936, the Camelback Inn resort set a high-quality standard with an inviting and relaxed character. Other guest lodges arrived, including the Hermosa Inn and the El Chorro Lodge. The 1950s brought more luxurious resorts, including the Paradise...

For more than 140 years, the Hash Knife brand has intrigued Western history lovers. From its rough-and-ready-sounding name to its travels throughout Texas, Montana, and Arizona, the Hash Knife sports a romance like few others in the cattle industry. Several outfits have been proud to call the brand their own, and the stories behind the men who worked for these companies are the epitome of Western lore and truth combined. Beginning in 1884, the Hash...

Coronado scorned this region as unpopulated when he labored through southeastern Arizona in 1540, but he could have found 12,000-year-old spear points in the remains of giant bison near Cave Creek Cienega, grinding hollows in boulders, and shamanic figures in high caves of the Chiricahuas towering above valleys and grasslands. Searing drought forced people to abandon their villages by 1400, but Apaches wandered down from Canada about the time Spaniards...

Yavapai County, Arizona, is regarded as the most historically significant area within the state. After Arizona was proclaimed an American territory by Pres. Abraham Lincoln in 1863, it was here that the first territorial government was established. Yavapai County history and culture is reflected in its simple but deeply reverent burial grounds where many of Arizona's early pioneers are buried. The county has many cemeteries, and this book focuses...

"There have been numerous books and periodicals written about Meteor Crater, the meteorites, and the crater s scientific value, but this book, with supporting images, is more about people. The story covers some history of the crater s founding and the many people who have been, and presently are, associated with the custody and maintenance of the site, preserving it for future scientific study and generations of visitors. These people include geologists,...

When Arizona was created as a U.S. territory in 1864, Prescott became its first capital. Accompanying the city's rich history is an equally dramatic heritage of supernatural manifestations. Visitors report a strange chill in the Palace Restaurant and taps on the shoulder at the Smoki Museum. Lingering spirits crowd famed hotels like the Vendome and the Hassayampa Inn, as well as theaters such as the Elks Opera House and Prescott Center for the Arts....

From western roadhouses to fine dining, Tucson boasts an extraordinary lineup of diverse restaurants. Though some of its greatest no longer exist, their stories conjure the sights, smells and sounds of the city's history. Longtime locals still buzz about Gordo's famous chimichangas, an accidental dish originating in Tucson. The legendary Tack Room was a beacon of fine dining. Places like Café Terra Cotta and Fuego pioneered a new southwestern cuisine,...