Casa Grande, Arizona
Some 110 years ago, Casa Grande was a small cluster of hastily assembled adobe and tent buildings along the railroad tracks. The permanent population of six made their living by moving freight between the train station and nearby mines. Southern Pacific stopped work on the rail line it was building from Yuma across southern Arizona in the summer of 1879. Supplies piled up at this desert stopping point and by the time the railroad moved on, the tiny town stayed. The community took the name "Casa Grande" (meaning large house) from the five story HoHoKam Indian adobe building located 20 miles to the east of the town.
Casa Grande was built in the early 1300s, and in the late 1300s the HoHoKam Indians began to abandon their villages. Archaeologists do not know all the reasons for the decline and end of the HoHoKam culture. Recent findings indicate that a series of devastating floods in the 1350s and 1380s may well have played a part in the breakdown of the HoHoKam economy and political systems.
The early Spanish explorers of the 1600s and 1700s found small farming settlements in what had been HoHoKam territory. The early Spanish named the Indians of southern Arizona the Pima and Papago. In their language they are the Akimel O'Odham and the Tohono O'Odham. They may be descendents of the HoHoKam Indians.
Many Tohono O'Odham (Papago) people live on the large reservation west of Tucson and south of Casa Grande. The largest Pima reservation is the Gila River Indian Reservation to the north between Casa Grande and Phoenix.
By 1882, Casa Grande boomed as a railhead to mines, reaching a population of 5,000 people, many of Mexican descent. The population also included Chinese workers, Native Americans and Anglos. Between 1884 and 1914, downtown Casa Grande burned three times. With each of the fires, the town might have died except that the merchants and business leaders came together each time to rebuild.
In the 1890s, a national mining slump almost killed the town, and by 1902, Casa Grande's business district decreased down to a mercantile store, saloon and two smaller stores. Agriculture saved the community from becoming another Southwestern mining ghost town. First came small scale agriculture and farm trade, along with livestock and vegetables, crops such as alfalfa, wheat, barley, citrus and cotton becoming important export commodities. The railroad linked farmers from Casa Grande and the surrounding areas to consumers.
Casa Grande bustles with activity today. Downtown retailers and factory outlet merchants, cotton farmers and agribusiness leaders, government employees, miners and industry, workers all contribute to Pinal county's largest city. Visitors, and even most residents, seldom realize that this striving, energetic city easily could have been just another Arizona ghost town.
One thing we look forward to seeing is our little Burrowing owl friends. They're so cute! They're still in residence across the street from Palm Creek - at least for the time being. Signs on the property they occupy indicate proposed land use action, and we've heard the owls will be moved so the city fathers can complete a road that has been held up for a few years because of the endangered species status of the owls. Somehow that doesn't seem right.
December 4 - part of the gang we hang out with in Casa Grande had either gone home for the holidaysr were home for the holidays and would come in later, so the rest of us decided to let them know we missed them.
SLOW! Grandparents at play or SLOW GRANDPARENTS at play? We couldn't decide! (l-r) Larry, Ann, Geri, Sheila, Nanci, Dave, Bruce and Dennis
The friends we've made here at Palm Creek are one reason we keep coming back to this park. Fun bunch!
It was soon time to decorate our home-away-from-home for the holidays to welcome two special guests who were coming to see us.
We made an ecard to send to our family and friends of our trailer and palm tree all decked out.
We even had a little Christmas tree inside. We added a bright red tablecloth and gifts under it for our two visitors. December 14-16 was our Christmas celebration with daughter Colleen, who drove over from San Diego. She had to come early, because her job does not allow for time off at the end of the year. We were glad to see her no matter when, and she actually helped us celebrate our 29th wedding anniversary on the 15th! Thanks for driving all the way over and helping us get into the Christmas spirit.
Then from December 20 to the 27th we flew our son, Ron, down from home to share Christmas with us. He had a much-needed break in the sun, and we had a good time with him. We took this picture with Ron's phone to send to his friends to taunt those who were home in the rain, wind and snow! It was great to see them both and sure made our Christmas a lot happier. We'll be home for Christmas in future years.
February 3, 2008 was our pre-Superbowl party. We had a great time despite 20 mph wind gusts and temps in the 50s. Bruce wore his warm Yellowstone fishing hat, and Dennis wore his hair hat to keep warm! Whatta bunch! That little firepit really put out some heat and helped keep us warm.
Sitting (left to right): Ann and Sheila
Front row standing (left to right): Nanci, Gay, Marlene, Mary, Al, Charles
Back row standing (left to right): Dave, Chuck, Larry, Dennis, Bruce, GeriDave served as the bratsmeister during the parboiling portion, and Al grilled them to perfection. Side dishes provided by the gang and desserts. Yum! About 4:15 everyone retreated to their own coaches to watch the Superbowl, but we had a fun couple of hours of camaraderie.
There are always a few local fun events to be enjoyed in the Casa Grande area. Click here to see what we mean.
March 30 was when we pulled the pin and headed for home this year. We had a lot of fun this season, but it was time to go home and take care of matters there.
