Wednesday, July 30, 2014

Save our historic Phoenix street cars!

Save our historic Phoenix street cars!

 
The history of Phoenix street cars. With the exception of longtime Phoenix natives, very few Phoenicians realize that a street car (a.k.a. trolley) system thrived in Phoenix as early as 1887. According to Wikipedia, mules once pulled street cars east and west on Washington Street.
 

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Electric railway car was introduced in Phoenix by General Moses Sherman.By 1893, Phoenix considered itself a modern city when the revolutionary electric railway car was introduced by General Moses Hazelton Sherman. From 1911 through 1925, the street car line, with 28 miles of track, ran from Central Phoenix as far west as Glendale, and as far north as the Phoenix Indian School.

City of Phoenix purchased street car system.
The City of Phoenix reluctantly opted to purchase the dilapidated street car system from founder Moses Sherman in 1925 and to rebuild it. Eighteen new cars were added to the fleet, and street car ridership skyrocketed, reaching an all-time high in 1929 when over 6.6-million passengers paid 5-cent fares, grossing Phoenix $298,000!
 
Phoenix street car woes.When the Great Depression arrived in Phoenix,street car maintenance again lagged. Once the Nation's economy recovered, the automobile industry grew, and the Phoenix population began sprawling in all directions. By the end of the 1930s, the unprofitable Glendale line was eliminated, other routes were shortened, and the City of Phoenix made preparations to phase out the street car system with buses.
World War II, however, required rubber tires for the war effort, so street car use was revitalized. (This writer fondly remembers the street cars in the mid-1940s, with their bells clanging along West Washington Street, taking my Mother or Grandmother and me to downtown Phoenix to shop or watch a movie!) Once the War ended, competitive bus lines, maintenance woes, and urban growth meant that many people began buying their own automobiles to reach all areas of Phoenix. 
 
1947 Phoenix street car fire.A mysterious fire at the street car barn located on 13th Street and Washington (next to former owner General Sherman's residence) in 1947, gutted machinery, equipment and all but six Phoenix trolleys.
 
City of Phoenix abandoned street car system.By 1948, Phoenix abandoned its street railway system, and the six cars were stripped and sold for use as storage sheds, living quarters, a concession stand at the once popular Legend City, and even a monkey cage!
 
Last street cars saved from destruction.
Finally, in 1974, three of the original 1928 cars were saved from final destruction by a small, interested group of citizens; these old trolleys, partially restored #116 and yet to be restored #504, are on-site at the Phoenix Trolley Museum today.

Dawn of a new Phoenix railway.Public railways ceased to exist from 1948 until Phoenix opened its new "Light Rail" on December 27, 2008. Again, the popularity of a public railway has blossomed!

Where to see historic Phoenix street cars.
To view the history of the Phoenix Street Railway System, visit the non-profit Phoenix Trolley Museum, centrally located at 1218 N. Central Avenue ( West Culver and Central) in Phoenix. It is open October through May, every Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. More information is available by calling 602 254-0307 or by visiting the website at www.phoenixtrolley.com. Two original trolley cars, 300-feet of track, historical photos, maps, the 1947 film "Last Run," and a self-guided walking tour are there.
 
Save the Phoenix Trolley Museum!
Donations, memberships, and volunteer opportunities abound for individuals, retirees and service organizations  Craftsman experience (electrical, carpentry, plumbing, construction, grounds maintenance) would greatly assist the Phoenix Trolley Museum to stay in Phoenix for all to remember and enjoy. We don't want the City of Phoenix to close or move our historic link to Phoenix roots.
 
References:

Cottonwood, the biggest little town in Arizona


Cottonwood, the biggest little town in Arizona

 

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In 1874, cavalry soldiers, who were defending the area against Yavapais, were once stationed at an adobe house near a grove of large cottonwood trees along the Verde River.  After every rain, stagnant pools of water collected on the riverbank, attracting swarms of mosquitoes. Malaria and dysentery were health threats in those days, and the nearest medical facility was situated at Camp Verde. However, despite the hardships, several large families, including the Nichols, Van Deerens, Hawkins, and Strahans, took up residence in these stands of cottonwoods, and by 1879, Cottonwood became a settlement and got its name.
 According to "Arizona Place Names," Cottonwood was established west of the Verde River, and below Clarkdale, on July 8, 1895. George W. Willard served as its first Postmaster. 
Farming and cattle-ranching prevailed until World War I, when nearby Jerome grew due to a rise in copper prices during the War, and Cottonwood residents had a market for their crops and cattle. Businesses boomed.
By 1920, four general mercantiles, five dry goods, three restaurants and hotels, seven pool halls, two blacksmiths, two garages, two shoe stores, a barbershop, an amusement hall, a movie picture house, a drug store, a confectionery, a bakery, a service station, an ice plant, a lumber yard, a jewelry store, a root beer stand, a butcher shop, a furniture store, a novelty store, an ice cream parlor, and plenty of back rooms sold high-quality hooch! Bootlegging was big business!
Modern day Cottonwood
Today, Cottonwood is located in the Verde Valley of Yavapai County, approximately 90 miles north of Central Phoenix, and is easily accessible via Interstate 17. Turn West on Route 260. It is now known as a prominent retirement community and tourist town. Beautiful custom homes adorn the hillsides, and the folks are friendly sorts. Around 12,000 call Cottonwood home, and the 3,314-foot elevation boasts a mild year-round climate.
Side trips on the road to Cottonwood
There are several stopovers a traveler can take from Interstate 17 enroute to Cottonwood, including Rock Springs with its famous pies, Bumble BeeCrown King, the art colony of Arcosanti, and Route 169 to old Arizona towns ofPrescottChino Valley  and Ash Fork. All these places have bits of Arizona history to explore.
Places to visit in the Cottonwood vicinity
Your writer has eaten at  La Fonda Mexican Food Restaurant in Camp Verde, and Su Casa Mexican Food Restaurant in Clarkdale, and, would highly recommend either spot for delicious cuisine.
Visit the Cottonwood Visitor Center, the former old  jail building, for additional information.

Family Heirlooms discovered in Museum at Harmony, Pennsylvania


Family heirlooms discovered in Museum at Harmony, Pennsylvania

 
Families treasure heirlooms. In this particular case, an aunt knew of treasures on display at the Harmony, Pennsylvania Museum.

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Ancestral visit to Pennsylvania
While taking an ancestral trip back to my husband's place of birth inBeaver Falls, Pennsylvania, we visited with his Father's youngest Sister. In addition to showing us around the Slippery Rock Cemetery where many Schantz and Craven ancestors are buried, Beaver Falls,Ellwood CityNew Brighton, and Zelienople, we traveled to Harmony, Pennsylvania, and found information about the Schantzancestry in its small museum.
 
Visit to Harmony Museum
Harmony is in Butler County, western Pennsylvania, and is a National Historic Landmark. Harmony was founded in 1804 as the first home of the communal German Harmony Society. Harmony  (previously settled as Murdering Town in the mid-18th Century), was a site along the route of George Washington's first mission in 1753 that led to the French and Indian War. George slept here on his mission!
 
History of Harmony, Pennsylvania founders
Weaver and vine tender George Rapp from Wurttemberg, Germany, purchased several thousand acres of Butler County land in 1804 from Dettmar Basse, founder of Zelienople, Pennsylvania. Rapp's Lutheran Separatist followers accompanied him to America, pledging their worldly possessions to the Harmony Society. In return, the Society would provide necessities of life, as well as religious and educational instruction.

The Society prospered until 1807, when celibacy was adopted. This mandate ultimately led to its demise as a communal Society.

By 1812, Harmony's population reached around 850, with more than 2,000 acres cultivated, and 130 buildings erected (church, school, warehouse granary, woolen mills, tavern, grist mills, oil mill, brewery, distillery and tannery).

The Harmonists moved to southwestern Indiana Territory in 1814, founding New Harmony. Abraham Ziegler, a Mennonite, purchased 7,000 acres of Harmony land for $100,000 in 1815, and he and other Mennonite families resettled Harmony. The Harmonists retained ownership of their cemetery, however, on the southeast edge of town.

In 1824,The Harmonists returned to Pennsylvania to establish Economy, which was situated on the Ohio River 20 miles west of Harmony.

Following the War of 1812, bankrupt Harmony was forced to sell land, plot by plot, which helped Harmony to again grow in population. The Mennonite congregation eventually faded, and its church was closed in 1902.

Schantz name recognized
We were lucky to be taken on a walking tour. Our museum guide explained that several tunnels hid beneath the streets, linking buildings together. When our guide heard that our surname was "Schantz," she rushed upstairs and returned with a copy of the old cemetery list. Lo and behold, we found Schantz family names everywhere!

Once inside the museum, we noticed several chairs and rockers, all with distinguishable woven seats credited to a "Schantz." It was rewarding to be able to view the handiwork of a craftsman ancestor who bore our last name! Other museum heirlooms included trundle beds, baby cradles, dining tables and chairs, spinning wheels, wooden rocking horses, vintage pianos, heirloom quilts,old  medicine cabinets, farming implements, and weapons.

Aunt Jean, age 89, still possesses a stool with a hand-woven patterned seat made of hickory, and made by ancestor Schantz, which was passed down to her.
References:
Butler County Tourism & Convention Bureau www.VisitButlerCounty.com

A Jewel in the Desert - The Desert Caballeros Western Museum


A Jewel in the Desert - The Desert Caballeros Western Museum

 
We were awed by the diversity of art and history enclosed within the beautiful Wickenburg Desert Caballeros Western Museum. It features both permanent and changing exhibits. In 2007-08 theMuseum received the coveted Museum of the Year award.

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The popular 5th Annual  "Gowgirl Up! Art from the Other Half of the West" exhibit, which ran from March 26 through May 2 of this year, was now closed. It featured more than 50 women western artists from across the country, including Shawn Cameron, Rox Corbett, Sheila Cottrell, Lisa Danielle, Linda Carter Holman, Marti Miller Hubbell, Judith Moore-Knapp, Sue Krzyston, Linda Loeschen, Louisa McElwain,  Darcie Peet, Cynthia Rigden, Sharon Standridge, Kathryn Stats, Sherry Blanchard Stuart, Karmel Timmons, and Brigitte Woosley. We're sorry we missed it. Next year, it's a must-see!
The upper level of the Museum includes: a store loaded with souvenirs, books, and keepsakes; a diorama of Wickenburg in the Hall of History; the Hays Spirit of the Cowboy Collection containing everything from chaps, hats, lariats, and spurs to guns, bridles, bits and saddles; the American Indian room; the Mineral Room; the Changing Art Gallery, and, the Aiken W. Fisher Gallery with art from early explorer artists (i.e. Remington and Russell), landscape artists, Taos artists, and founding fathers of the Cowboy Artists of America.
Moving down to the lower level, you'll view: an early Wickenburg street scene (c.1905); period rooms, ranch life, and the Changing History Gallery, which currently displays "Snapshots from Early Twentieth Century Arizona: A Postcard Legacy," a collection of fantastic vintage postcards from Jeremy Rowe.
Curator Mary Ann Igna was interviewed by Western Art Collector in March 2010, and is intrigued by the thought of doing an exhibition of the beautiful weather and clouds of the Southwest. I'm excited by this idea. I hope she'll consider my favorite western artist Tim Cox. His clouds are breath-taking, especially in "Between Heaven and Earth!"
Admission is nominal, the Museum is service dog and wheelchair-accessible, and there's no better spot to stay cool and enjoy what the West was and is today!
We finished our trip with a delicious Mexican food lunch at Anita's Cocina, just east of the Museum.