I remember it well. I first moved to Arizona in 1964,
we lived in Willcox but traveled to Tucson to shop at
El Con Mall, the old water tower was still there then.
And of course, us girls would get Mom to take us
downtown so we could buy trinkets at dime stores and
we really loved the clothes at Lerners. Sometimes we'd
get to stay and go to the Fox theater if we had time.
Mother Higgins was kind of a scary place to us when we
were young, kids would tell stories, real or not. It
wasn't a place I'd want to go to. The stories we heard
about Fort Grant from the boys would be also chilling
to hear. Of course, what was made up tales or not, it
still sounded like a bad place.
When we moved to Tucson in late '65 we lived near
Benson Highway renting a small house until my folks
found a place off Golf Links to buy. Dad use to take
us kids to the Round-Up on Benson Hwy for biscuits and
gravy on Sunday mornings sometimes. Later as an
married adult my husband and I use to go there once in
awhile to dance to the country western band but
usually left before it got to rowdy.....and it could
get pretty rowdy back then in the 70's.
We later bought a home in a new housing development at
the time out on West Valencia just west of Mission
Road when my husband got a job at the copper mine
south of town. There our sons were born and raised
until they graduated and went into the Marine Corps,
like their Dad. The boys still call Tucson their
hometown even though they have been stationed other
places in the military now. We sold our home and
rented an apartment for awhile before we needed to
come back here to Alabama to take care of some elderly
relatives on my husbands side. We have been gone from
Tucson for 18 months but have flew back 3 times
already to visit our beloved desert paradise. We are
hoping we can move back permantly soon.
I really miss it, especially the sunsets at Gates
Pass.
-Deb R.
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