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Re: memories of Picacho, AZ?
¿ªÔÆÌåÓýCarlos Have you mentioned and/or do you remember the rather good-sized refrigerated packing shed for lettuce on the east side of I-10 (just west of tracks). Was a prominent ag comp on sign. Was there for several years. Don't remember exact location, but was N of Marana. Jeri Wesson On Mar 13, 2014, at 11:42 AM, <mistercopacetic@...> wrote:
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Re: "Mining Tales" author looking for photos
Hey... I saw this name and wanted to point out that William Ascarza will be signing autographs for his books at our booth ( Arizona Geological Survey , Arizona Experience Store) ?at the Tucson Festival of Books this?Sat ( 03/15/2014) ?from 3pm - 5pm.?
Paula |
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Re: memories of Picacho, AZ?
"Jenk's" was actually in a couple locations in the late 60s-early 70s. (my best friend at Flowing Wells HS was family of A.E. "Jenks" Jenkins)? They had two locations on the east side of I-10 north of Ruthrauff, at different times.? Also, across the freeway, south of Sunset, at what was the National Truck Stop was another of their restaurants. VERY good eating there.
John Holden |
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Re: memories of Picacho, AZ?
One of those old hotels was a massage parlor in the late 1970s. I know this ONLY because I had the Arizona Daily Star motor route in the Thornydale and Tortolita area, and we threw a paper to the massage parlor every morning at 3. ?I always thought that was funny.? The route ended, 500 customers later, at the Titan 2 missile silo on Tangerine Road. ?Every dawn, we drove past the DO NOT ENTER NO TRESPASSING signs and tossed a Star at the silo. Until the MPs all but arrested us and cancelled the subscription.
Bored hookers and bored airmen in the silo helped pay my way through UA. |
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Re: memories of Picacho, AZ?
I remember my first trip to Tucson, in 1965, and the grand sign approaching Tucson that said something like "I-10 Refueling Plaza, Next Exit" that the AZ Highway Department had put up. We pulled off at what turned out to be Camino del Cerro and found 3-4 ratty old truck stops, now mercifully gone. Yech. |
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Re: memories of Picacho, AZ?
Hello All, ? Thanks to Hans for that interesting anecdote.? I¡¯m tracking down some former Picacho residents to ask about that, and more. ? If anyone is heading out on a little photography expedition, here are a few more notes: ? I added exits 232 and 236 ? Corrections: ? I referred to exit 240 as Rillito, the name of the former train station, but the exit sign calls it Tangerine. Tangerine exit is the southern end of the ADOT project to widen the highway from 4 to 10(!) lanes. The northern end is the I-8 interchange. I don¡¯t know for sure what will be demolished for the ADOT project, but road widening creates new frontage roads and makes the roadside property more valuable, so whatever ADOT doesn¡¯t demolish, developers most likely will. Hopefully the big old Southern Pacific tank is far enough south of the project to be spared. ? I had Red Rock and Rillito in the wrong sequence.? Speaking of wrong sequence, we know Marana Road is north of Avra Valley Road, but the old railroad stops of Marana and Avra were the other way around, with Avra being north of Marana. ? Questions ? -where was the old race track out on Casa Grande Highway? -As late as the 1940¡¯s, a map showed 3 railroad stops that I¡¯ve never heard of. Anyone ever seen them? Between Picacho and Red Rock was a stop named Wymola? Between Avra and Marana (mentioned above) was a stop named Naviska? Between Rillito and Cortaro was a stop named Sabino? ? ? ? Here¡¯s the updated exit-by-exit list: ¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡.. ? exit 211 Eloy (Highway 87) ? exit 212 Picacho east side: all the motels, cafes, bars, homes and businesses along old State Route 84 west side: KOA Kampground, mostly trailers and homes built after the Interstate replaced Highway 84 ? exit 219 Picacho Peak west side: Nickerson¡¯s (caving in), Trading Post (burned), Picacho Peak State Park, Ostrich Ranch east side: Furrer¡¯s Military Museum and Restaurant. This was the world¡¯s largest private collection of World War I era military vehicles.? The ¡°sign¡± was a truck mounted on a pole, erected with the help of a military tank.? Furrer was forced off the property by State of Arizona in the early 80¡¯s and died soon afterward.? This is a whole topic in itself. Some of the property is currently used by Bowlin¡¯s Travel Center. ? ? exit 226 Red Rock west side: Red Rock Bar, Red Rock Post Office, Sasco Road (dirt) heads SW past the turn of the century smelter ruins and hotel (seen it?). Sasco Road then heads south, all the way around Silverbell Mine, old Silverbell cemetery (a secret), loops around back to the east, joining Avra Valley Road, heading north of an old Titan II Missle Silo (another secret), north of the Waterman Mountains (old mines and bighorn sheep), back in to Avra Valley. Note that Googlemaps doesn¡¯t show the community of Friendly Corners, AZ, due east of Red Rock, and due south of Eloy. ? east side: Red Rock Southern Pacific water tank (white with red lettering), Park Link Road (dirt) is a beautiful drive east to Highway 79 ? exit 232 west side: Pinal Airpark east side: Missile Base road, north of the exit, refers to another Titan II missile silo.? There is almost no evidence on the ground. ? exit 236 Marana Road west side: Trico Marana Road. There used to lots of interesting old cotton farms out here.? On Trico Road there was a totally abandoned, massive metal processing plant, filled with huge equipment and owls in the rafters.? Last time I looked for it, it was gone. ? ? exit 240 Rillito (Tangerine) east side: big black Rillito Southern Pacific water tank 1 mile south of exit (I love it!) west side: big cement plant pits with water in the bottom. ? This is the southern end of the ADOT project to widen the highway from 4 to 10(!) lanes. The northern end is the I-8 interchange. ? exit 242 Avra Valley Road west side: windmill, ruins of old ranch at Santa Cruz, ruins of various businesses??? I¡¯ve always wondered what used to be here? east side??? ? exit 246 Cortaro west side: ??? east side??? ? ¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡. ? Thanks again, ? Carlos |
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Re: memories of Picacho, AZ?
In the 1940s, there was a resort called "The Outpost" at 60th Street and Osborn Road, next to the AZ Country Club in Phoenix. ?It burned down in 1965 or 66. There was a small sign that said "The Outpost Resort Hotel," which had stood on Indian School Road at 60th Street for years. ?A couple of years after the fire, it reappeared next to a small row of hotel rooms in beautiful downtown Picacho.?
It was there next to old route 84 for years.? Hans Laetz, Malibu CA
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Re: memories of Picacho, AZ?
¿ªÔÆÌåÓýIs all of this gone (motels and their signs; Nickerson; ostrich ranch; KOA, etc?...have to catch my breath; ?so many memories...would not have thought that when I saw these ~2yrs ago on drive from Phoenix it would be the last time... On Mar 12, 2014, at 11:28 AM, <mistercopacetic@...> wrote:
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Re: memories of Picacho, AZ?
Hello All, ? Thanks for all the replies. ?I had to look at a map to organize my sketchy memories. I poked around this area in the early 80¡¯s on motorcycles and 4WD¡¯s. Here are a few more memories, exit by exit, driving inbound from Picacho on the outskirts of Tucson.? I hope they remind you of something else. ??I¡¯m mainly thinking about the section from Picacho to Cortaro, because this is the section which will be wiped out by the I-10 widening and the Union Pacific switching yard. ? exit 212 Picacho east side: all the motels, cafes, bars, homes and businesses along old State Route 84 west side: KOA Kampground, mostly trailers and homes built after the Interstate replaced Highway 84 ? exit 219 Picacho Peak west side: Nickerson¡¯s (caving in), Trading Post (burned), Picacho Peak State Park, Ostrich Ranch east side: Furrer¡¯s Military Museum and Restaurant (truck on the pole, closed early 80¡¯s), now Bowlin¡¯s Travel Center, gas, etc. ? exit 240 Rillito east side: big black Rillito Southern Pacific water tank 1 mile south of exit (I love it!) west side: can¡¯t remember? ? exit 226 Red Rock west side: Red Rock Bar, Red Rock Post Office, Sasco Road (dirt) heads SW past the turn of the century smelter ruins and hotel (seen it?). Sasco Road then heads south, all the way around Silverbell Mine, old Silverbell cemetery (a secret), loops around back to the east, joining Avra Valley Road, heading north of an old Titan II Missle Silo (another secret), north of the Waterman Mountains (old mines and bighorn sheep), back in to Avra Valley east side: Red Rock Southern Pacific water tank (white with red lettering), Park Link Road (dirt) is a beautiful drive east to Highway 79 ? exit 242 Avra Valley west side: windmill, ruins of old ranch at Santa Cruz, ruins of various businesses??? I¡¯ve always wondered what used to be here? east side??? ? exit 246 Cortaro west side: ??? east side??? ? Please fill in my gaps.? ? Thanks again, ? Carlos |
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Re: memories of Picacho, AZ?
Years ago my wife and I were in a restaurant in Tucson and overheard a conversation with the man who started that military museum in Picacho and another person. He had a deep, distinctive voice and wasn't shy about asking his fellow diner to join him in his restaurant at the museum someday. There wasn't much there at the time except the sign and some old military equipment. Years went by and I remember hearing about the passing of that gentleman. His museum never did take off, but the jeep on the sign was around for years!
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Thank you Mr. Copacetic
Just managed to connect a couple of strong childhood memories going through the photo library. We lived near Swan and Broadway in the 1950's. The picture of the neon starburst "Lucky Wishbone" sign was imprinted on me as a kid. It meant we were getting close to the Rodeo Drive-in.
Also remembering Paulo-Z's restaurant near the Fox. We would go there on a Saturday night with my Aunt and Uncle for special family events.? |
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Re: memories of Picacho, AZ?
Carlos,
Thanks for the update about Picacho.
Especially for those of us that have moved
from the Tucson area. I sure will miss over 40 yrs of driving between Tucson and Phoenix and seeing the old places.
Is that tall pole with that old military jeep
still there ? When I visit Tucson now I fly so have not driven on I-10 for a long time.
Thanks ,
Deb Rollins
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Re: memories of Picacho, AZ?
Carlos,
thank you for letting us that grew up in
Tucson but have since moved to another
State . I always was fascinated by that little place of Picacho and wondered why anyone
would want to still live so far out that way.
Don't remember how many times in 40 yrs I stopped there maybe a few dozen. But now
I feel kind of sad it's totally gone. Guess we
have to get use to progress and growth but
It's still hard to see things from our past gone. Also Redrock, I remember that old sign Redrock Bar , never stopped there but I guess some folks may have.
Thanks again and I will look at the photos that may be in the files and ones that some of the other members may be sending in.
-Deb Rollins
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Re: memories of Picacho, AZ?
?i remember picacho from the late 60's, early 70's.? we would drive to san diego once or twice a year, to spend time with family at the holidays.? picacho was always, as it was for you, the 'marker' for leaving and coming home.? i remember when 'nickerson farms' was up and running; they served great pie.? if memory serves,? there was also a 'see's candy' store somewhere in the vicinity (or maybey it was a 'stuckey's').? this news makes me sad indeed.? a few years back i flew in to phoenix and drove down to tucson.? i recall seeing several of those distinctive old neon 'motor court' signs on the eastern side of the highway; i assume these are gone?? this demolition comes as news to me as i don't live in the area any longer.? any links anyone can provide to shed further light on the how's and why's?? i assume it's just in the name of "progress" (i.e., highway expansion)... |
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Re: memories of Picacho, AZ?
Gang My oldest personal memory. ?The U of A and ASU would hold an annual bicycle relay depending on who was the home team. ?The visitor would race to the other City. ?Each fraternity would sponsor a freshman team for a leg of the Race. ?Our year was late 1961. I drew the longest leg from REDROCK to PACACHO. ?I was glad to see gas station on the horizon. ?The bikes were not the TOUR type, but the old FAT tire ones. ?The folly of youth. Jim Hilkemeyer |
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memories of Picacho, AZ?
Hello All, ? You may have heard about how AZ Dept. of Transportation demolished the entire community of Picacho recently.? This community was originally a stop on the Butterfield Stage Route, and later the Southern Pacific Railroad, with many buildings surviving from the 1930s, 40s and 50s. ? My earliest memories of Picacho were from the early 1980¡¯s when the community was already in decline.? Like most people, I usually drove by without stopping.? When driving west, I always thought of Picacho as the ¡°last stop¡± before really leaving Tucson.? Conversely, heading east, returning from Phoenix or L.A., seeing that big neon sign at Picacho meant that I was almost home. ? I¡¯ve heard that Picacho was a thriving community in the days of State Route 84. Before I-10 was built, people were more inclined to stop at one of several roadside cafes, bars and motels. ?I also heard there was a rodeo in Picacho.? If anyone remembers back that far, I¡¯d love to hear about it. ? we have a few images here¡ ? https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/vanishingtucson/photos/albums/1823280347 ? Thanks, ? Carlos Write a message... |
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Re: Sunset Rollerama
¿ªÔÆÌåÓýI never could roller skate, but I did go to "sock
hops" there occasionally. And I did manage to sneak out and see Kathy Young and
the Innocents there. My memory of the sign is that it was just painted, not
neon, though it might have had some light bulbs on it.
?
Mary Shriver - Rincon High School
'63 |