Phoenix is a thriving state capital in the Valley of the Sun that offers much for the history buff. The historic buildings of downtown Phoenix, the Indigenous prehistoric Hohokam tribe, and the Old West’s fi rst settlers and gold mining towns are just some of the attractions visitors can enjoy today.
Phoenix, Arizona, got its name from an early settler, Darrell Duppa, who envisioned it as the mythical phoenix rising from the ashes of the Hohokam civilization. It was built on the Salt River in the 1860s. A former Confederate soldier, Jack Swilling, settled there and used canals to bring water to the area for crop fi elds. Others, called Swilling’s Party, followed him, seeking the fertile soil.
The town became offi cial in 1868 and was incorporated in 1881. The phoenix became the city symbol. People making up Phoenix’s population are called Phoenicians and call their city the “Valley of the Sun” due to its climate and location in the Salt River Valley.
Phoenix has preserved many of its historical sites, bringing the past elements to connect with the present. People here feel a deep sense of pride and embrace their history. We’ll discover many interesting stories and historic sites where you can visit and connect with the past.
The S’edav Va’aki Museum is the place to see everything archaeological for the City of Phoenix. It curates collections of artifacts from hundreds of sites across the city and metro area. It includes the archeology studies of the Salt River Valley, the Hohokam Native Tribes, the site of S’edav Va’aki, and the original Phoenix townsite.
The museum has remnants of the Indigenous prehistoric Hohokam people in the region from 700 A.D. to 1450 A.D.
The Hohokam tribe dug Phoenix’s canals, some of which are still used today. These irrigation canals, reaching over 135 miles, provided a stable water supply to the Sonoran Desert, allowing the City of Phoenix to exist even today. The Hohokam civilization used this area as an agricultural community, demonstrating some of the region's early Native American history.
No one knows what happened to the Hohokam people, but many think that an extended drought drove them away or other unknown reasons caused them to perish. The Hohokam canals allowed the city of Phoenix to become the thriving industrial city it is today. The history of Phoenix certainly extends through hundreds of years of hard work and dedication to the land and its settlers.
This historic area was mined for gold, and the town was established in 1893. In the 1890s, Goldfi eld had all the necessities a miner and his family would need: a general store, a boarding house, a blacksmith shop, a schoolhouse, a brewery, a meat market, and three saloons.
At that time, it looked like the town would grow bigger than Mesa! There were 4000 people residing in the bustling town. But just as it was thriving, the gold vein faulted, and the grade of ore they were mining dropped. The town dried up and was essentially a ghost town within fi ve years of its start. The town attempted to get the mines going again, and it was revived on and off from 1910 to 1926. From that time on, it was considered a ghost town for over 115 years.
In 1966, an enthusiast of treasure-hunting, ghost towns, and mining, Robert “Bob” Schoose, came to the area while traveling to the Superstition Mountains. He fell in love with this part of the country, and after moving to Mesa in 1970, he bought the site of the old mill in Goldfi eld. He and his wife started adding authentic and replica buildings to the town as a tourist attraction to give visitors a taste of the Old West. Today, it depicts the ghost town as a thriving area, much like in the late 1800s.
Goldfi eld is considered the Gateway to the Legendary Superstition Mountains, located east of Phoenix. One legend tells of a German immigrant named Jacob Walts who found a “mother load of gold” in the mountains, which led to the legend of the Lost Dutchman’s Gold Mine. It has not been proven that he indeed found the gold there, and he may have stolen it from another mine and just said this was where it came from. People still search for the Lost Dutchman’s Mine today.
Old lore that some of the Apache believed was that there is a hole leading to the lower world (hell) located somewhere in the Superstition Mountains. Winds that blow from that hole are said to cause dust storms in the surrounding areas.
Now, there are lots of things to do in the Goldfi eld Ghost Town for those of all ages:
Superstition Narrow Gauge Railroad
By Marine 69-71 - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=45474183
Goldfield Ghost Tours
By Marine 69-71 - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=48359078
Gold Panning and Gem Sluicing
The Wild West at its best! This open-air museum is 90 acres of land packed with 19th-century Arizona history. Tucked in the foothills of North Phoenix, it shows what it was like back in the Arizona Territory from 1863 to 1912.
The Pioneer Village features 20 buildings: original homes, shops, and other reconstructed dwellings. You’ll get a taste of the primitive living conditions of the early American Southwest.
Here are just some of the sites:
Ashurst Cabin (original building)
By Marine 69-71 - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=49855696
By Marine 69-71 - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=49855695
The original 1878 home of Senator Henry Fountain Ashurst, Arizon’s fi rst senator, has been moved to this area. He lived here from the age of four with his parents and siblings.
Flying “V” Cabin (original building)
By Marine 69-71 - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=49855699
This original cabin of John Tewksbury was moved from Cherry Creek in Pleasant Valley to its new home at the Pioneer Living History Museum. It was built around 1880 and equipped with gun ports to defend against attacking Apaches seeking supplies and food. Ironically, a fi ght with neighboring farmers, not Apache raids, caused his death and those of many others.
The Tewksbury-Graham Feud, a disagreement between the two families, was also known as the Pleasant Valley War. Ed Tewksbury and Tom Graham were initially friends, but their relationship broke after a dispute over grazing land and the accusation of stolen cattle and sheep farming. This arguing went on for multiple generations, taking many lives in each family.
Sheriff’s Offi ce (reconstructed)
In the days of the Old West era, this was the classic adobe building of the times. The original building from which this was modeled was a combination of sheriff’s offi ce, jail, and courthouse. The judge for the circuit probably stopped by once a month to hold court in a building much like this one.
The artifacts in this offi ce and most of the effects in the village are original to the period. This unique history of the Phoenix area is preserved here, with important events scheduled to bring the pioneer style to life!
By Marine 69-71 - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=45161631
This museum captures the rich history of the foothills area of Cave Creek, which Native people have inhabited for thousands of years.
Cave Creek has evolved in many different ways since the 700s. Here is a timeline provided by the museum website that shows how Cave Creek resources have been used:
Cave Creek Timeline
● 700-1400: INDIANS - Hohokam and Salado Indians
● 1870-1873: MILITARY - Apache Wars | Military Road | Rancho Manana
● 1873-1910: MINING - Continental (fi rst recorded in Cave Creek), Gold Hill, Mormon Girl, Maricopa, Phoenix Mines
● 1877-1920: RANCHING - Cave Creek Ranch (old Linville Place) | Cartwright Ranch | Houck Sheep Shearing Station
● 1925-1935: TB CARE - Several Tuberculosis Camps in the Cave Creek area.
● 1928-1962: GUEST RANCHES - Spur Cross | Rancho Manana | Sierra Vista
● 1935-1943: DAM BUILDING - 1935-1938: Bartlett Dam - 1940-1943: Horseshoe Dam
● 1960-Present Day: RESORT/RETIREMENT - Carefree | Cave Creek
The Ansbaugh Auditorium is step one of your Cave Creek experience and discovering many more interesting stories. You’ll fi nd exhibits of Sonoran Desert life, the Archeology Wing, and the History Wing. Outdoors, you’ll fi nd the Golden Reef Stamp Mill, Cave Creek’s fi rst church, and a Tubercular Cabin where those with tuberculosis disease (also called consumption at that time) would recuperate.
Golden Reef Stamp Mill
By Marine 69-71 - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=45044400
Cave Creek’s first church
By Marine 69-71 - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=45044397
Tubercular Cabin (outside and inside)
By Marine 69-71 - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=45044397
You can find an impressive range of American history in the Phoenix area, from the early 700s Hohokam civilization to the Wild West Anglo-American settlers and early 1900s buildings! The fi fth largest city in the United States, Phoenix is a modern city that never forgets its past. One of the most loved sites, Heritage Square, is right in the middle of downtown and boasts historic buildings and homes that still take part in the city's story. The outlying areas have many sites to see the beauty of the Southwest, which are not found in a modern city or desert metropolis. Bring your family and enjoy a step back in time!
If you are new to Phoenix and need dental care for your kiddos, make an appointment to see Dr. Culp and our staff at Jungle Roots Dentistry. We’d love to be your dental home!
