Maricopa
Moving with the Times
Father Kino at Maricopa Wells in 1600s
Maricopa traces its beginnings to the late 1600s when Father Kino first began his explorations along the Gila River. He explored Maricopa Wells, Maricopa’s first location, and the Sierra Estrellas several times during these travels. He speculated that if he were to climb to the top of this mountain range, he would probably be able to see the coast. Whether he actually did climb the Estrellas is not known, but he eventually did follow the Gila River beyond Maricopa Wells and all the way to the Colorado River where he discovered that Baja California was a peninsula, not an island, as many had thought.
Father Kino’s primary goal was to build missions and to improve the lives of the peaceful Pima farmers who lived in the 20 villages along the Gila River. Although he never fulfilled his goal of building missions along the Gila River, he did assist the Pimas with diversifying their agriculture, and brought cattle, horses and a variety of other farm animals into the area.
Jewel of the Desert ~ 1857
The first transcontinental mail line from San Antonio to San Diego was established in 1857. Maricopa Wells become its key relay station in Arizona. Young James Birch, a wealthy entrepreneur who made his fortune from the gold fields of California won this government contract, but needed the more lucrative St. Louis to San Francisco contract to be solvent. However, his rival, John Butterfield, a visionary and wealthy giant from the east coast, also sought and was eventually awarded the second contract.
By 1858 Maricopa Wells had been transformed from a rough entity into a fort-like structure with a hubbub of constant activity. A small city surrounded by tall grasses...a jewel in the desert! Where did the water and food come from to sustain such a change? The food came from the prosperous and peaceful Pima farmers who lived and farmed along the Gila River, and the water could be found less than three feet below ground. This water was a courtesy of the many rivers (Santa Cruz, Santa Rosa, Vekol) that flowed into the Gila River near Maricopa Wells.
A 16-mule freight team at Maricopa Wells ca.1870. Courtesy of Casa Grande Historical Society
In 1858 Maricopa Wells was a key relay station for the famous Butterfield Overland Mail Line, the longest mail line in the world. Later it became even more important in the growth and development of the southwest when a mail route was established from Maricopa Wells into the Phoenix area. Anyone traveling from the east to the west and all points north had to travel through Maricopa Wells during these years. This mecca in the desert continued to be one of the most important places in southern Arizona until 1879.
Maricopaville ~ Boomtown in 1879
The good life at Maricopa Wells continued until the coming of the iron horse. The Southern Pacific Railroad line was in the process of being laid across southern Arizona to connect Yuma with Tucson. In 1879 the post office was moved eight miles directly south of Maricopa Wells to Maricopaville (also called Maricopa), the newly proposed terminal (State Hwy 238) for the Southern Pacific Railroad and the Maricopa and Phoenix Railroad. Maricopaville very quickly took on the appearance of one of the gold rush boom towns of California, becoming the key shipping and distribution depot for all of middle and northern Arizona. Hotels, warehouses, saloons and businesses of all types were constructed overnight and running full blast. Freight wagons with loads of commerce clogged the streets with a constant loading or unloading of goods. Arizona newspapers predicted a 
bright future for this thriving new community and one paper suggested that it had a good chance for becoming the capital of Arizona.
However, prominent Tempe residents protested the proposed route, reminding the lawmakers that public money was being used to build the M&P and, Tempe must be on the line, too. The politicians agreed, and the location for the new M&P terminal was moved three and a half miles east to its present location of Maricopa.
Maricopa ~ Railroad Junction
On July 4, 1887, the first M&P train left Maricopa (present location) with its load of enthusiastic passengers 
headed north into the Salt River Valley. This maiden journey marked the beginning of Maricopa’s golden era as a railroad junction. During the following years, Phoenicians traveling east or west rode the M&P to make connections with the Southern Pacific in Maricopa. East-west passengers from the Southern Pacific could disembark at Maricopa and board the M&P into Phoenix. The railroad station at Maricopa was frequently filled with as many as 250 passengers at a time waiting for the next train. There was much competition with local hotel proprietors, too. There were 
two hotels on opposite sides of the tracks. One hotel proprietor had a wildlife display that included a nest of wildcats to entertain the patrons and one of the most impressive collections of Indian baskets in the Southwest. Another proprietor set up honeymoon rooms in his hotel. Many couples were married in Phoenix and traveled by train to Maricopa for 
their honeymoon. Another gimmick to attract the attention of passengers came from a 92-year-old man, Wasnauk, who walked from the reservation each day to meet the afternoon passenger trains. He offered to demonstrate his skill with the arrow by shooting off the hat of any passenger willing to take the risk. Many actually took the risk and paid a quarter for this demonstration. Wasnauk never missed! Others who stopped at Maricopa were the popular world champion boxer, John L. Sullivan, who spent the night at the Edwards Hotel and at least two presidents, Theodore Roosevelt and William McKinley, disembarked their trains to greet the people.
In the next 60 years the train made a major impact upon the people of Maricopa and throughout Arizona. It became a source of faster and more comfortable travel. It provided a means for transporting materials and goods across the country more efficiently and opened up the whole West for growth and development.
Maricopa ~ Farming Community
Maricopa life in the 1940s and 1950s saw great changes in its economy. After World War II Maricopa became a respected farming community with the conversion of raw desert land into fertile farming enterprises. Farmers grew barley, alfalfa, corn, melons, lettuce, maize, wheat, grapes and tons of cotton. Later, pistachios and pecans became important crops. Until 1954, the roads were unpaved, there were few telephones, and entertainment was mostly homegrown. People gathered in the evenings to watch for the trains, played card games with neighbors or friends, shared barbecues, but much of their social life still centered at the school. A school carnival became an annual event to raise money for school needs. Stagecoach Days became the brainchild of a new organization in town called the Rotary Club, who would build a community swimming pool to 
save its children from drowning in the canals. Dedicated citizens found the time and effort necessary to teach a whole community of children to swim. It was a close-knit community of family and friends who worked together to meet the needs of its people. During the 60s and 70s, large sections of farmland were subdivided into mini farms, which brought hundreds of citizens from nearby cities into Maricopa seeking a better way of life for their families. Most of these newcomers commuted to work, a small price to pay for the luxury of living in such a peaceful paradise. They immediately went to work volunteering their time and talents wherever needed as they latched onto the common thread that binds and embraces a whole community.
City of Maricopa ~ In the Fast Lane
Maricopa officially became an incorporated city on October 15, 2003, making it Arizona’s 88th city. Almost immediately it became one of the fastest growing cities in the United States with its population expecting to exceed 100,000 by 2010.
What does the future hold for Maricopa? Maricopa city officials are planning to build a city complex, which they hope will be the heart of the city. It will be a place, not only for city hall and courtrooms, but will include a 60,000 square foot library, a 6,000 square foot aquatics center, 30,000 square foot multigenerational center, almost 10 acres for the Public Works Maintenance facilities, private and professional offices, retail stores and restaurants. This area, with its rapid growth, is a paradise for businesses of all sorts....a Field of Dreams for the business world. “Build it and they will come.”
From "Reflections of a Desert Town" Edition II, by Patricia Brock
"Reflections of Desert Town" can be purchased at the Maricopa Library, Secondhand Pages Book Store, or the Maricopa Chamber of Commerce for $25 and 100% of proceeds will go to the future Maricopa History Room.