Rural scenes of old Phoenix

Before "master planned communities," freeways, gravel, palo verdes, and endless pavement, Phoenix was closely surrounded by groves and farms, shade trees and virgin desert. It lasted until the 1960s and 1970s. I remember my grandmother taking me for a picnic on a dirt road surrounded by fields and beneath a cottonwood tree. Here are a few of the photos (click for a larger image):

Arizona willows or ash trees line Central and Southern avenues, 1930 (McCulloch Bros. Collection/ASU Archives).

Another view of shady Central at Southern in 1930 (McCulloch Bros. Collection/ASU Archives).

Lincoln Drive west of Scottsdale Road in 1935.

Orangewood Avenue in 1939 (McCulloch Bros. Collection/ASU Archives).

Sixteenth Street and Camelback Road in the 1940s (McCulloch Brothers Collection/ASU Archives).

Another view of the intersection, with a Shell station and Toy's Grocery in the 1940s (McCulloch Bros. Collection/ASU Archives).

Likely Grand Avenue in 1942.

The Tempe Road (Van Buren Street) between Phoenix and Tempe, 1940.

Grand Avenue and Lateral Four, near Thomas Road, 1941.

This haunting photo shows Glendale Avenue east of Grand Avenue during World War II. The mailbox is for the Yoshimoto family farm. Had they lived west of Grand, they would have been interned along with 120,000 other people of Japanese ancestry. The line ran along U.S. 60 — Grand Avenue and Van Buren Street. Those west and south were sent to camps.

Hank's Auto Repair near 40th Street and Thomas in the 1950s.

Below are unidentified locations around rural Phoenix in the 1930s, from the McCulloch Brothers Collection/ASU Archives:

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My book, A Brief History of Phoenix, is available to buy or order at your local independent bookstore, or from Amazon.

Read more Phoenix history in Rogue's Phoenix 101 archive.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Comments

[Michael Swaine]

4200 N. Central, 1942
I'm confused by this photo. If this is on Central looking north, there should be an empty field of the Indian School on the right. If it is looking south on Central there still would be open fields on the left. Now, if the cross street is Central, then it is looking east on Indian School rd. Your thoughts?

[Cal Lash]

That photo appears to be in Litchfield.
Im curious what the large buildings are on the leftside of the photo here.

[Rogue Columnist]

It's definitely not in Litchfield. Changed the caption.

[Cal Lash]

Here's a ASU library photo of 4200 North Central taken on 12/16/1942
https://repository.asu.edu/items/33341

[Cal Lash]

Looking at the building I posted they appear to be the same in John's photo.
https://repository.asu.edu/media/derivatives/77/89/69/7789697131f799b759a9d21994b25a75/large.jpg
Jon's photo has a sign with info on the
Wig Wam in Litchfield. I cant make out the garage name.

[Cal Lash]

Grand Avenue Makes sense of the Wig Wam Sign

[Jeff Johnson]

I see a fun little project: going to each of the sites and recreating the photo as it looks today. Depressing? Most likely. But enlightening nonetheless.

[IA_Ed]

Might the garage name be "Leeds Bros."?

Also, might there be railroad tracks parallel to the road on the left? The poles with the double crossbars look like telegraph poles.

[Mike Doughty]

I always remember the enterprisingg gas station owner who posted sign saying “Lasrt chance to buy gas in Phoenix “ this was posted on tempe road and it did look that way by the desolation of the surrounding landscape I always wondered how many people cursed that owner when he found all kinds of stations inTempe and Mesa,

[Pat]

Be a shame if Roosevelt dam ever fails and blows out Horse Mesa, Mormon Flat and Stewart Mountain; then they'd have start all over again, like ants when children kick their hills apart.

[Pat]

By the way, how would a dam blowout erupt from the canyon into the valley? Like a monster fire hose? I sure don't think it's a good idea to live in a place so vulnerable, but people live next to active volcanoes.

[Cal Lash]

Pat. One could only hope?
For maybe the tenth time, this Afternoon, before i did my evening walk to the deserts edge to hang out with a hawks, doves. quails rabbits and other varmints,
i watched my DVD of
" A Voice in the Wilderness."

[Cal Lash]

Pat, speaking of ants. Have you read the 9th chapter, Clifford Simak added to CITY years after its first publications?
And the dogs sit around the campfires and discuss the possible existence of man.

[Cal Lash]

"fantasized about blowing up federal dams"
https://www.nytimes.com/2002/04/29/books/friend-not-role-model-remembering-edward-abbey-who-loved-words-women-beer-desert.html

[Joe Schallan]

IA_Ed: I did an enlargement of that photo -- ("Unidentified, 1942. Might be Grand Avenue.") The sign on the gas station certainly looks like it might be "Leeds Bros."

A check of the 1947-48 Phoenix City Directory reveals a Leeds & Son Garage (M.L. Leeds) at 1804 Grand, just south of its intersection with McDowell Road.

[Robin Luethe]

If someone does 'after' pictures hope they get posted here

[Jack Beaver]

I suspect the unidentified location is Grand Avenue & Indian School Road looking northwest. On the right side of the photo is a street sign that is cut off but says "IN". It also makes sense with the sign pointing toward Litchfield Park and the Wigwam.

[Joe Schallan]

Jack: Regardless of where the Leeds family had gas stations, I think Grand / Indian School is a pretty good call.

[Bart Turner]

What might be the location/cross street for the Orangewood Ave. photo?