The resorts of old Phoenix

Before the Sanctuary, Boulders, or Phoenician, the city embraced a tourist experience beyond the hotels downtown, motels along the highways, or dude ranches. They were resorts offering amenities that couldn't be found elsewhere in the Southwest. First came the Arizona Biltmore (above) in February 1929, months before the big stock-market crash. Next, during the Great Depression, was the Camelback Inn in 1936, financed by John C. Lincoln and Jack Bell Stewart.

All fed into a reviving economy, location on a transcontinental railroad, and the Chamber of Commerce's "Valley of the Sun" tourism campaign. Contrary to urban legend, the Biltmore wasn't the work of Frank Lloyd Wright, but rather his student, Albert Chase McArthur. McArthur paid Frank Lloyd Wright $10,000 to use his patented block design, (but it turned out Wright didn't actually own the patent). Soon, William Wrigley Jr. bought the resort and built the famous mansion on a nearby butte.

Let's take a tour. Because TypePad, which hosts Rogue Columnist, is buggy on photos, I'm going to bunch out the gallery, below, without captions. You'll see the Biltmore — including its pre-construction site — Camelback Inn, Royal Palms, Chandler's San Marcos, and the Wigwam near Litchfield Park. Hope you enjoy. Click on a photo for a larger image.

Above, Harpo Marx with his wife Susan "Million Dollar Legs" Fleming at the Biltmore in the 1940s.

And by reader demand: Below is the Jokake Inn and Hopi dancers at the Ingleside Inn.

Most of these photos come from the McCulloch Bros. Collection/ASU Archives, and some from Brad Hall.

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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

[James]

Always great stuff. I love the Harpo Marx shot.

[Rob]

Love these photos!
One more - I grew up in Phoenix but never knew about this resort until a few months ago. Castle Hot Springs
https://www.castlehotsprings.com/discover/about-us/

[dave]

the 'geltmore' would close for the summer as it couldn't all be well air-conditioned in the old days...

AZ for the rich, famous and lucky was a seasonal town. carrier figured if we could make ice, we could cool people....

Central AZ Project -- capped the deal...cool houses, water and dirt; buy square miles and sell square feet...the long con.

the future mr. gittes...

[Calvin Lash]

El aqua viene por la noche senor.

[Calvin Lash]

At 82 and flailing, i manage to drive los calles de Phoenix.
I see streets of asphalt and concrete with grass growing through them. I see alleys chocked with dead weeds and trash. And piles of trash on side streets piled high in front of residences. I see double jointed buses with no passangers. I see and smell the dying air quality.
A black CLOUD hangs over Sky Harbor Airport. I recall terminal ONE.
I see a city decaying in its own shit.
THE GOOD NEWS.
The Sajuaros on the Superstitions are looking good. They caught a lot of rain in the past 14 months.
THE GOOD NEWS is also a book by Edward Abbey about Phoenix burning to the ground while occupied by an insane authoritarian.
But hey the state approved the erection of a Disney Type playworld for the masses recently near the rest of that Glendale sports insanity.
Aint it wonderful.
Not to worry Jake its Fantasytown!

[Calvin Lash]

At 82 its obvious that medicine is large chunk of the Valley of the Suns economy. I see more emergency centers than gas stations. Soon drive thru AI brain updates.

[Ruben]

I hear you cal.