C.P. Stephens DeSoto Six Motor Building was one of the longest operating dealers on Phoenix’s automotive-row. Construction was finished on C.P. Stephens’ building in 1928, the same year that the DeSoto brand is created, and the same year Stephens…

The A.E. England Motorcar building, an automotive dealership constructed in 1926 along what will become to be known as auto-row which is along Central Avenue in downtown Phoenix. Ab England constructed the building to be his Phoenix dealership for…

In 1916, World War I and the boll weevil created a crisis for the international rubber industry. Lower demand coupled with insect infestation crippled the southern United States and Egyptian cotton industries. The diminished cotton supply hit tire…

The Hayden House, or La Casa Vieja as it came to be known, is the longest standing Mexican-adobe structure in Arizona. It was built in 1873 near the South bend of the Salt River. Originally constructed by local Mexican and indigenous craftsmen for…

Valley National Bank served the Valley from its founding in 1900 through 1992. During this time, the Bank's iconic logo was a common sight throughout the Valley and its branches often had iconic architectural design. The Tempe branch was located…

Karsh's Bakery opened in 1965 and would then relocate to its last location in downtown Phoenix in 1980. The last location for the bakery was at Seventh Street near Missouri Avenue. Karsh's Bakery was one of only a handful of bakeries that…

Michael Goldwater, his original name was Michael Goldvasser, was born in Poland. He married Sarah Nathan in 1850 and they had eight children together. In 1852, Michael's family and his brother, Joseph "Little Joe" Goldwater moved to…

The Polish-Jewish Korrick family opened up their store in the late 1890s. This was one of the first department stores in the Phoenix area along with the Goldwater and Diamond department stores. Sam Korrick arrived in Phoenix in 1895 on a chance…

Dr. Lucius Charles Alston was born September 2, 1892 in Louisburg, North Carolina. After Dr. Alston graduated from the University of West Tennessee with a medical degree in 1918, a rare accomplishment for an African-American at that time. He served…

Monti’s La Casa Vieja has been there since the beginning of Tempe. This building was first built by Charles Hayden. After seeing the river and the surrounding land he decided it would be a good place to build and settle. He built a general store, a…

In the late 1880s, when horses pulled carts and delivered mail in Tempe, Mill Avenue was a nascent hub of commercial activity. What became known as the "Andre Block" was among the first buildings constructed along Mill Avenue. According to…

Citrus played a prominent role in Mesa's history. Along the Southern Pacific Railroad tracks near Creamery Road (present-day Broadway) sat a packing house for citrus. C.H. McKellips' plant washed and waxed citrus fruit before it shipped across the…

The businessmen of Tempe opened up Tempe National Bank in 1901 to put the then small agricultural town on the map financially. Some stockholders included popular figures in Arizona history like Thanks Anderson, Carl Hayden, and Michael E. Curry…

With its Victorian-style architecture, this building is extremely reminiscent of a two-story saloon or boarding house straight out of an Old West novel. In reality, the building housed a drug store owned by Dr. J. A. Dines and Hugh Laird. They…

When he was just 25 years old, Dwight “Red” Harkins founded Harkins Theatres and built the College Theatre in 1940 at the tail-end of the Great Depression. Originally from Cincinnati, Ohio, Harkins was bound for Hollywood, with dreams of becoming…

The Tempe Hardware Building’s story extends beyond the hammers, saws, and long pieces of plywood that were displayed on its first floor walls for 70 years between 1906 and 1976. The three-story brick commercial building is the last of its kind from…

Garfield A. Goodwin moved to Tempe in 1888 and began his long-time commitment to Arizona State University and the revitalization of Tempe. As a student, Goodwin played on the Territorial Normal School's first football team. As an alumnus, he…

Scottsdale Road started out as a dusty corridor for travelling horse and wagon teams, cattle herds, and pedestrians; by World War II, it was Scottsdale's first and only fully paved road. This transition mirrored the slow but steady shift in…

George “Cavie” Cavalliere passed through Scottsdale on a work detail and ended up establishing the town’s first blacksmith shop, still in operation today. Crossing the southwest for several years in a mobile tin trailer while dredging portions of…

Prior to becoming a popular watering hole and part of the set-dressing of Scottsdale’s self-conscious efforts to become “the West’s most Western town,” the building now housing the Rusty Spur Saloon was the Farmers State Bank of Scottsdale. The…

The sign read "John Rose, Fancy Groceries: Shoe Repairing, Barber Shop, Pool Hall, Ice Cream, Confectionary, and Soft Drinks." At various times it was also a vaudeville stage, silent movie theater, lunch counter, and classroom. Who was the…