Wild, Weird, Wicked Arizona – Waddell

White Tank Library 20304 W. White Tank Mountain Road, Waddell, AZ, United States

For a state that has been home to Geronimo, Wyatt Earp, César Chavez and Wonder Women, you would think Arizona earned some respect. Yet achieving statehood was a 50-year struggle, which finally ended on February 14, 1912. Jana borrows from both her work for True West Magazine and her work for Phoenix Magazine to put […]

Free

Ghost Towns of the Second World War: Arizona’s Historic Military Sites – Parker

Arizona Western College 1109 Geronimo Ave., Parker, AZ, United States

When America entered the Second World War, Arizona’s sparse population and mild weather made it an ideal location for training facilities and prisoner of war camps.  By war’s end, Arizona had trained more pilots than any other state, hosted the country’s largest POW camp, and was part of the largest military training grounds in history.  […]

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“Protecting a Way of Life” Kinship Responsibilities – Casa Grande

Dorothy Powell Senior Adult Center 405 E. 6th St., Casa Grande, AZ, United States

Royce Manuel (Akimel O’odham) best describes his work through the “Tools of Yesterday” using plant fiber, primitive bows & arrows, knapping stone, and making agave plant cordage. As a tribal and cultural educator and member of the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community, Royce and Debbie specializes in the revival and teaching of artistic traditions while […]

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Arizona Kicks on Route 66 – Ajo

Salazar-Ajo Library 15 W. Plaza St. #179, Ajo, AZ, United States

U.S. Route 66, known as the “Mother Road,” was built in 1926. It ran from Chicago to L. A. During the depression of the 1930s, it became the major path by which people migrated west, seeking work, warm weather and new opportunities. Shore shares the history of Route 66 in Arizona, including the impact it […]

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Women of the Arizona State Prison – Eloy

Eloy Santa Cruz Library 1000 N. Main St., Eloy, AZ, United States

Winnie Ruth Judd, Eva Dugan, Dr. Rose Boido, and Eva Wilbur Cruz all shared one thing in common. They were all incarcerated at the Arizona State Prison in Florence. These women were players in both the sensational stories that made national headlines and local stories that made Arizona history. Who were these women and how […]

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How the Piano Keyboard Changed the World – Florence

Florence Community Library 778 N. Main St., Florence, AZ, United States

Invented in Ancient Greece, keyboards allow an individual to play all the voices or music, replacing an orchestra or a choir. Keyboards are such a powerfully disruptive technology that they changed the very language of music, and allowed for some of the most beautiful music in human history to be created. Found all over the […]

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The Woman Who Shot Cowboys: Rodeo Photographer Louise L. Serpa – Buckeye

Buckeye Valley Museum 116 E Hwy 85, Buckeye, AZ, United States

Anyone who has ever stared down an angry bull coming full throttle across an arena will understand why rodeo photographer Louise Serpa often uttered the adage, “Never Don’t Pay Attention.” Born into New York society, Louise ended up out west with her nose buried in the dirt & her eye glued to a camera, becoming […]

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Empire to Las Cienegas NCA: Ranching and Historic Landscape Change – Arivaca

Arivaca Old School House 17080 W. 4th St, Arivaca, AZ, United States

The Empire Ranch, built by Walter Vail and family, was one of the most financially successful and long-lived cattle enterprises in Arizona. For over 140 years, the owners of the Empire wisely managed its natural resources – soils, waters, and vegetation in the Cienega Valley. Today those grasslands are some of the richest and most […]

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Four Corners: The Southwest’s Cultural Crossroad – Patagonia

Patagonia Public Library 346 Duquesne, Patagonia, AZ, United States

From mammoth hunters and canal builders to Native Americans, Hispanics, Americans, Irish, Serbians, and just about every nationality under the sun, Arizona has always been a land of many cultures. And while the Earps and the Geronimo are world famous, Arizona can also be proud of its unsung men and women and cooperative communities. Here […]

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Arizona Stories: Frontier Characters and Communities – Prescott

Prescott Public Library 215 E. Goodwin St., Prescott, AZ, United States

From mammoth hunters and canal builders to Native Americans, Hispanics, Americans, Irish, Serbians, and just about every nationality under the sun, Arizona has always been a land of many cultures. And while the Earps and the Geronimo are world famous, Arizona can also be proud of its unsung men and women and cooperative communities. Here […]

Free

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