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

Deadhorse Ranch State Park - 675 Dead Horse Ranch Rd., Cottonwood, 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. […]

Free

Arizona Kicks on Route 66 – Cottonwood

Deadhorse Ranch State Park - 675 Dead Horse Ranch Rd., Cottonwood, 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 […]

Free

The Ballad of Arizona: Our Five Hundred Years – Cottonwood

Deadhorse Ranch State Park - 675 Dead Horse Ranch Rd., Cottonwood, AZ, United States

Similar to NPR’s “A Prairie Home Companion” but with and Arizona twist, this program uses music, storytelling and live radio-style newscasts to present important but often neglected events in Arizona history. The “Hoosiers”-like story of a Miami, AZ High School basketball team comprised of the sons of Mexican-American mine workers who won the state championship […]

Free

Arizona’s Historic Trading Posts – Cottonwood

Deadhorse Ranch State Park - 675 Dead Horse Ranch Rd., Cottonwood, AZ, United States

Early traders traveled through Arizona Territory, selling goods from their wagons, but they soon built stores that evolved into trading and social centers where wool, sheep, and Native Arts were exchanged for food and necessities. Navajo trading posts are best known, but trading posts existed on every reservation in Arizona. Traders became the intermediaries between […]

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Honky Tonks, Brothels and Mining Camps: Entertainment in Old Arizona – Cottonwood

Deadhorse Ranch State Park - 675 Dead Horse Ranch Rd., Cottonwood, AZ, United States

In pioneer Arizona, among the best places to experience the performing arts were in the mining towns. Striking it rich meant having disposable income and miners, like the well-heeled of the Gilded Age, wanted to demonstrate their sophistication with culture. From the early popular music of ragtime and minstrelsy during the forming of these communities […]

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Arizona Goes to the Moon – Cottonwood

Deadhorse Ranch State Park - 675 Dead Horse Ranch Rd., Cottonwood, AZ, United States

Arizona played a key role in preparing to send humans to the moon in the late 1960s/early 1970s. The Apollo astronauts themselves traveled to the Grand Canyon and volcanic fields around the state to learn geology and practice their lunar excursions. Meanwhile, U.S. Geological Survey engineers worked with NASA staff members to develop and test […]

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Toys and Games of the Colorado Plateau – Cottonwood

Deadhorse Ranch State Park - 675 Dead Horse Ranch Rd., Cottonwood, AZ, United States

Toys and games are as old as civilization itself and reflect the need all people have for fun and recreation. Ancient Native Americans were no exception. This presentation engages the audience with hands-on exploration of modern and ancient toys. We explore the history of familiar toys and discover some ancient toys and games that give […]

Free

Arizona Kicks on Route 66 – Cottonwood

Deadhorse Ranch State Park - 675 Dead Horse Ranch Rd., Cottonwood, 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 […]

Free

Cowpokes, Crooks, and Cactus: Arizona in the Movies – Cottonwood

Deadhorse Ranch State Park - 675 Dead Horse Ranch Rd., Cottonwood, AZ, United States

Tyrone Power, Andy Devine,  Katy Jurado, Steve McQueen and, of course, John Wayne. From the earliest days of film, Arizona has been a setting and subject for hundreds of films. Some, like Junior Bonner and Red River, are considered classics, others, such as Billy Jack and Evolution, surely less so. Some may even be classics […]

Free

Specters of the Past: Arizona’s Ghost Towns – Cottonwood

Deadhorse Ranch State Park - 675 Dead Horse Ranch Rd., Cottonwood, AZ, United States

The promise of unimagined riches is what brought many of the earliest colonizers to the Arizona Territory. Following the trail to the discovery of the mother lode, they built, then dismantled and finally abandoned communities when mines played out – leaving behind tantalizing clues of difficult hardships. Some towns survived like Bisbee, Jerome, Tombstone and […]

Free

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