The Gila: River of History
Six hundred miles long from its source in the mountains of southwestern New Mexico to its confluence with the Colorado River above Yuma, the Gila has been an important avenue […]
Arizona’s Great Escape
During the night of Christmas Eve in 1944, twenty-five Nazi German prisoners of war escaped from Papago Park POW camp on the outskirts of Phoenix and headed towards Mexico. These […]
Arizona: a History of Snake Oil Salesmen, Scams, and Hoaxes
Since the earliest days, Arizonans have been visited by entrepreneurs offering all kinds of get rich quick schemes. Benefitting from tales of abundant resources in the territory, limited law enforcement […]
Honky Tonks, Brothels and Mining Camps: Entertainment in Old Arizona
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 […]
Chiles & Chocolate: Sweet and Spicy Foods in the American West
Come have a taste of the rich and savory history of these food favorites, explore how early peoples used them, and how they have evolved and spread to all corners […]
“Hyenas in Petticoats”–How Women Struggled Against Every Dirty Trick in the Books to Win the Vote!
As we celebrate the 100th birthday of the 19th Amendment in 2020, it’s time to look back at the enormous effort it took for women to be granted full citizenship […]
By the Time They Came to Phoenix: African American Women Activists
Hear the stories behind a group of African American women who migrated to Arizona and have made a difference in the lives of Arizonans. These women are Community Mothers. They […]
Pearl Hart, the Lady Bandit- Victim or Vixen… or Both?
Separating fact from fiction is no easy task with flamboyant stage coach robber Pearl Hart. A mountain of conflicting stories abound, thanks in no small part, to Pearl herself. Enamored […]
Barbed Wire, Windmills and Railroads – The Technology that Really Won the West.
In Arizona and throughout the West, three innovations helped make farming and living possible: Windmills brought groundwater to the surface, barbed wire sectioned the vast landscape into parcels, and railroads […]
From “Chief” to Code Talker: Four Profiles of the Navajo Code Talkers
During WWII a group of young Navajo men enlisted in the Marines without knowing that they would be called on to develop a secret code against the Japanese military. This […]