Arizona History

Orange, green and blue rocks under UV light
The Show visited the Sun City Mineral Museum as the Sun City Rockhounds celebrate their 60th anniversary.
May. 10, 2024
An aged-looking photo with a kind of sepia tone. A man wearing a white polo and hard hat is looking up from the paper in his hands, at the camera.
With the one-year anniversary of his death approaching at the end of the month, community members and lawmakers from the city, state and federal level gathered Tuesday to honor Dean Lindsey.
May. 8, 2024
A pin that reads "I am Star's Family" and includes the date of his EOW, or End of Watch, May 2nd 1944.
In May 1944, David “Star” Johnson was the first Black Phoenix police officer to die on the job, and the second-ever among Phoenix Police Department ranks. For decades, his death was not recognized as having been in the line of duty.
May. 2, 2024
Mystery Castle parking only sign
Last month, KJZZ contributor Robrt Pela wrote an essay about a pending demolition permit for what’s known as Mystery Castle, a sprawling structure that’s located in the foothills of South Mountain. Now, the foundation says it has no intention of demolishing the castle, but isn't providing any details about their plans for the site.
May. 2, 2024
Boarded up brick building
On Wednesday, the City Council is expected to vote on providing a $200,000 grant to the current property owner. If approved, the money will go toward rehabilitating what is historically called Yaun Ah Gim Groceries.
Apr. 30, 2024
Taliesin West
The Show’s Sam Dingman recently toured Taliesin West, the desert home and design studio of architect Frank Lloyd Wright. He spoke about his experience and the "somewhat mystical origins" of Taliesin West.
Apr. 26, 2024
Four young boys stand in front of a sign
The space where Oliver’s Modern American restaurant is set to open next month will feature parts of a former Scottsdale icon: a Polynesian-themed Dairy Queen.
Apr. 25, 2024
Old red vehicle with flags
Longtime Valley journalist Peter Corbett wrote about Jerome’s 125th anniversary for True West magazine, and joined The Show to talk more about it.
Apr. 25, 2024
Plaque that reads, "This property has been placed on the National Register of Historic Places by the United States Department of the Interior"
Randolph was established in 1925 and is considered Arizona’s longest-surviving Black community that’s associated with the Great Migration of the mid-20th century — when some 6 million African Americans moved from the South to other parts of the country.
Apr. 24, 2024
The North Rim of the Grand Canyon.
Screenings of the new film focused on Grand Canyon National Park’s tribal communities are scheduled for Wednesday at the Grand Canyon National Park Visitor Center.
Apr. 23, 2024
Mystery Castle in Phoenix
In November 2023, a full demolition permit was requested by Rita Spears, the president of the Mystery Castle Foundation. The 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that has maintained the castle since 2010.
Apr. 19, 2024
The Monroe Street Abbey at Third Avenue and Monroe Street
A nonprofit led by former mayor and Arizona Attorney General Terry Goddard wants a $137,000 grant to help restore columns and plaster walls in the former sanctuary. When it reopens as the Monroe Street Abbey, the sanctuary will be a public courtyard.
Apr. 17, 2024
A plaque at the Grand Canyon commemorates the crash of a TWA Constellation and a a United Airlines DC-7
In 1956, two passenger planes collided in midair above the Grand Canyon. It was a tragedy that left 128 people dead — and reshaped the nation’s aviation regulations.
Apr. 17, 2024
The Yuma Quartermaster Depot.
Before there was a United States Border Patrol, the customs service was the first line of defense along the U.S.-Mexico border. Their headquarters — now designated by a historical marker — still stands.
Apr. 16, 2024
A marker at the Park of the Canals in Mesa shows a map of the ancient canal system dug by the ancestral Sonoran Desert people.
This week, KJZZ is teaming up with other public radio stations for a series of stories highlighting the state's historic land markers. One of those, at the Park of the Canals in Mesa, is dedicated to prehistoric irrigation in the Salt River Valley.
Apr. 13, 2024
portrait of tom mix from 'mr logan, u.s.a.'
The "On the Road in Arizona" series begins with the story behind a historical marker for Tom Mix, a legendary Western actor, just off State Highway 79, 18 miles south of Florence.
Apr. 13, 2024
Black and white photo of man in baseball uniform
Arizona State University unveiled a statue of legendary baseball coach Bobby Winkles on Friday. He coached the Sun Devils until 1971, guiding the team to three national championships and amassing the highest winning percentage in school history.
Apr. 12, 2024
Two people stand in front of photo background
“Currently, we host approximately 290 screening events during these 11 days, whereas in the early years, it would have been around 40 or 50,” according to the festival executive director.
Apr. 12, 2024
Mural of kids
Diné College is one of 14 tribal grant recipients from the National Endowment for the Humanities to fund projects that recognize the traumatic legacies of federally run boarding schools.
Apr. 12, 2024
tillman
The 20th annual “Pat’s Run” is this Saturday in Tempe. Nearly 30 thousand people will take part in the race honoring Pat Tillman, the Arizona Cardinals’ player who walked away from a lucrative contract to join the U.S. Army after 9/11. He was killed by friendly fire in 2004.
Apr. 11, 2024

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