RED HOT BUYS VALID UNTIL SEPTEMBER 30
HISTORY
Barnstormed The large, two-story building wedged between Maricopa Road and the John Wayne Parkway overpass has more history than a newcomer might realize. Now home to Duke’s Roadhouse, the giant wooden structure at 19395 N. Maricopa Road was once a fixture of Maricopa’s main drag, right next to the old railroad crossing. In 2011, it housed a carwash, divorce lawyer, hair salon and sign maker. Across the street sat the Maricopa Business Barn — better known to locals as “the red barn.” By 2018, the carwash had become A1 Pawn, filling the lot with U-Haul trailers, while the red barn had been repainted blue. The large awning that once sheltered car washes and later stored U-Haul trailers has since been transformed into an interior platform for Maricopa nightlife. Walls were added to enclose the space, giving the city its very own honky-tonk.
Maricopa
THIS MONTH IN HISTORY For these and other historical stories, visit InMaricopa.com.
5 years ago
10 years ago
15 years ago
20 years ago
Ex-Maricopa County Sheriff’s detective Christopher Butts was arrested twice in Maricopa sting operations targeting child predators. First arrested in March in Cobblestone Farms for allegedly soliciting a 13-year-old online, he was caught months later in a late- summer undercover sting after arranging to meet a girl he believed was underage, agreeing to bring Chick-fil-A. He fled upon seeing “unmarked popo cars,” police said, and was later arrested at Big O Tires. He pleaded guilty to aggravated luring of a minor for exploitive sex.
Eagle Scout candidate Austin Long organized a team of volunteers to clean the exterior and renovate the interior of the California Zephyr Silver Horizon at the Maricopa Amtrak station. “We’ll be fixing the frame, replacing some screws and cleaning it because it’s really dirty,” Long said. “We’re power washing the outside because the train was in a movie called Pearl Harbor and the movie makers painted it. It doesn’t look very good, so we’re going to have that paint removed.”
Pinal County Animal Care and Control officers, working with the sheriff’s and attorney’s offices, seized 152 cats and 19 dogs from a Hidden Valley home. “The house was simply filthy with no running water,” PCACC director Ruth Stalter said. “It was shocking. This is the largest rescue from hoarding-type conditions in the history of Animal Care and Control.” Officials used a horse trailer to move the animals to a shelter, and those healthy enough were adopted out. In 2004, PCACC had removed 58 cats and 40 dogs from the same homeowner.
The Fry’s Marketplace center was bustling with new businesses in September 2005. On Aug. 31, Fry’s opened its doors, soon followed by The UPS Store, Wells Fargo, XTreme Fitness, Cost Cutters and Above & Beyond Nails Spa. At the time there was no Starbucks inside, but in its place was Tully’s Coffee Shop, complete with its own chairs and couches.
We are pet friendly as long as they are Smokey friendly
21542 N John Wayne Pkwy, Maricopa (520) 494-7805 • www.AceHardware.com
InMaricopa.com | September 2025
8
Powered by FlippingBook