HISTORY
Maricopa
Century palm
The Union Pacific Palm Tree is estimated to have been planted in 1910 and was one of 11 trees designated as Centennial Witness Trees of Arizona in 2012. It is the southern-
BY BRIAN PETERSHEIM JR.
MAY 25, 2024
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This palm tree next to the old Union Pacific Railroad and John Wayne Parkway intersection might come off unassuming, but it has seen more than a century of change in the city.
most tree with that title. No one knows who planted it. The palm bore witness to thousands of trains carrying hundreds of thousands of passengers coming and going to Maricopa. This 1917 photo shows Arthur Deal and his 2-year- old son Paul in front of the palm near the train station, according to Maricopa Historical Society The palm tree still stands in the same place just off West Mercado Street. It continues to be a welcome sign for those getting off the train in Maricopa.
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ALWAYS ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS
The city bought 9 acres of land at the corner of State Route 347 and Bowlin Road near Copper Sky for $2.65 million in 2009. “We are looking for complementary uses to the Copper Sky complex that’s right next door,” said Jennifer Bostian, then an economic development specialist for the city. “We expect the senior living complex will need a couple acres. There will very likely be a second hotel.” Since then, no steps have been taken to bring a second hotel, and plans for a hospital there have fallen through twice.
A Maricopa cop was arrested for assaulting his stepson in 2014. Officer Joshua Boyd was suspected of attacking his wife’s 14-year-old son with a broom. He was placed on paid leave pending an internal investigation. In April 2015, he was found guilty of felony assault on a child in Pinal County Superior Court.
A controlled fire gone awry sent large, black plumes of smoke into the air east of town before city firefighters extinguished the 2009 blaze. Mark Boys, then-Maricopa Fire Department division chief, said workers on a dairy near Smith-Enke and Murphy Roads were burning agricultural products about 60 feet away from a pit of silage, which is ground-up cattle fodder. He said sparks from the burn likely carried in the wind and set the 13-foot-deep silage pile ablaze. The silage pile was covered with plastic sheeting weighed down by tires, which also caught fire and caused the plumes. It burned about a quarter of an acre.
The ballot boxes filled up with votes for the first ever city council election in 2004. Kelly Anderson, Will Dunn, Edward Farrell, Kelly Haddad and Brent Murphree served as interim council members when the city was incorporated in October the year before, and all retained their seats in the inaugural election. Voters also elected newcomers Stephen Baker and Phyllis Von Fleckinger.
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May 2024 | InMaricopa.com 21542 N John Wayne Pkwy, Maricopa (520) 494-7805 • www.KarstensAce.com 7
Dave & Cheryl Karsten
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