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Sierra Vista, Arizona

Sierra Vista is a city in Cochise County, Arizona, United States. According to the 2020 Census, the population of the city is 45,308, and is the 27th most populous city in Arizona. The city is part of the Sierra Vista-Douglas Metropolitan Area, with a 2010 population of 131,346. Fort Huachuca, a U.S. Army post, has been incorporated and is located in the northwest part of the city. Sierra Vista is bordered by the cities of Huachuca City and Whetstone to the north and Sierra Vista Southeast to the South.

Sierra Vista, Spanish for 'mountain view', is 75 mi southeast of Tucson and serves as the main commercial, cultural, and recreational hub of Cochise County. Sierra Vista is located on the southwestern side of Cochise County and is 15 mi southwest of Tombstone, 20 mi northwest of Bisbee, and 15 mi from the border of Mexico. The closest port of entry to Mexico is Naco in the Mexican state of Sonora which is 24 mi from Sierra Vista to the southeast. Sierra Vista is home to University of Arizona, College of Applied Science and Technology, a Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) designated Intelligence Community - Center of Academic Excellence (IC-CAE) university, Cochise College, and Wick Communications, a media company operating 27 newspapers and 18 specialty publications in 11 states.

History
As evidenced by several neolithic sites, which include the Murray Springs Clovis Site and known archeological sites like the Lehner Mammoth-Kill Site, Paleo-Indians, along with animals including mammoths, horses, tapirs, bison, and camels occupied the area more than 11,000 years ago. Both the Murray Springs Clovis Site and the Lehner Mammoth-Kill Site are now National Historic Landmarks. This area was the home to a large Sobaipuri Pueblo near Fairbank which had several smaller pueblos and settlements throughout the valley, a Spanish Fort, Presidio Santa Cruz de Terrenate between modern Huachuca City, Whetstone, and Tombstone, on the west bank of the San Pedro River. along with a few Spanish settlers supporting the route to Tucson's Mission San Xavier del Bac and Presidio San Agustín del Tucsón. Coronado National Memorial was established in the southern Huachuca Mountains to commemorate the expedition of the Spanish conquistador Francisco Vázquez de Coronado utilizing the nearby San Pedro River in his northward search of the Cities of Cíbola, often referred to now as the mythical Seven Cities of Gold.

Like most of Cochise County, this area was part of the Gadsden Purchase of 1854. Camp Huachuca was established in 1877. At the end of the Apache Wars in 1886, with the protection of the fort and the completion of the Southern Pacific and El Paso & Southwestern railroads, the San Pedro Valley began to be populated by American settlers.

The first business that opened just outside the east gate of Fort Huachuca was a saloon and "house of ill repute" owned by John and Ellen Reilly, which opened in 1892. In 1911, Margaret Carmichael bought the Reilly homestead and business. By 1913, Margaret Carmichael had leased the business back to the Reillys. Also in 1913, a group of dry land farmers settled in the local area and named their settlement Buena. Buena was east of Garden Canyon, between Lewis Springs and Fort Huachuca, east of the junction of present-day Hwy 90 and Hwy 92. At this site was a post office and a school house that served children in Buena, Garden Canyon, and outreaches of the local area. Oliver Fry and his two oldest sons traveled from Texas on the railroad and settled on 320 acre just east of Fort Huachuca in January 1913.

By 1917, the Overton Post Office was established. This name came from the Overton Mercantile and Investment Company, which took an option on the Carmichael property with plans to develop a townsite outside Fort Huachuca. It is believed that the company was unable to persuade anyone to move to the area, so when the option expired the Carmichaels took back the property with a general mercantile store and the post office.

In 1918, the Carmichaels named their store after the Garden Canyon Sawmill. They also called their post office, where Carmichael was the postmaster, Garden Canyon. The Carmichaels built a home across the street from Garden Canyon store, as well as 18 stone houses, on Garden Avenue. From 1927 to 1938, the Frys rented the Carmichael store and ran the post office. The Frys established their own general store and the first federally recognized post office in 1938, the Fry Post Office, so the name of this settlement changed to Fry. By World War II, Fry's reputation was less than salubrious. According to the "Employment of Negro Troops" (CMH), "Because it was surrounded by a desert with no nearby communities and because it was located in a part of the country with practically no Negro population, Fort Huachuca, since the days when it was a frontier post garrisoned with Negro soldiers of the old regiments, had considered Fry a quasi-necessary adjunct.... In Fry lived women.... As the post commander described it in 1942: The small town of Fry is dirty, unsanitary and squalid. It has been so for many years. It was made worse in these respects during the construction of the cantonment...." (p. 282)

When the base was reactivated on February 1, 1954, base commander Brigadier General Emil Lenzner, pushed for incorporation as both a way to solve the on-base housing problems as well as to distance themselves from reputation of "The White City" and Fry Town Settlement, hoping to encourage people to want to live off base in a more family-friendly community, away from undesirables like the minorities allowed to live unsegregated in Fry Town. Petitions for incorporation began to be filed in 1955 and were legally accepted in 1956, which included what had been Garden Canyon and Buena but did not include most of Fry Town. This was in part to keep a Federal Housing Authority (FHA) housing project contacts for housing off post away from the Fry Town area, and was used as a rationale to incorporate and begin getting a share of tax revenues without having to pay the Fry family for the parts of Fry Town considered desirable and wholesome.

In 1955, the first attempt to incorporate and rename the area was rejected, as Fry opposed both incorporating and renaming the town that bore his family name. In 1956, the ballot issue failed 76 to 61. People who owned land outside of Fry's property in the area of Garden Canyon/Overton and Buena, as well as parts of Fry went forward with incorporation and renaming by petition on May 26, 1956, excluding the half-square-mile owned by Fry that included the local red light district called "the White City" as well as off base housing of the African-American "Buffalo" soldier officers' families, and other minorities and groups they considered undesirable in the 1950s. They were described as the "Fry People." When Sierra Vista was incorporated, it did not include the enclave of Fry, which remains an unincorporated area within the city of Sierra Vista.

Sierra Vista was incorporated in 1956. The proposed town council held a radio contest asking for names of the proposed town. Marie Pfister, the city clerk, asked her friend Nola Walker to store the suggestions. When the town was approved, they called Nola for the contest winner, but without counting the votes she told them her personal entry of "Sierra Vista" was the winner. On July 13, 2006, at a special ceremony during the city's 50th anniversary, Nola was granted "clemency" for her misrepresentation of the vote.

In 1961 the community had grown large enough to be classified as a city, allowing the establishment of a community college. In 1973 Ethel Berger became the first female mayor in Arizona. In the 1970s the Art in the Park Festival was established by a committee of Army Wives, with it proceeds benefiting the Huachuca Arts Association, and college scholarships. Sierra Vista annexed Fort Huachuca, a U.S. military base, one of the largest employers in Arizona, and the adjacent community, in 1971.

Sierra Vista was the site of the first McDonald's drive thru, which opened in 1975. The owner, Dave Rich, drove the innovative approach to gain the business of the soldiers from nearby Fort Huachuca. At that time, soldiers were not allowed to wear their military fatigues off of the military base with the exception of driving or riding inside vehicles.

Sierra Vista has a population of over 43,000 today. The city is the economic and commercial center of Cochise County, and northern Sonora, Mexico.

Known historical names for the area:
 * 1878 Papingo
 * 1898 Overton
 * 1909 Garden Canyon
 * 1915 Buena
 * 1938 Fry, Frytown, Fry Township, Fry Settlement
 * 1942–1945 "The White City", "Green Top" or "The Hook"
 * 1955 Town of Sierra Vista
 * 1961 City of Sierra Vista

Geography

Sierra Vista is in southwestern Cochise County at 31.54556°N, -110.27639°W (31.545498, −110.276500). It is bordered on the northwest by the much smaller town of Huachuca City.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has an area of 395.1 km2, of which 394.4 km2 is land and 0.7 km2 is water. It is 4623 ft above sea level. Sierra Vista is flanked on the southwest side by the Huachuca Mountains, with Miller Peak rising to 9466 ft and Carr Peak to 9236 ft, both south of the city limits. The city is accessible via Arizona State Routes 90 and 92. The San Pedro River flows just east of the city limits.

Climate
In the Köppen climate classification system, Sierra Vista falls within the typical cold semi-arid climate (BSk) of mid-altitude Arizona. Fall and spring, like most other parts of Arizona, are very dry. Winters are cool to cold with frosts which can occasionally be hard freezes; frost can be expected to stop in mid- to late April. Spring, like fall, spends about half of itself within the frost season. Summer starts off dry, but progressively gets wetter as the monsoon season approaches. The city has a fairly stable climate with very little humidity. However, the North American Monsoon can bring torrential rains during the months of July and August and will produce almost half the yearly rainfall in just those two months alone. Due to the dry climate the rest of the year and the city's high elevation, daily winter low temperatures range from 20 to 30 F on average and up to 50 F on rare occasions when moist fronts bring warm air from the Gulf of California. Snow is not a common sight on the streets of Sierra Vista though some years the city can receive several inches of snow and other years it will receive none. However, a snow-capped Miller Peak and Carr Peak in the Huachuca Mountains is a common sight for four to five months every year.

The highest recorded temperature was 110 °F on June 20, 2017.

The lowest recorded temperature was 4 °F on February 3, 2011.

The maximum average rainfall occurs in August.

Bird watching
Nicknamed the "Hummingbird Capital of the United States", the city sees bird watchers from all over the world flock to the nearby Ramsey Canyon Preserve and other local canyons to observe and photograph hundreds of different bird species. In the Huachuca Mountains, Ramsey Canyon is one of the prime locations to see hummingbirds in the U.S. An ecological crossroads between desert and tropics, the mountains that rise from the arid surroundings of this part of southeastern Arizona trap rainfall and create island-like biodiverse areas. Among numerous other plants and animals, the Ramsey Canyon wildlife reserve is home to 15 hummingbird species. Most notable are the beryline and violet-crowned hummingbirds, which breed in Central America but only migrate as far north as the southwestern United States. Other outdoor sightseeing and recreational opportunities that are nearby include the San Pedro Riparian National Conservation Area, the Coronado National Memorial in the Huachuca Mountains, and Parker Canyon Lake. Excellent views of the clear night sky have led Sierra Vista to become the chosen center of amateur astronomy in Arizona, with more than a dozen well equipped amateur observatories in the area and a large observatory at the University of Arizona College of Applied Science & Technology within the city limits.

Ramsey Canyon
Ramsey Canyon in the Huachuca Mountains was named after Gardner Ramsey after his arrival in the 1880s. Ramsey Canyon Preserve is at the end of Ramsey Canyon Road west of Arizona Highway 92. The preserve provides an excellent bird watching experience with two loop trails. The shorter loop trail is around half a mile long while the longer trail is around a mile. Two historic structures can be found along the trail. James Cabin, a log cabin dating to 1902, was built by John James on Ramsey Canyon Creek. The James House, built in 1911, is on the other side of the creek and provided a larger dwelling for the James family. Ramsey Canyon Trail is a longer (2.4 mile) trail, also known as Hamburg Trail, and is just beyond the Nature Conservancy preserve. The trail has an elevation change of 1,300 feet and enters the 20,000 acre Miller Peak Wilderness which is part of the Coronado National Forest after passing the Pat Scott Canyon and Wisconsin Canyon junction that includes the old prospecting site of Hamburg Mine.

Carr Canyon
Carr Canyon, named after James Carr, is accessible by the Carr Canyon Road and is a scenic drive in the Coronado National Forest. The rough road is seven miles long with only two of the seven miles paved. It was originally built by James Carr in 1881 and requires a high clearance vehicle to traverse. Carr Canyon roads ends at the Reef Townsite at an elevation of 7400 ft. Near the entrance of Carr Canyon is the historic Carr House, built in 1932, which is an information center operated by the Forest Service.

Parks
The city of Sierra Vista maintains 17 different parks with Veterans Memorial Park being the largest measuring around 40 acres. Veterans Memorial Park consists of an Aquatic center called The Cove, benches, bike racks, children's playgrounds, drinking fountains, flag pole, horseshoe pits, grass play area, Ramadas, restrooms, skate and bike court, softball fields, teen and youth center, and volleyball courts. Veterans Memorial Park holds the largest events festivals in Sierra Vista to include the yearly Easter Eggstravaganza, Festival of the Southwest, Oktoberfest, Art in the Park, Cars in the Park, and a weekly Farmers Market. The other parks within Sierra Vista include Len Roberts Park, Hubert Tompkins Park, Garden Canyon Linear Park, Chaparral Village Park, Ciaramitaro Park, Bella Vista Park, Country Club Park, Nancy Hakes Park, Purple Heart Park, Soldier's Creek Park, Summit Park, Timothy Lane Park, A.V. Anderson Park, Bolin Airfield, James R. Landwehr Plaza, and Cyr Center Park.

The Cove
The Sierra Vista Aquatic Center, known as "The Cove", is a 36500 sqft facility that contains 11347 sqft of pool water surface, which equates to over 575000 USgal of water. The Aquatic Center boasts a 0' depth, or "beach", entry, eight 25-yard lap lanes for lap and competitive swimming, and a wave machine with several wave patterns for Open Swim. The Cove has a submersible bulkhead which makes the switch from wave pool to competitive pool possible. The Cove also has a warm water therapy pool, children's lagoon with slide, two 1 meter diving boards and one 3 meter diving board, and two enclosed water tube slides to include a 150 ft water tube slide.

Veterans Memorial Cemetery
Sierra Vista is home to one of four Arizona Veterans Memorial Cemeteries. Since it was developed by the Arizona Department of Veterans' Services over 7,000 burials have been conducted. Entertainer and US Navy veteran of World War II Emmett Kelly Jr. is buried there.

Demographics
Sierra Vista is the largest of seven incorporated cities in Cochise County, accounting for one-third of the county's population. The population at the 2020 census was 45,308, up from 43,888 at the 2010 census, for a growth rate of 3.2% over the decade. Sierra Vista is the 21st largest incorporated place in Arizona as of the 2010 census.

Also indicated in the CER 2009 Economic Outlook publication, the Arizona DEC estimates the Sierra Vista Area population is approximately 75,000, which includes outlying areas of the Sierra Vista Southeast Census Designated Place, Huachuca City, Tombstone, Whetstone, Hereford and unincorporated surrounding areas. The population of the Sierra Vista Area is estimated to reach nearly 100,000 by 2028.

According to the 2000 Census figures, the Sierra Vista population consists of 14,196 households, and 9,993 families residing in the city. The population density was 246.1 PD/sqmi. There were 15,685 housing units at an average density of 102.2 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the city was 73.3% White, 10.9% Black or African American, 3.6% Asian, 0.8% Native American and 0.5% Pacific Islander. 6.1% of the population is from other races, and 4.9% from two or more races. 15.8% of the population is Hispanic or Latino.

There were 14,196 households, out of which 34.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.5% were married couples living together, 25.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.48 and the average family size was 2.96.

In the city, the age distribution of the population shows 25.8% under the age of 18, 13.0% from 18 to 24, 29.2% from 25 to 44, 19.9% from 45 to 64, and 12.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females, there were 100.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 100.7 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $38,427, and the median income for a family was $44,077. Males had a median income of $30,053 versus $23,805 for females. The per capita income for the city was $18,436. About 8.0% of families and 10.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.8% of those under age 18 and 4.0% of those age 65 or over.

As of the 2000 Census, of the population (37,775) 25 years and older 91.5 percent had at least a high school diploma or equivalent and an estimated 25.7 percent held a bachelor's degree or higher. The CER indicates that there has been an increasing trend for residents to attain a bachelor's degree or higher making the local area competitive in today's technological working environment. The estimated population of resident's educated at a post-secondary level (some college credit or more) in Sierra Vista is estimated to be higher than county, state, and national averages.

Notable people

 * Jessica Cox, first licensed pilot and first black belt in the American Taekwondo Society born without arms.
 * Vice Admiral Glynn R. Donaho, World War II Submarine Commander awarded the Navy Cross four times.
 * Patricia "Pat" Fleming, former Democratic member of the Arizona House of Representatives.
 * Don Frye, former mixed martial arts fighter, UFC 8 and Ultimate Ultimate 2 champion. Inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame in 2016.
 * Major General David Parker Gibbs, former Chief of Communications and Electronics for the Department of the Army.
 * Laurence Gibson, former American professional National Football League player. CFO of SolEnergy.
 * David Gowan, Republican Senator in the Arizona State Senate and the former Speaker of the Arizona House of Representatives.
 * Darick Hall, American professional baseball player for the Philadelphia Phillies. Played baseball for Buena High School.
 * Russ Klabough, American professional soccer player who plays for FC Arizona in the National Premier Soccer League.
 * Seth Martinez, American professional baseball player for the Houston Astros.
 * Yvonne Navarro, Bram Stoker Award Winning and Best Selling author of more than twenty five books and a core Buffy the Vampire Slayer novel contributors.
 * Weston Ochse, Bram Stoker Award Winning and Best Selling author of more than thirty books.
 * Nicole Powell, former basketball player of the WNBA. Head Coach of the University of California, Riverside Women's Basketball team.
 * Adam Saathoff, American sport shooter for the National Running Target Team. Three time Olympic competitor for Team USA and silver and bronze medalists in 1998 and 2002 World Championships respectively.
 * David Stevens, former Republican member of the Arizona House of Representatives.
 * Lisa Song Sutton, entrepreneur, attorney, beauty pageant titleholder and former congressional candidate.
 * Young Seph, American music producer and songwriter.

Government
The City of Sierra Vista is a council-manager municipality. The city council sets public policy while a professional city manager implements policy and oversees the day-to-day operation of the city.

Fort Huachuca, a U.S. Army post, an active and historical military installation and a communications and information technology hub, was annexed into the city in 1971. In addition, the city has been actively working to annex Cochise County enclaves within city limits as outlined in the City Council's strategic plan "Our Future Vistas".

Economy
Sierra Vista is the commercial center for Cochise County and parts of northern Mexico. Many big-box retailers are located in the community along with three major supermarkets and dozens of smaller specialty shops. The Mall at Sierra Vista is a 400000 sqft mall in Sierra Vista.

Sierra Vista has a substantial employment base due to Fort Huachuca—the community's major employer and primary driving economic force. Because of contracts with the army, the professional, scientific, and technical services sector is unusually large. Nearly half of all jobs in Sierra Vista are government jobs.

Wick Communications, which publishes several dozen newspapers in some twelve states, is headquartered in Sierra Vista.

Labor market
As of July 2021, Sierra Vista has a civilian labor force of approximately 19,019 people with 18,097 employed. This would make the unemployment rate of Sierra Vista to be 4.8%.

According to the City of Sierra Vista Opportunity Statistics, the largest occupations are:

Major Industries
Sierra Vista's largest workforce belongs to public administration with Fort Huachuca as the main economic driver. The industries by share of workforce are:

Education
The Sierra Vista Unified School District includes one high school, Buena High School, one middle school, and six elementary schools. There are also several charter and private education opportunities. Higher education is available through the University of Arizona, College of Applied Science & Technology and Cochise Community College.

There is a 31000 sqft public library in the city across from city hall.

Culture
Sierra Vista has a variety of cultural and family-oriented activities throughout the year. Some of the major events include the Cochise Cowboy Poetry and Music Gathering in February, the Festival of the Southwest in the spring, Independence Day celebration, the Southwest Wings Festival in August for bird watching enthusiasts, and Arizona's longest-running holiday parade in December. During the winter months, the Sierra Vista Symphony Orchestra presents three concerts of classical and popular music, including pre-concert seminars, and puts on special fund raising events. Throughout the year, the Art Discovery Series presents plays, concerts, and musicals, and in the summer, there are regular band concerts at Veterans' Park, as well as many activities at the Sierra Vista Public Library such as a film series, lectures, readings, and other programs for children and adults. Pictographs created by Native Americans can be found in certain areas of the Huachuca Mountains.

The Gray Hawk Nature Center offering nature education programs and housing live reptile and invertebrate exhibits is located nearby on the San Pedro River.

Media
Sierra Vista is served by the Sierra Vista Herald since 1955.

In 2016, a Social Network Based News Agency was started called Sierra Vista News Network or SVNN. The Facebook page and other Networks SVNN operates include political coverage, Live Streamed High School Sports, and on demand Live News Coverage.

Television station KWBA-TV, channel 58, is licensed to Sierra Vista and serves the Tucson/Sierra Vista market. The station has broadcast since 1996 and is an affiliate of The CW network. The station's transmission tower is located in the Santa Rita Mountains between Sierra Vista and Tucson. Other area television stations include KFTU-DT, channel 36, the Spanish-language UniMás affiliate, licensed to Douglas with a broadcast tower in the Mule Mountains near Sierra Vista; and community station K33CG, channel 33, a former TBN affiliate.

Radio station KZMK (K-101) serves as a Top 40 hits FM radio station covering Sierra Vista and most of Cochise County. The station provides live broadcasts for significant events occurring in and around the city. Sister radio station KTAN (1420 AM) broadcasts a News Talk Information format. Both stations are owned by CCR-Sierra Vista IV, LLC., which also owns nearby Bisbee, Arizona radio station KWCD (92.3 FM), which broadcasts a country music format.

Radio station KWRB (formerly "The Spark") serves as a Christian FM radio station covering Bisbee and most of Cochise County, on the 90.9 MHz frequency. They also have an alternative station that serves Willcox, which repeats the station using the callsign K274CB, on 102.7 MHz frequency. Both radio stations are owned by World Radio Network, Inc.

Sports teams and events
The Cochise County Cavaliers have combined with the Bisbee Ironmen, both former members of the Arizona Football League (AzFL), to form the Cochise County Ironmen. The Ironmen began their first season of play in 2011.

Healthcare
Canyon Vista Medical Center (CVMC) and the Raymond W. Bliss Army Health Center (located on nearby Fort Huachuca) serve the community's health care needs. Medical personnel of all major specialties are available in the area. Canyon Vista Medical Center was recently completed adjoining an existing Ambulatory Surgery and Imaging Center on SR 90. A management agreement for long term operations of the hospital was signed with RegionalCare Hospital Partners. The US Department of Veterans Affairs opened a clinic in Sierra Vista to better serve the area's large retired military population.

Regional health concerns
Residents and health professionals became concerned after observing an elevated number of leukemia and related childhood cancer cases being reported in Sierra Vista since 1995. In 2001, with seven reported cases since 1995, the Arizona Department of Health Services (ADHS) determined the number of cases was statistically elevated over the expected norm. In response, the ADHS launched an environmental review of air, drinking water and soil in the Sierra Vista area to determine if environmental exposure had placed residents at greater risk of childhood leukemia or other cancers. By October 2002, the ADHS in conjunction with the Arizona Cancer Registry, determined that, "No common environmental exposure from drinking water, ambient air or waste sites were identified that might have placed residents of the Sierra Vista area at greater risk of developing leukemia." No further action was recommended at that time.

In 2003, three more cases of leukemia were reported. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) was hesitant to investigate in depth, initially leaving the matter to state health departments, but became involved after the ADHS requested their assistance in the spring of 2003. The CDC concluded two formal studies, in 2004 and 2006, with mixed results. They did not discover any environmental causes for the increased incidence of leukemia, but they did note that they only tested four children with leukemia. They cautioned that with such a small number of study participants, "any attempt to measure associations between environmental exposure and disease would be inherently suspect and not statistically appropriate." Biological samples were tested for 128 chemicals, with results showing average or below average levels for all chemicals except tungsten, styrene and PCB-52, which were above average.

There were no more reported cases in the several years following the CDC reports, bringing the occurrence statistics back in line with national averages. However, with a total of thirteen children diagnosed and another five potentially linked cases being investigated since 1995, some people still have concerns.

Transportation
Sierra Vista is supported by a public mass transit system called Vista Transit, operated by the city. Huachuca City Transit operates between Huachuca City and Sierra Vista. Cochise Connection runs between Douglas, Bisbee, and Sierra Vista.

There are two highways (SR 90 and SR 92) connecting Sierra Vista with neighboring communities. The city is also served by the Sierra Vista Municipal Airport (FHU) which is jointly operated by the U.S. Army as Libby Army Airfield. There are no commercial flights arriving to or departing from FHU.

Major highways

 * [[Image:Arizona 90.svg|30px]] State Route 90
 * Arizona 92.svg State Route 92

Sister cities
Sierra Vista established its Sister Cities program in 1989 with Resolution 2282 in order to promote a relationship with Cananea. Sierra Vista was later twinned with Radebeul on May 22, 1998, by Resolution 3956. Sierra Vista and Radebeul have a foreign exchange program with each other.
 * 🇲🇽 Cananea, Sonora, Mexico
 * 🇩🇪 Radebeul, Saxony, Germany

title: Sierra Vista, Arizona


text:
Sierra Vista Southeast, Arizona

Sierra Vista Southeast, often referred to as Hereford or Nicksville, is a census-designated place (CDP) in Cochise County, Arizona, United States. The population was 14,797 at the 2010 census. It includes the neighborhoods Ramsey Canyon, and Sierra Vista Estates within its boundaries.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 112.3 square miles (290.8 km2), all land.

Climate
In the Köppen climate classification system, Sierra Vista Southeast falls within the typical cold semi-arid climate (BSk) of mid-altitude Arizona. Fall and spring, like most other parts of Arizona, are very dry. Winters are cool to cold with frosts which can occasionally be hard freezes; frost can be expected to stop in mid- to late April. Spring, like fall, spends about half of itself within the frost season. Summer starts off dry, but progressively gets wetter as the monsoon season approaches. The city has a fairly stable climate with very little humidity. However, the North American Monsoon can bring torrential rains during the months of July and August and will produce almost half the yearly rainfall in just those two months alone. Due to the dry climate the rest of the year and the CDP's high elevation, daily winter low temperatures range from 20 to 30 F on average and up to 50 F on rare occasions when moist fronts bring warm air from the Gulf of California. Snow is not a common sight in the CDP, though some years the city can receive several inches of snow and other years it will receive none. However, a snow-capped Miller Peak and Carr Peak in the Huachuca Mountains is a common sight for four to five months every year.

Demographics
As of the census of 2010, there were 14,797 people in the CDP. The population density was 131.8/sq mi. There were 6,394 housing units at an average density of 56.9 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the CDP was 69.1% White, 1.8% Black or African American, 1% Native American, 1.6% Asian, 0.2% Pacific Islander, 5.1% from other races, and 3.4% from two or more races. 17.8% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 5,392 households, out of which 33.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 65.4% were married couples living together, 8.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 22.8% were non-families. 18.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.65 and the average family size was 3.01.

In the CDP, the age distribution of the population shows 27.0% under the age of 18, 5.6% from 18 to 24, 24.9% from 25 to 44, 29.4% from 45 to 64, and 13.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.7 males.

The median income for a household in the CDP was $46,170, and the median income for a family was $51,858. Males had a median income of $38,346 versus $26,115 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $20,702. About 5.4% of families and 7.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.9% of those under age 18 and 5.1% of those age 65 or over.

Transportation
Cochice Connection provides bus connections between Douglas, Bisbee, and Sierra Vista, with a stop in Nicksville.

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

title: Sierra Vista Southeast, Arizona


text:
St. David, Arizona

St. David or Saint David is a census-designated place (CDP) in Cochise County, Arizona, United States. The population was 1,699 at the 2010 census.

History
St. David was established as a result of the Mormon Battalion having earlier passed through the San Pedro River valley in 1846. One of the founders of St. David, Philemon C. Merrill, was a member of the battalion. The Mormon settlers of 1877 were part of a group that originally was to settle Lehi, Arizona. The town was named after David Patten Kimball. The early St. David settlers played an important role in establishing the subsequent surrounding settlements, such as Fort Huachuca and Tombstone, as they did much of the logging in the Huachuca Mountains to provide lumber for the construction of those locations.

As a tight-knit Mormon community, St. David managed better than other small towns in Cochise County during the Great Depression.

An influx of non-Mormons, principally from Oklahoma and Texas, took place when St. David became the site for Civilian Conservation Corps Camp SCS-19-A from 1935 to 1940. Works included soil erosion and flood control projects.

The first natural gas lines brought into Cochise County were brought into St. David.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 5.3 sqmi, all land.

The portion of Arizona State Route 80 that runs east-west through town uses the earlier Patten Street alignment, with the center of town located at the intersection of Patten and Miller Lane.

The main crossings of the San Pedro River in St. David are at Dragoon Wash to the north west and Escalante Crossing to the south. The latter was known as upper crossing and was the site of a stagecoach station.

Climate
St. David has a semi-arid climate (Köppen: BSk) with cool winters, hot summers, and large diurnal temperature variation throughout the year.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 1,744 people, 666 households, and 462 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 327.7 PD/sqmi. There were 892 housing units at an average density of 167.6 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the CDP was 93.0% White, 0.4% Black or African American, 0.3% Native American, 0.5% Asian, 0.2% Pacific Islander, 3.0% from other races, and 2.6% from two or more races. 9.8% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 666 households, out of which 28.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.3% were married couples living together, 8.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.5% were non-families. 26.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 17.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.60 and the average family size was 3.16.

In the CDP, the age distribution of the population shows 28.3% under the age of 18, 5.4% from 18 to 24, 18.2% from 25 to 44, 23.3% from 45 to 64, and 24.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.6 males.

The median income for a household in the CDP was $30,840, and the median income for a family was $32,292. Males had a median income of $31,641 versus $21,339 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $12,872. About 8.7% of families and 12.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.6% of those under age 18 and 3.8% of those age 65 or over.

Education
In 1878 a one-room schoolhouse was built from stone, but it was destroyed in the 1887 Sonora earthquake. The 500-pound bell from that schoolhouse is now on display at the current school. In 1938 a brick schoolhouse was built, it still stands today and is on the National Register of Historic Places. It is one of the oldest standing structures in the area. The St. David School District is also the oldest in the San Pedro Valley. The annual San Pedro Valley Fair has been held at the St. David High School since 1934. In 2008 St. David held a celebration its 130 anniversary during the 75th San Pedro Valley Fair with a Town Reunion at the St. David School. Another popular cultural event held at the school is the annual 1880s Historic Costume Ball, which is patterned after a typical postbellum Indian War-era military ball.

Transportation
Benson Area Transit provides transportation to Benson two days a week.

Notable people

 * David Patten Kimball Mormon pioneer

title: St. David, Arizona


text:
Tombstone, Arizona

Tombstone is a city in Cochise County, Arizona, United States, founded in 1879 by prospector Ed Schieffelin in what was then Pima County, Arizona Territory. It became one of the last boomtowns in the American frontier. The town grew significantly into the mid-1880s as the local mines produced $40 to $85 million in silver bullion, the largest productive silver district in Arizona. Its population grew from 100 to around 14,000 in less than seven years. It is best known as the site of the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral and presently draws most of its revenue from tourism.

History
The town was established on Goose Flats, a mesa above the Goodenough Mine. Within two years of its founding, although far distant from any other metropolitan area, Tombstone had a bowling alley, four churches, an ice house, a school, two banks, three newspapers, and an ice-cream parlor, alongside 110 saloons, 14 gambling halls, and numerous dance halls and brothels. All of these businesses were situated among and atop many silver mines. The gentlemen and ladies of Tombstone attended operas presented by visiting acting troupes at the Schieffelin Hall opera house, while the miners and cowboys saw shows at the Bird Cage Theatre and brothel.

Under the surface were tensions that grew into deadly conflict. The mining capitalists and the townspeople were largely Republicans from the Northern states. Many of the ranchers (some of whom—like the Clantons—were also rustlers or other criminal varieties) were Confederate sympathizers and Democrats. The booming city was only 30 mi from the U.S.–Mexico border and was an open market for cattle stolen from ranches in Sonora, Mexico, by a loosely organized band of outlaws known as The Cowboys. The Earp brothers—Wyatt, Virgil and Morgan—as well as Doc Holliday, arrived in December 1879 and mid-1880. The Earps had ongoing conflicts with Cowboys Ike and Billy Clanton, Frank and Tom McLaury, and Billy Claiborne. The Cowboys repeatedly threatened the Earps over many months until the conflict escalated into a shootout on October 26, 1881. The historic gunfight is often portrayed as occurring at the O.K. Corral, though it actually occurred a short distance away in an empty lot on Fremont Street.

In the mid-1880s, the silver mines penetrated the water table and the mining companies made significant investments in specialized pumps. A fire in 1886 destroyed the Grand Central hoist and the pumping plant, and it was deemed unprofitable to rebuild the costly pumps. The city nearly became a ghost town, saved only because it was the Cochise County seat until 1929. The city's population dwindled to a low of 646 in 1910, but grew to 1,380 by 2010. Tombstone has frequently been noted on lists of unusual place names.

Native Americans
For over 2,000 years, the Hohokam culture lived in southern Arizona, including what is now Tombstone.

Founding
Ed Schieffelin was briefly a scout for the U. S. Army headquartered at Camp Huachuca. Schieffelin frequently searched the wilderness looking for valuable ore samples. At the Santa Rita mines in nearby Santa Cruz Valley, three superintendents had been killed by Native Americans. When friend and fellow Army Scout Al Sieber learned what Schieffelin was up to, he is quoted as telling him, "The only rock you will find out there will be your own tombstone", or, according to another version of the story, "Better take your coffin with you, Ed; you will only find your tombstone there, and nothing else."

In 1877, Schieffelin used Brunckow's Cabin as a base of operations to survey the country. After many months, while working the hills east of the San Pedro River, he found pieces of silver ore in a dry wash on a high plateau called Goose Flats. It took him several more months to find the source. When he located the vein, he estimated it to be fifty feet long and twelve inches wide. Schieffelin took on a partner named William Griffith who financed the filing of the claim in return for a later claim for himself. Griffith filed Schieffelin's first claim, which was named Tombstone, on September 3, 1877. Another account says the first claim was called Graveyard "because it proved worthless and for no other reason."

When the first claims were filed, the initial settlement of tents and wooden shacks was located at Watervale, near the Lucky Cuss mine, with a population of about 100. The Goodenough Mine strike occurred shortly after. Former Territorial Governor Anson P. K. Safford offered financial backing for a share of the mining claims, and Schieffelin, his brother Al, and their partner Richard Gird formed the Tombstone Mining and Milling Company and built a stamp mill near the San Pedro River, about 8 mi away. As the mill was being built, U.S. Deputy Mineral Surveyor Solon M. Allis finished surveying the new town's site in March 1879. The tents and shacks near the Lucky Cuss were moved to the new town site on Goose Flats, a mesa above the Goodenough Mine at 4539 ft above sea level and large enough to hold a growing town. Lots were immediately sold on Allen Street for $5.00 each. The town soon had some 40 cabins and about 100 residents. At the town's founding in March 1879, it took its name from Schieffelin's initial mining claim. By fall 1879, a few thousand hardy souls were living in a canvas and matchstick camp perched amidst the richest silver strike in the Arizona Territory.

When Cochise County was formed from the eastern portion of Pima County on February 1, 1881, Tombstone became the new county seat. Telegraph service to the town was established that same month. In early March 1880, the Schieffelins' Tombstone Mining and Milling Company which owned the original Goodenough Mine and the nearby Tough Nut Mine (among others), was sold to investors from Philadelphia. Two months later, it was reported that the Tough Nut Mine was working a vein of silver ore 90 ft across that assayed at $170 per ton, with some ore assaying at $22,000 a ton.

On September 9, 1880, the richly appointed Grand Hotel was opened, adorned with fine oil paintings, thick Brussels carpets, toilet stands, elegant chandeliers, silk-covered furniture, walnut furniture, and a kitchen with hot and cold running water. At the height of the silver mining boom, when the population was about 10,000, the city was host to Kelly's Wine House, featuring 26 varieties of wine imported from Europe, a beer imported from Colorado named "Coors", cigars, a bowling alley, and many other amenities common to large cities.

Early conflicts
Under the surface were other tensions aggravating the simmering distrust. Most of the Cowboys were Confederate sympathizers and Democrats from Southern states, especially Texas. The mine and business owners, miners, townspeople and city lawmen including the Earps were largely Republicans from the Northern states. There was also the fundamental conflict over resources and land, with traditional, Southern-style "small government" agrarianism of the rural Cowboys contrasted to Northern-style "big-government" development.

In the early 1880s, smuggling and theft of cattle, alcohol, and tobacco across the U.S./Mexico border about 30 mi from Tombstone were common. The Mexican government taxed these items heavily and smugglers earned a handsome profit by sneaking these products across the border. The illegal cross-border smuggling contributed to the lawlessness of the region. Many of these crimes were carried out by outlaw elements labeled "Cow-boys", a loosely organized band of friends and acquaintances who teamed up for various crimes and came to each other's aid. The San Francisco Examiner wrote in an editorial, "Cowboys [are] the most reckless class of outlaws in that wild country...infinitely worse than the ordinary robber." At that time during the 1880s in Cochise County it was an insult to call a legitimate cattleman a "Cowboy". Legitimate cowmen were referred to as cattle herders or ranchers. The Cowboys were nonetheless welcome in town because of their free-spending habits, but shootings were common.

Gunfight at the O.K. Corral
On the evening of March 15, 1881, three Cochise County Cowboys attempted to rob a Kinnear & Company stagecoach carrying $26,000 in silver bullion, en route from Tombstone to Benson, Arizona, the nearest railroad freight terminal.

Near Drew's Station, just outside Contention City, the stage was attacked. Eli "Budd" Philpot, a popular and well-known driver. and a passenger named Peter Roerig riding in the rear dickey seat were both shot and killed. Deputy U.S. Marshal Virgil Earp, with his temporary deputies and brothers Wyatt Earp and Morgan Earp, pursued the Cowboys suspected of the murders. That set off a chain of events that culminated, on October 26, 1881, in a gunfight in a vacant lot owned by photographer C. S. Fly near, but not in or at, the O.K. Corral, during which the lawmen and Doc Holliday killed Tom McLaury, Frank McLaury, and Billy Clanton.

The gunfight was the result of a personal, family, and political feud. Two months later, on the evening of December 28, 1881, Virgil Earp was ambushed and seriously wounded on the streets of Tombstone by hidden assailants shooting from the second story of an unfinished building. Although identified, the suspects provided witnesses who supplied alibis, and the men were not prosecuted. On March 18, 1882, while Morgan Earp was playing billiards at 10 p.m. at Campbell & Hatch in Allen Street—in the heart of Tombstone's still-current downtown—he was killed by a shot through a window that struck his spine, as Wyatt looked on. Once again, the assailants were named but escaped arrest due to legal technicalities. Wyatt Earp concluded that official justice was out of reach. Armed with warrants obtained via the U. S. Marshal's Office, he led a posse of US deputy marshals on what became known as the Earp Vendetta Ride, pursuing and killing four of the men they held responsible.

Much of the Cowboy-related crime subsided after the Earp family left Arizona in early 1882, following the attempted murder of Tombstone Marshal Virgil Earp on December 28, 1881, and the murder of Deputy Marshal Morgan Earp on March 18, 1882. John Slaughter was elected Cochise County Sheriff in 1886 and served two terms. He hired Burt Alvord, who as a 15-year-old boy had witnessed the shootout between the Earps and Cowboys. Alford served very effectively for three years until he began to drink heavily and associate with outlaws, as had Earp-era County Sheriff Johnny Behan, a close friend and constant protector of the law-breaking Clanton family and their friends.

Boothill Graveyard
Tom McLaury, Frank McLaury, and Billy Clanton, killed in the O.K. Corral shootout, are among those buried in the town's Boothill Graveyard. Of the number of pioneer Boot Hill cemeteries in the Old West, so named because most of those buried in them had "died with their boots on", Boothill in Tombstone is one of the best-known.

Silver mining
Tombstone boomed, but founder Ed Schieffelin was more interested in prospecting than owning a mine. Ed was one-third partners with his brother Al Schieffelin and Richard Gird. There were several hundred mining claims near Tombstone, although the most productive were immediately south of town. These included the Goodenough, Toughnut, Contention, Grand Central, Lucky Cuss, Emerald, and Silver Thread. Due to the lack of readily available water near town, mills were built along the San Pedro River about 9 mi away, leading to the establishment of several small mill towns, including Charleston, Contention City, and Fairbank.

Schieffelin left Tombstone to find more ore and when he returned four months later, Gird had lined up buyers for their interest in the Contention claim, which they sold for $10,000. It would later yield millions in silver. They sold a half-interest in the Lucky Cuss, and the other half turned into a steady stream of money. Al and Ed Schieffelin later sold their two-thirds interest in the Tough Nut for $1 million, and sometime later Gird sold his one-third interest for the same amount.

There are widely varying estimates of the value of gold and silver mined during the course of Tombstone's history. The Tombstone mines produced 32 million troy ounces (1,000 metric tons) of silver, more than any other mining district in Arizona. In 1883, writer Patrick Hamilton estimated that during the first four years of activity the mines produced about US$25,000,000 (approximately $ today). Other estimates include US$40 to US$85 million (about $ to $ today). Renewed mining is planned for the area.

One of the byproducts of the vast riches being produced, lawsuits became very prevalent. Between 1880 and 1885 the courts were clogged with many cases, often about land claims and properties. As a result, lawyers began to settle in Tombstone and became even wealthier than the miners and those who financed the mining. In addition, because many of the lawsuits required expert analysis of the underground, many geologists and engineers found employment in Tombstone and settled there. In the end, a thorough mapping of the area was completed by experts which resulted in maps documenting Tombstone's mining claims better than any other mining district of the West.

Mining was an easy task at Tombstone in the early days, ore being rich and close to the surface. One man could pull out ore equal to what three men produced elsewhere. Some residents of Tombstone became quite wealthy and spent considerable money during its boom years. Tombstone's first newspaper, the Nugget, was established in the fall of 1879. The Tombstone Epitaph was founded on May 1, 1880. As the fastest growing boomtown in the American Southwest, the silver industry and attendant wealth attracted many professionals and merchants who brought their wives and families. With them came churches and ministers. They brought a Victorian sensibility and became the town's elite. Many citizens of Tombstone dressed well, and up-to-date fashion could be seen in this growing mining town. Visitors expressed their amazement at the quality and diversity of products that were readily available in the area. The men who worked the mines were largely European immigrants. The Chinese did the town's laundry and provided other services. The Cowboys ran the countryside and stole cattle from haciendas across the international border in Sonora, Mexico.

When the railroad was not built into Tombstone as had been planned, the increasingly sophisticated city of Tombstone remained relatively isolated, deep in a Federal territory that was largely an unpopulated desert and wilderness. Tombstone and its surrounding countryside also became known as one of the deadliest regions in the West. Water was hauled in until the Huachuca Water Company, funded in part by investors like Dr. George E. Goodfellow, built a 23 mi pipeline from the Huachuca Mountains in 1881. No sooner was a pipeline completed than Tombstone's silver mines struck water.

City growth and decline
By mid-1881, there were fancy restaurants, Vogan's Bowling Alley, 4 churches—Catholic, Episcopal, Presbyterian, and Methodist —an ice house, a school, the Schieffelin Hall opera house, 2 banks, 3 newspapers, and an ice cream parlor, alongside 110 saloons, 14 gambling halls, several Chinese restaurants, French, two Italian, numerous Mexican, several upscale "Continental" establishments, and many "home cooking" hot spots including Nellie Cashman's famous Rush House and numerous brothels all situated among and on top of a number of dirty, hardscrabble mines. The Arizona Telephone Company began installing poles and lines for the city's first telephone service on March 15, 1881.

Investors from the northeastern United States bought many of the leading mining operations. The mining itself was carried out by immigrants from Europe, chiefly Cornwall, Ireland and Germany. Chinese and Mexican labor provided services including laundry, construction, restaurants and hotels, but immigrant labor provoked backlash; an "Anti-Chinese League" was formed in the 1880s to boycott Chinese businesses and workers.

The mines and stamping mills ran three shifts. Miners were paid union wages of $4.00 per day working six 10-hour shifts per week. The approximately 6,000 men working in Tombstone generated more than $168,000 a week (approximately $0 today) in income. The mostly young, single, male population spent their hard-earned cash on Allen Street, the major commercial center, open 24 hours a day.

The respectable folks saw traveling theater shows at Schieffelin Hall, opened on June 8, 1881. On December 25, 1881, the Bird Cage Theatre opened on Allen Street, offering the miners and Cowboys their kind of bawdy entertainment. One of the prime entertainments at the Bird Cage theatre was Cornish wrestling competitions, with the results being regularly published in the UK.

In 1882, The New York Times reported that "the Bird Cage Theatre is the wildest, wickedest night spot between Basin Street and the Barbary Coast." The Bird Cage remained open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year until it closed its doors in 1889. Respectable women stayed on the north side of Allen Street. The prostitutes worked the saloons on the south side and in the southeast quarter of the town, as far as possible from the proper residential section north of Fremont Street.

By late 1881 Tombstone had more than 7,000 citizens, excluding all Chinese, Mexicans, women and children residents. At the height of the town's boom, the official population reached about 10,000, with several thousand more uncounted. In 1882, the Cochise County Courthouse was built at a cost of around $45,000.

Fires

Due to poor building practices and poor fire protection common to boomtown construction, Tombstone was hit by two major fires. On June 22, 1881, the first fire destroyed 66 businesses making up the eastern half of the business district. The fire began when a lit cigar ignited a barrel of whiskey in the Arcade Saloon.

On May 25, 1882, another, more destructive fire started in a Chinese laundry on Fifth Street between Toughnut and Allen streets. It destroyed the Grand Hotel and the Tivoli Saloon before it jumped Fremont Street, destroying more than 100 businesses and most of the business district. Lacking enough water to put out the flames, buildings in the fire's path were dynamited to deny the fire fuel. Total damages were estimated to be $700,000, far more than the estimated $250,000 insurance coverage. But rebuilding started right away nonetheless.

In March 1883, along one short stretch of Allen Street, there were drinking establishments in two principal hotels, the Eagle Brewery, Cancan Chop-House, French Rotisserie, Alhambra, Maison Dore, City of Paris, Brown's Saloon, Fashion Saloon, Miners' Home, Kelly's Wine-House, the Grotto, the Tivoli, and two more unnamed saloons.

Mines strike water
The Tough Nut Mine first experienced seepage in 1880. In March 1881, the Sulphuret Mine struck water at 520 ft. A year later, in March 1882, miners in a new shaft of the Grand Central Mine hit water at 620 ft. The flow wasn't at first large enough to stop work, but experienced miners thought the water flow would increase, and it did. Soon constant pumping with a 4 in pump was insufficient. The silver ore deposits they sought were soon underwater.

Several mine managers traveled to San Francisco and met with the principal owners of the Contention Mine. They talked about options for draining the mines, and found the only system available for pumping water out of mines below 400 ft was the Cornish engine which had been used at the Comstock Lode in the 1870s. They bought and installed the huge Cornish engines in the Contention and Grand Central mines. By mid-February 1884, the engines were removing 576000 gal of water every twenty-four hours. The city merchants celebrated the continued success of mining and the transfer of funds to their businesses. The Contention and the Grand Central found that their pumps were draining the mining district, benefiting other mines as well, but the other companies refused to pay a proportion of the expense.

On May 26, 1886, the Grand Central hoist and pumping plant burned. The fire was so intense that the metal components of the Cornish engine melted and warped. The headworks of the main mine shaft were also destroyed. Shortly afterward, the price of silver slid to 90 cents an ounce. The mines that remained operational laid off workers. Individuals who had thought about leaving Tombstone when the mine flooding started now took action. The price of silver briefly recovered for a while and a few mines began producing again, but never at the level reached in the early 1880s.

Tourism

The U.S. census recorded fewer than 1,900 residents in 1890 and fewer than 700 residents in 1900. Tombstone was saved from becoming a ghost town partly because it remained the Cochise County seat until 1929, when county residents voted to move county offices to nearby Bisbee. The classic Cochise County Courthouse and adjacent gallows yard in Tombstone are preserved as a museum. Town life was rather quiet in the 1930s and 1940s, but, the town received renewed interest in the 1950s and 1960s due to portrayals in comics, movies, television and film. Currently, tourism and western memorabilia are the main commercial enterprises; a July 2005 CNN article notes that Tombstone receives approximately 450,000 tourist visitors each year. This is about 300 tourists/year for each permanent resident. In contrast to its heyday, when it featured saloons open 24 hours and numerous houses of prostitution, Tombstone is now a staid community with few businesses open late. Tombstone and surrounding areas have a variety of lodging options, restaurants, and attractions. The town is located near other historic sites of interest, including Bisbee and the San Pedro Riparian area. Tombstone is a short drive away from Sierra Vista, which is considered the shopping hub of Cochise County.

East Allen Street is the center of Tombstone's tourist attractions, featuring three blocks of shaded boardwalks lined with gift shops, saloons, and eateries. Allen Street's historic district is closed to motor traffic from 3rd Street, the location of the city park and OK Corral, to 6th Street, where the Bird Cage Theatre is located. Additional sites of interest can be found throughout the city, even out on Highway 80, where Boothill Cemetery is found.

Performance events
Performance events help preserve the town's Wild West image and expose it to new visitors. The historic O.K. Corral has been preserved but is now surrounded by a wall. Fremont Street (modern Arizona Highway 80), where portions of the gunfight took place, is open to the public. Mannequins are used to depict the location of the participants as recorded by Wyatt Earp. Visitors may pay to see a reenactment of the gunfight. Helldorado Days is Tombstone's oldest festival and celebrates the community's wild days of the 1880s.

World's largest rosebush
According to Guinness, the world's largest rosebush was planted in Tombstone in 1885 and still flourishes in the city's sunny climate. The Lady Banksia rose originated in Scotland. Mary Gee was the wife of mining engineer Henry Gee, who worked for the Vizina Mining Co. Mary's family sent the homesick bride a box of rooted cuttings from her home country. She planted one of the roses by the patio of the Vizina Mining Company's boarding house, the first adobe building in town, located at 4th and Toughnut Street across from the later site of the railroad depot. She and Henry lived in the boarding house when they first arrived in Tombstone.

The building was later renamed the Cochise House Hotel, and from 1909 to 1936 it was known as the Arcade Hotel. By the 1930s, the rosebush had grown to shade the entire patio and became a popular site for tourists. The hotel was later renamed the Rose Tree Inn and then the Rose Tree Inn Museum. The museum curator tells visitors that all Banks roses growing in the U.S. today are descendants of the Tombstone rose.

In 1940, the Lady Banksia rose covered about 4000 sqft. , the rosebush covered more than 8000 sqft of the roof and garden trellis of the inn, and has a 12 ft circumference trunk. The rosebush is walled off, and the inn charges admission to view it.

A pair of huge rose "trees" of more than 5 ft in circumference, also planted in the 1880s, shade a 2500 sqft courtyard at Tombstone's historic Sacred Heart Church.

Historic district

The Tombstone Historic District is a National Historic Landmark District. The town's focus on tourism has threatened the town's designation as a National Historic Landmark District, a designation it earned in 1961 as "one of the best preserved specimens of the rugged frontier town of the 1870s and '80s". In 2004, the National Park Service declared that Tombstone's historic designation was threatened, and asked the community to develop an appropriate stewardship program.

The National Park Service noted inappropriate alterations to the district included:
 * Placing "historic" dates on new buildings
 * Failing to distinguish new construction from historic structures
 * Covering authentic historic elevations with inappropriate materials
 * Replacing historic features instead of repairing them
 * Replacing missing historic features with conjectural and unsubstantiated materials
 * Building incompatible additions to existing historic structures and new incompatible buildings within the historic district
 * Using illuminated signage, including blinking lights surrounding historic signs
 * Installing hitching rails and Spanish tile-covered store porches when such architectural features never existed within Tombstone

Historical buildings include Schieffelin Hall, the opera house built by Al Schieffelin in 1881, and the Cochise County Courthouse. The courthouse was largely unused and then vacant after the county seat was moved to Bisbee. An attempt was made to turn it into hotel in the 1940s, and when that failed it stood empty until 1955. The Tombstone Restoration Commission acquired the courthouse and developed it as a historical museum that opened in 1959. It features exhibits and thousands of artifacts documenting Tombstone's past.

The Crystal Palace Saloon, including its 45 ft long mahogany bar, was rebuilt based on photographs of the original saloon was restored in May 1964 to its 1881 condition. This included large Victorian ceiling lamps and the inlaid‐patterned wood floor.

Geography and geology
The Tombstone District located at 31.71583°N, -110.06472°W (31.715940, −110.064827) sits atop a mesa (elevation 4539 ft) in the San Pedro River valley between the Huachuca Mountains and Whetstone Mountains to the west, and the Mules and the Dragoon Mountains to the east. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 11.2 sqkm, all land.

The silver-bearing Tombstone Hills around the city are caused by a local intrusion of porphyry through a limestone capping.

When actively mined, the silver vein of argentiferous galena (silver-bearing lead ore) was large and well defined. The silver and lead was easily milled and smelted. The lead content sometimes was as much as 50 per cent of the ore, and assays proved the silver content ran as high as $105.00 per ton in 1881 dollars.

The underlying basement rocks are fine-grained Pinal Schist which is intruded by gneissic granite. The outcrop is in a small area south of the principal mines. The overlying Paleozoic quartzite and limestones rock lies on an unconformity with a total thickness ranging from 4000 to 5000 ft, and contains 2500 to 3500 ft of Mississippian Escabrosa Limestone and the Naco Formation limestone of Pennsylvanian age in the upper formations.

Overlying the Naco Limestone is an unconformable Mesozoic series of conglomerate, thick-bedded quartzites, and shales, with two or three lenses of soft, bluish-gray limestone. Into these formations intruded large bodies of quartz monzonite and by dikes of quartz monzonite-porphyry and diorite-porphyry. Structural faulting occurs throughout the district especially immediately south of Tombstone, where the strata are closely folded.

Tombstone District ores have been produced geologically in three or more ways.

They may have been formed in argentiferous (silver-bearing) lead sulfide containing spotty amounts of copper and zinc. These deposits are usually deeply oxidized and enriched by irregular replacement bodies along mineralized fissure zones and anticlinal rolls cut by Paleozoic and Mesozoic sedimentary formations. Ore bodies are often closely associated with newer cross-cutting intrusive dikes of Laramide.

Ore deposits were formed by base metal mineralization occurring with oxidation found in fault and fracture zones in Laramide volcanics and quartz latite porphyry intrusives.

Silver ore was also occurred in manganese oxides with some argentiferous deposits in lenticular or pipe-like replacement bodies along fracture and fault zones, usually in Pennsylvanian-Permian age Naco Group limestones.

Climate
Tombstone has a typical Arizona semi-arid climate (Köppen BSk/BSh) with three basic seasons. Winter, from October to March, features mild to warm days and chilly nights, with minima falling to under 32 F on 28.4 nights, although snowfall is almost unknown, with the median being zero and the heaviest monthly fall being 14.0 in in January 1916, of which 12.0 in fell on January 16. The coldest temperature record in Tombstone has been 3 F on December 8, 1978.

The summer season from April to June is extremely dry and gradually heats up – the hottest temperature on record being 112 F on July 4, 1989 – before the monsoon season from July to September brings the heaviest rainfall, averaging 7.71 inch out of an annual total of 13.22 inch. The wettest month has been July 2008 when 11.53 inch fell and fifteen days saw at least 0.04 in of rainfall – though the record for the most such days in a month stands at eighteen, in July 1930. Since 1893, the wettest calendar year has been 1905, with 27.84 in and the driest was 1924, with 7.36 in.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 1,504 people, 694 households, and 419 families residing in the city. The population density was 349.8 PD/sqmi. There were 839 housing units at an average density of 195.1 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the city was 87.4% White, 0.6% Black or African American, 1.0% Native American, 0.3% Asian, 8.2% from other races, and 2.5% from two or more races. 24.1% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 694 households, out of which 20.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.6% were married couples living together, 7.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.5% were non-families. 32.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.17 and the average family size was 2.73.

In the city, the age distribution of the population shows 19.3% under the age of 18, 4.9% from 18 to 24, 19.9% from 25 to 44, 32.5% from 45 to 64, and 23.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 49 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.0 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $26,571, and the median income for a family was $33,750. Males had a median income of $26,923 versus $18,846 for females. The per capita income for the city was $15,447. About 13.0% of families and 17.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 22.6% of those under age 18 and 13.1% of those age 65 or over. In 2010, the total population was 1,380.

Education
Tombstone Unified School District serves Tombstone. The district schools in Tombstone are Walter J. Meyer Elementary School and Tombstone High School. Tombstone is within the Cochise Technology District which assists in the development of career and technical education programs for high school students.

Historic properties
Several properties in Tombstone have been included in the National Register of Historic Places. The following are images of some of these properties:

"China Mary"
During the 1880s, Tombstone had a population of about 500 Chinese. One of the most prominent members of Tombstone's Chinese Community was Sing Choy (or Ah Chum), a woman popularly nicknamed "China Mary". Her role as a community leader included operating a store, controlling opium dens and gambling, and securing jobs for Chinese laborers in the white community.

She died in December 1906 from heart failure, and was buried in Tombstone's Boot Hill Cemetery.

She was portrayed in an episode of the 1955 television series The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp by Chinese-American actress Anna May Wong.

Television

 * The 1957–1960 series Tombstone Territory is set in Tombstone. It followed the adventures of fictional Sheriff Clay Hollister (Pat Conway) as he preserved peace in and around the town. Each episode was introduced and narrated by the fictional editor of The Tombstone Epitaph, Harris Claibourne (Richard Eastham).
 * The 1966 Doctor Who third season serial The Gunfighters is set in Tombstone. In it, the time traveling First Doctor (William Hartnell) and his companions become involved with the events leading up to the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral.
 * The 1969 Death Valley Days episode "The Angel of Tombstone" features a fictional depiction of Tombstone restaurant proprietor Nellie Cashman (Grace Lee Whitney).
 * The 2011 Fact or Faked: Paranormal Files episode "Old West Hauntings/Freeway Flyer" features an investigation into the alleged appearance of a coffin-shaped apparition in a mirror at Tombstone's Bird Cage Theatre.
 * Set in Tombstone was the heavily fictionalized TV series The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp, starring Hugh O'Brian in the title role. Steve Brodie played Behan in nine episodes of the series. Douglas Fowley played Doc.

Video games

 * In the 2023 indie game Pizza Tower, there is a 2nd floor named Western District, which is a set of western themed levels. The sixth level of the game, called “Wasteyard”, uses a song named after the town itself.

title: Tombstone, Arizona


text:
Whetstone, Arizona

Whetstone is a census-designated place (CDP) in Cochise County, Arizona, United States, north of Sierra Vista. The population was 2,617 at the 2010 census.

History
Whetstone was often referred to as the "Y" because the intersection of State routes 82 and 90 had an eastbound lane on 90 and a southbound lane on 82 that created a Y at the intersection. Highway 90 ended one to two miles further north and people traveling north had to go via highway 82 east or west and then north on either highway 83 or highway 80.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 11.8 sqmi, all land.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 2,354 people, 904 households, and 664 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 199.5 PD/sqmi. There were 1,056 housing units at an average density of 89.5 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the CDP was 84.0% White, 2.9% Black or African American, 1.2% Native American, 0.9% Asian, 6.5% from other races, and 4.5% from two or more races. 13.8% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 904 households, out of which 32.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.2% were married couples living together, 10.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.5% were non-families. 20.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.60 and the average family size was 3.02.

In the CDP, the age distribution of the population shows 27.4% under the age of 18, 5.6% from 18 to 24, 25.3% from 25 to 44, 28.0% from 45 to 64, and 13.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.0 males.

The median income for a household in the CDP was $34,507, and the median income for a family was $37,656. Males had a median income of $32,083 versus $25,424 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $16,370. About 13.4% of families and 20.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 32.3% of those under age 18 and 1.3% of those age 65 or over.

title: Whetstone, Arizona


text:
Willcox, Arizona

Willcox is a city in Cochise County, Arizona, United States. The city is located in the Sulphur Springs Valley, a flat and sparsely populated drainage basin dotted with seasonal lakes. The city is surrounded by Arizona's most prominent mountain ranges, including the Pinaleño Mountains and the Chiricahua Mountains.

Six of Arizona's ten largest mountains are located within a 70-mile radius including Mount Graham (31 miles north), which is Arizona's most prominent mountain, Chiricahua Peak (42 miles southeast), Mount Lemmon (57 miles west), Miller Peak (65 miles southwest), Mica Mountain (41 miles west), and Mount Wrightson (70 miles southwest). Scores of birds, including sandhill cranes, winter in the area, with some migrating from as far away as Siberia. A very large dry lakebed, the Willcox Playa, is located five miles south of the city. It is the remnant of the Ice Age-era Lake Cochise.

Willcox's high desert climate gives it large diurnal temperature variation, making it ideal for wine cultivation.

History
Originally known as "Maley", the town was founded in 1880 as a whistlestop on the Southern Pacific Railroad because of its position approximately halfway between El Paso, Texas and Phoenix, Arizona. It was renamed in honor of a visit by General Orlando B. Willcox in 1889. In the early 20th century, Willcox was a national leader in cattle production. Agriculture remains important to the local economy, but Interstate 10 has replaced the railroad as the major transportation link, and much of the economy is now tied to the highway, which runs immediately north of the town.

Willcox is the birthplace of Rex Allen, known as "The Arizona Cowboy", who wrote and recorded many songs, starred in several Westerns during the early 1950s and in the syndicated television series Frontier Doctor (1958–1959). Parts of the 1993 American neo-noir film Red Rock West starring Nicolas Cage, Lara Flynn Boyle, J. T. Walsh and Dennis Hopper were filmed in Willcox. A short film documentary called "Lonesome Willcox" released in 2018 documented the town's country music radio station KHIL.

Willcox became Arizona's second federally designated wine growing region in 2016.

Geography
Willcox is located in northern Cochise County, in the Sulphur Springs Valley. Interstate 10 serves the city with three exits and leads 35 mi southwest to Benson and 74 mi east to Lordsburg, New Mexico. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 16.3 km2, of which 15.9 km2 is land and 0.3 km2, or 2.13%, is water.

Climate
Willcox's high elevation gives it a milder climate than the nearby Valley of the Sun and Sonoran Desert. It also receives more rainfall than Tucson and Phoenix due to the summer monsoon rains and thus it has a cold semi-arid climate (Koppen: BSk).

Economy
Willcox's primary industries are agriculture, wine production, and tourism.

Major employers in Willcox include Riverview LLP, NatureSweet greenhouse, Northern Cochise Community Hospital, Valley Telephone Cooperative, the Border Patrol, Safeway, and Willcox Unified School District.

The wine industry employs over 400 people in the region. The agricultural producers in the area employ many hundreds of workers as well.

Wine country
The Willcox wine region produces 74 percent of the wine grapes grown in the state of Arizona. Willcox is the largest-grape growing region in Arizona and grows more wine grapes than any other region in the state and offers a wide variety of wines to choose from. Grape varietals grown include Petite Sirah, Malvasia Bianca, Sangiovese, Chenin blanc, Syrah, Colombard, Sauvignon blanc, Corvina, Merlot, Malbec, Tannat, Cabernet Franc, Chardonnay, Tempranillo, Cabernet Sauvignon and Mourvèdre.

Arts, events, culture
Willcox has two festival seasons in the spring and fall.

Spring events include the Willcox Wine Country Spring Festival, which takes place the third weekend of May, and the Willcox West Fest in April.

Fall events include Rex Allen Days, which is a multi-day event that takes place the first weekend in October, the Willcox Wine Country Fall Festival, which takes place the 3rd weekend of October, the Willcox Flyer Bike Ride, which takes place the first Saturday of September, and the BoulderDash 13k/30k, which takes place in mid-October.

Winter festivals include the Christmas Light Parade and Craft Fair in December, and Wings Over Willcox Birding Festival which takes place over Martin Luther King Jr. Weekend.

Rex Allen Days was started in 1951 to honor Rex Allen. The event includes the annual parade, rodeos, fairs, car show and more.

Willcox Wine Country's two festivals are usually the third weekends of May and October. The event grows in size every year and includes live music and multiple arts and crafts vendors. Willcox Wine Festivals is listed as one of the top 10 wine festivals in North America.

Willcox West Fest celebrates Willcox's cowboy culture which is still active today through generations of ranching families. The event consists of a rodeo and a chuck wagon cook-off and usually occurs in April.

Saguaro Man is the official AZ Burners regional Burning Man gathering celebrating different arts including fire arts. The event happens around May each year on their land.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 3,733 people, 1,383 households, and 947 families residing in the city. The population density was 622.3 PD/sqmi. The racial makeup of the city was 75.0% White, 0.7% Black or African American, 1.6% Native American, 0.8% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 17.6% from other races, and 4.2% from two or more races. 41.7% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. The median income for a household in the city was $24,334. 21.6% of families and 27.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 36.6% of those under age 18 and 24.6% of those age 65 or over.

Seventeen miles north of Willcox on what was once the York ranch, there are now miles of apple orchards and pistachio groves.

Media
KHIL "Classic Country" 1250 AM and 98.1 FM has served the region since 1958. The Herald has listings and news for all of Cochise county including Willcox.

Notable people

 * Rex Allen (1920–1999), film and television actor, singer and songwriter
 * Ted DiBiase (born 1954), American former professional wrestler
 * Warren Earp (1855-1900), youngest of the Earp brothers, buried here.
 * Lilly McElroy (born 1980), photographer
 * Tanya Tucker (born 1958), American country music artist, spent early childhood in Willcox
 * Chalky Wright (1912–1957), boxing champion in International Boxing Hall of Fame

title: Willcox, Arizona


text:
Bitter Springs, Arizona

Bitter Springs is a native village and census-designated place (CDP) on the Navajo Nation in Coconino County, Arizona, United States. As of the 2020 census, the CDP population was 364

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 20.8 km2, all land.

Bitter Springs is the terminus of U.S. Route 89A, a spur route cut off by the construction of the Glen Canyon Dam.

Demographics
Bitter Springs first appeared on the 2000 U.S. Census as a census-designated place (CDP).

As of the census of 2000, there were 547 people, 104 households, and 97 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 66.1 PD/sqmi. There were 127 housing units at an average density of 15.3 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the CDP was 99% Native American and 1% White, with <1% of the population made up of Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 104 households, out of which 73% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58% were married couples living together, 26% had a female householder with no husband present, and 5.8% were non-families. 4.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 5.3 and the average family size was 5.3.

In the CDP, the age distribution of the population shows 48% under the age of 18, 14% from 18 to 24, 25% from 25 to 44, 11% from 45 to 64, and 2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 19 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 80.3 males.

The median income for a household in the CDP was $24,886, and the median income for a family was $30,217. Males had a median income of $11,477 versus $14,038 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $7,985. About 25% of families and 30% of the population were below the poverty line, including 25% of those under age 18 and none of those age 65 or over.

Education
Bitter Springs is served by the Page Unified School District. The schools serving Bitter Springs are in Page, Arizona.

title: Bitter Springs, Arizona


text:
Cameron, Arizona

Cameron is a census-designated place (CDP) in Coconino County, Arizona, United States, on the Navajo Nation. The population was 885 at the 2010 census. Most of the town's economy is tourist food and craft stalls, restaurants, and other services for north–south traffic from Flagstaff and Page. There is a ranger station supplying information and hiking permits for the Navajo Nation. There is also a large craft store run by the Nation itself. It is named after Ralph H. Cameron, Arizona's first senator.

Geography
Cameron is located on the Navajo Nation. Elevation is 4216 ft above sea level. It is immediately south of the Little Colorado River, just above the beginning of the Little Colorado River Gorge and the stream's descent into the Grand Canyon. Cameron lies at the intersection of US 89 and State Route 64, not far from the Desert View entrance to Grand Canyon National Park.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 48.5 sqkm, of which 0.04 sqkm is water.

Demographics
Cameron's population was 63 in 1940, and was 20 in the 1960 census.

As of the census of 2000, there were 978 people, 236 households, and 194 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 53.0 PD/sqmi. There were 317 housing units at an average density of 17.2 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the CDP was 94.7% Native American, 1.7% White, 0.1% Black or African American, 0.1% Asian, 0.8% from other races, and 2.6% from two or more races. 4.1% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 236 households, out of which 44.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.9% were married couples living together, 28.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 17.4% were non-families. 15.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 4.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 4.14 and the average family size was 4.61.

In the CDP, the age distribution of the population shows 41.2% under the age of 18, 10.9% from 18 to 24, 27.5% from 25 to 44, 13.7% from 45 to 64, and 6.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 24 years. For every 100 females, there were 105.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.7 males.

The median income for a household in the CDP was $24,773, and the median income for a family was $21,420. Males had a median income of $21,786 versus $12,614 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $5,970. About 38.0% of families and 36.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 42.0% of those under age 18 and 52.8% of those age 65 or over.

Education
The area is served by the Tuba City Unified School District. The community has one elementary school called Dzil Libei Elementary School, which is a K–6 grade school serving the community. There is also a local preschool run by the Navajo Nation.

Tuba City High School and Tuba City Elementary School serve Cameron.

Transportation
Express provides connecting bus service to Page.

Images of historic Cameron, Arizona
Pictured are some of the structures of Cameron, as they looked in 2019. Also, included is a short description of the structures pictured.
 * Tanner's Crossing Bridge – A suspension bridge built in 1911, by the Midland Bridge Co. for the Office of Indian Affairs. The one track suspension bridge was erected over a gorge of the Little Colorado River. The bridge, which was bypassed 1959, was named after Seth Tanner, a Mormon prospector from Tuba City, Arizona. It was listed in the National Register of Historic Places on June 5, 1986, reference: #86001206.
 * Cameron Trading Post – The trading post, first known as the "Little Colorado Trading Post", was established by the brothers Hubert and C.D. Richardson in 1913. The post was later changed to the Cameron Trading Post in honor of Arizona Senator Ralph Cameron.
 * The Grand Canyon Hotel – Sometimes referred to as the "Grand Canyon Motel", was built in 1928 and is still operating as such.
 * The Cameron Post Office – Established in 1916.
 * The Cameron Trading Post Warehouse – built in 1916.
 * A Navajo Swtloghome – A Navajo Swtloghome is a three-bedroom, two-bath 1,810-square-foot log cabin.

title: Cameron, Arizona


text:
Fredonia, Arizona

Fredonia is a town in Coconino County, Arizona, United States. As of the 2010 census it had a population of 1,314. Fredonia is the gateway to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon.

History
Fredonia was laid out in 1886. Its name is said to mean the "land of free women."

The town's cemetery has graves dating from the 1880s.

The town suffered economically from the re-routing of U.S. 89 in 1960. While the highway previously went through Fredonia, it was re-routed north of the Glen Canyon dam, and the town lost several businesses due to a drop in traffic.

Senator Barry Goldwater gave the commencement at Fredonia High School in 1964.

Kaibab Forest Products was the major industry in town until 1995, when it closed and laid off 200 workers. It had employed up to 400 workers in 1988. The Arizona One mine is also located nearby.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 1,036 people, 359 households, and 287 families residing in the town. The population density was 139.7 PD/sqmi. There were 455 housing units at an average density of 61.4 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 85.7% White, 1.1% Black or African American, 11.4% Native American, 0.4% from other races, and 1.5% from two or more races. 1.5% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 359 households, out of which 37.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 65.5% were married couples living together, 10.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 19.8% were non-families. 15.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 5.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.89 and the average family size was 3.25.

In the town, the age distribution of the population shows 32.3% under the age of 18, 6.2% from 18 to 24, 27.7% from 25 to 44, 22.7% from 45 to 64, and 11.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 104.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.0 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $30,288, and the median income for a family was $30,913. Males had a median income of $24,904 versus $19,554 for females. The per capita income for the town was $13,309. About 12.3% of families and 15.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 25.4% of those under age 18 and 3.2% of those age 65 or over.

Geography and climate
Fredonia is located in the Arizona Strip, the portion of Arizona lying north of the Colorado River, and is within a few miles of the Utah border. According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 7.4 sqmi, all land.

Fredonia is also located within a short distance of other national parks, national monuments, state parks, and scenic outdoor recreation spots.

Education
Fredonia is a part of the Fredonia-Moccasin Unified School District. Two schools, Fredonia Elementary School and Fredonia High/Middle School, serve the town.

title: Fredonia, Arizona


text:
Grand Canyon Village, Arizona

Grand Canyon Village is a census-designated place (CDP) located on the South Rim of the Grand Canyon, in Coconino County, Arizona, United States. Its population was 2,004 at the 2010 Census. Located in Grand Canyon National Park, it is wholly focused on accommodating tourists visiting the canyon. Its origins trace back to the railroad completed from Williams, to the canyon's South Rim by the Santa Fe Railroad in 1901. Many of the structures in use today date from that period. The village contains numerous landmark buildings, and its historic core is a National Historic Landmark District, designated for its outstanding implementation of town design.

Geography and transportation
According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 13.4 sqmi, all land.

It is located 180 mi north of Phoenix, and 168 mi from Las Vegas.

Groome Transportation provides scheduled service between Grand Canyon Village and Flagstaff, Arizona. Trans-Canyon Shuttle provides seasonal scheduled services between Grand Canyon Village and North Rim, Arizona and seasonal service between Grand Canyon Village and Marble Canyon. National Park Express provides a daily shuttle between Page and Grand Canyon Village.

The Grand Canyon Railway connects the Grand Canyon Depot in Grand Canyon Village with the Williams Depot in Williams, Arizona. Connections were offered to Amtrak's Williams Junction station until 2017, when the station was closed.

The National Park Service operates free shuttle buses on the South Rim.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 1,460 people, 651 households, and 345 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 108.6 PD/sqmi. There were 791 housing units at an average density of 100.8 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the CDP was 73.7% White, 1.6% Black or African American, 18.8% Native American, 0.9% Asian, 0.3% Pacific Islander, 1.9% from other races, and 2.9% from two or more races. 10.2% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 651 households, out of which 24.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.1% were married couples living together, 6.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 46.9% were non-families. 31.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 0.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.18 and the average family size was 2.84.

In the CDP, the population was spread out, with 20.5% under the age of 18, 8.4% from 18 to 24, 41.2% from 25 to 44, 27.7% from 45 to 64, and 2.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 114.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 110.1 males.

The median income for a household in the CDP was $42,083, and the median income for a family was $53,676. Males had a median income of $28,750 versus $23,565 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $19,923. About 1.7% of families and 4.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.9% of those under age 18 and none of those age 65 or over.

Media
KUGO 102.5 FM is licensed to Grand Canyon Village, and broadcasts travelers' information for visitors to the Grand Canyon.

Education
The area is served by the Grand Canyon Unified School District. A small sliver of the census-designated place extends into the Fredonia-Moccasin Unified School District.

The high school of the former district is Grand Canyon High School.

Historic structures and monuments

The following is a brief description the images of some of the historic structures and plaques in the Grand Canyon Village.
 * Grand Canyon Railroad Depot – the depot was built in 1901 and is within the Grand Canyon Village Historic District. It is one of three remaining railroad depots in the United States built with logs as the primary material. It was listed in the National Register of Historic Places on September 6, 1974, reference #74000343. It was declared a National Historic Landmark on May 28, 1987.
 * Horace M. Albright Training Center – established in 1963, and is located on Albright Street within the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. It is the primary training facility for new permanent NPS employees.
 * El Tovar Hotel – built in 1903 and operated by the Fred Harvey Company. It is located in the Grand Canyon National Park, Rte 8A. It was listed in the National Register of Historic Places on September 6, 1974, reference #74000334. It was declared a National Historic Landmark on May 28, 1987.
 * El Tovar Stables – were built in 1904 and is located in the Grand Canyon National Park, Rte 8A. It was listed in the National Register of Historic Places on September 6, 1974, reference #74000336.
 * AT& SF Employee residences – built between 1924 and 1933. The residence pictured is located on Apache Street in the Grand Canyon National Park.
 * Grand Canyon Power House – the power house was built in 1926 and located in the Grand Canyon National Park. It was Designated a National Landmark and listed in the National Register of Historic Places on May 28, 1987, reference #87001411.
 * Bright Angel Lodge – built in 1935. It was designed by architect Mary Jane Colter and is located within the Grand Canyon Village Historic District.
 * Buck O’Neil Cabin – built in 1890 by William “Buckey” O’Neil. Among the occupations which O’Neil had during his lifetime were that author, sheriff and judge in Arizona. He was a member of the Rough Riders and in Cuba he was killed in action. The cabin is the oldest extant structure on the South Rim.
 * Hopi House – built in 1904, by the Fred Harvey Company and designed by architect Mary Jane Colter. It is located within the Grand Canyon Village Historic District. It was Designated a National Landmark and listed in the National Register of Historic Places on May 28, 1987, reference #87001436.
 * Look-Out Studio – designed by architect Mary Jane Colter it was built in 1914. It is located within the Grand Canyon Village Historic District. It was Designated a National Landmark and listed in the National Register of Historic Places on May 28, 1987, reference #87001436.
 * Kolb Studio – historic structure situated on the edge of the South Rim of the Grand Canyon in Grand Canyon Village within Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona. It was operated from 1904 until 1976 as the photographic studio of brothers Ellsworth and Emery Kolb.
 * Verkamp's Curio Store – built in 1906, is now Verkamp's Visitor Center and operated by the Grand Canyon Conservancy for the National Park Service. Built by Ohioan John George Verkamp, who sold Native American crafts and souvenirs, the two-story shingled building has been described as “modified Mission” style, resembling an adobe building in form if not materials.

title: Grand Canyon Village, Arizona


text:
Kachina Village, Arizona

Kachina Village is a census-designated place (CDP) in Coconino County, Arizona, United States. The population was 2,622 at the 2010 census. Kachina Village is primarily a bedroom community for Flagstaff.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 1.2 sqmi, all land.

Climate
This region experiences warm (but not hot) and dry summers, with no average monthly temperatures above 71.6 °F. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Kachina Village has a warm-summer Mediterranean climate, abbreviated "Csb" on climate maps.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 2,664 people, 1,021 households, and 658 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 2,228.3 PD/sqmi. There were 1,376 housing units at an average density of 1,151.0 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the CDP was 89.0% White, 4.3% Native American, 0.3% Black or African American, 0.3% Asian, <0.1% Pacific Islander, 4.8% from other races, and 1.3% from two or more races. 9.7% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 1,021 households, out of which 33.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.4% were married couples living together, 8.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.5% were non-families. 20.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 2.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.61 and the average family size was 3.08.

In the CDP, the age distribution of the population shows 26.0% under the age of 18, 9.5% from 18 to 24, 37.4% from 25 to 44, 22.6% from 45 to 64, and 4.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females, there were 107.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 109.6 males.

The median income for a household in the CDP was $45,703, and the median income for a family was $51,037. Males had a median income of $34,375 versus $26,750 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $17,849. About 4.4% of families and 8.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.5% of those under age 18 and none of those age 65 or over.

Education
Kachina Village is served by the Flagstaff Unified School District.

title: Kachina Village, Arizona