List of historic properties in Florence, Arizona

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List of historic properties
in Florence, Arizona
Main Street of the original town-site of Florence. The town-site was listed in the National Register of Historic Places on October 26, 1982, reference #82001623.
Main Street of the original town-site of Florence. The town-site was listed in the National Register of Historic Places on October 26, 1982, reference #82001623.
Location in Pinal County and the state of Arizona
Location in Pinal County and the state of Arizona

This is a list of historic properties in Florence, Arizona, which includes a photographic gallery of some of the remaining historic structures and monuments. Included are photographs of properties identified as once belonging to Adamsville, a small farming town, which was destroyed by a flood in 1990. Considered a ghost town by historians, it is part of Florence. Also, landmarks such as Poston Butte and the Tom Mix Monument are included.

Brief history

Levi Ruggles (1880)
The historic Florence Bridge

Florence was founded on the southern boundary of the Gila River by Levi Ruggles, a veteran of the American Civil War. The town is sixty-one miles southeast of Phoenix, in the Pinal County of Arizona, United States.[1] Florence, which is the county seat of Pinal County, is one of the oldest towns there and is regarded as a National Historic District with over 25 buildings listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Many of the historical properties have been identified as such by the Florence Historic District Advisory Commission. A property identified by the commission as one with a significant historical value is then nominated for inclusion in the National Register of Historical Places.[2] However, the local government does not have the ability to deny a demolition permit. Therefore, owners of a property listed in the National Register of Historic Places or considered as historical by the Florence Historic District Advisory Commission may demolish the historical property. The following properties have either been demolished or destroyed:

  • The Devine, Ed and Lottie House – 1200 Central St.
  • The P.C. Warner House – 310 3rd St.
  • The Ballou-Foreman House – 500 8th St.
  • The Encarnacion Avenenti House – 203 Butte St.
  • The James & Mary McGhee House – 330 Butte St.
  • The Moorehouse/R.H. Dairy Complex – S. Park St. (before Duran St.)
  • The Encinas/Cordova House – 500 Butte St.

The Florence POW Camp was one of ten of such camps in Arizona. The first prisoners who arrived in Florence were Italian POWs. That was in May 1943. The German prisoners soon followed. Following the war, the camp served as a minimum security prison and later a hospital. The site was closed down for good in 1966. Today, nothing remains of the camp. Some artifacts left behind by the former POW inmates are on display in the First Pinal County Courthouse museum.[3]

Images of the remaining structures of Adamsville, a ghost town, are also included. Adamsville was a farming town founded in 1870 by Fred Adams: the town had stores, homes, a post office, a flour mill and water tanks. In 1900, the Gila River overflowed and destroyed most of the town. Those who survived the flood moved to the town of Florence.[4]

Also pictured and listed are historical artifacts that are on display and which can be found in the Pinal County Historical Society and Museum. These artifacts are related to the early history of the town, including some items related to infamous people who were imprisoned in Florence's

Arizona State Prison.[5] Among the monuments pictured are the pyramid-style tomb of Charles Debrille Poston, known as the Father of Arizona, and the Tom Mix Monument at the site of the silent film star's death.[6]

The Florence Bridge

The historic Florence Bridge was originally built in 1885 over the Gila River. It was rebuilt in 1909 and is the third oldest Arizona Territory bridge still in use in Arizona. The bridge was designed by J.B. Girand, Arizona's first territorial engineer. The Gila River served as a part of the border between the United States and Mexico until the 1853, when the Gadsden Purchase extended American territory well south of the Gila River. The Florence Bridge, which is described by the United States Department of the Interior as one of the most important river crossings in the state, is eligible to be listed in the National Register of Historic Places.[7][8]

Endangered properties

The Arizona Preservation Foundation is an agency which identifies critically endangered cultural resources of major historical significance to the state. In 2012, the foundation identified the following properties in Florence as endangered:[9]

  • The Adamsville Ruins.
  • J. N. Denier Tenement House.

Historic properties

Buildings

County Recorder's Office
The Blue Mist Motel
Bear Down Marker in Honor of John “Button” Salmon
artifacts from the Florence German POW Camp

The following is a brief description of the historic buildings in Florence.[10][2][11]

Historic structures pictured

The following are the images of the historic structures in Florence and its surrounding areas.

Houses of religious worship

The following houses of religious worship are listed as historic by the Florence Historic District Advisory Commission.[2][11]

  • The Chapel of the Gila – built in 1870 and located in 306 E. 8th St. Listed as Historic by the Historic District Advisory Commission.
  • The Second Catholic Church – built in 1912 and located in 221 E. 8th St. Listed as Historic by the Historic District Advisory Commission.
  • The First Presbyterian Church of Florence – built in 1931 and located in 225 Butte Ave. Listed as Historic by the Historic District Advisory Commission.

Houses

Ruins of Levi Ruggles House

The following is brief description of the houses in Florence which are listed as historical by the National Register of Historic Places

Richard E. Sloan, Arizona's last Territorial Governor and Thomas Fulbright, lawyer who wrote a book titled "Cow Country Counselor". He was involved in the cases of Winnie Ruth Judd and Eva Dugan
.

Capt. Grandville Henderson Oury
  • The Walker-Oury House – built in 1877 and located at 255 Ruggles St. John D. Walker was an agent and physician to the Pima Indians at
    Granville Henderson Oury
    , delegate to the Confederate Congress, Arizona territorial legislator and attorney general, district court judge, and delegate to the U.S. Congress. Listed as Historic by the Historic District Advisory Commission.
  • The John Clum House – built in 1878 and located at 180 N. Granite St. The home was built by John Clum, an Indian agent, editor and publisher of Florence's first newspaper, the Arizona Citizen. He also was the founder and editor of the Tombstone Epitaph and was Tombstone's first mayor. This building appears to have housed the Citizen's office and press. A later owner, William Guild, built the telegraph line from the Silver King Mine to Casa Grande. Listed as Historic by the Historic District Advisory Commission.
  • The Isabelle Cosgrove House – built in 1878 and located at 191 Bailey St. Frank Cosgrove was born in Ireland. He immigrated to the US and became a blacksmith. He lived in this house with his wife Isabelle. Listed as Historic by the Historic District Advisory Commission.
John Clum with his first wife, Mary "Mollie" Clum.
  • The James S. Melquides E. Douglas House – built in 1874 and located at 850 S. Park St. It was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 204; reference #04000486.
  • The George Brown House – built in 1878 and located at 125 Ruggles St. The home was occupied by George A. Brown, Florence's first Wells Fargo agent (1877–1903). Listed as Historic by the Historic District Advisory Commission.
  • The Jesus Preciado de Luna/ Bernardina Lorona House – built in 1880 and located at 115 E. 11th St. Listed as Historic by the Historic District Advisory Commission.
  • The Fields House – built in the 1880s and located at 423 9th St. It was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1986; reference #86003858.
  • The John Nicolas Residence – built in 1880 and located adjacent to the "John Nicola New Beer Saloon" at 180 Bailey St. It is listed as Historic by the Historic District Advisory Commission.
  • The Sam Kee House – built in 1880 and located at 171 Pinal St. Sam Kee was a Chinese immigrant who settled in Florence. Listed as Historic by the Historic District Advisory Commission.
  • The Harvey-Niemeyer House – built in 1880 and located at 250 (once 1613) S. Main St. Physician William Harvey was known as an "Angle of Mercy" during a smallpox epidemic and was on scene at the aftermath of the 1888 Pete Gabriel-Joe Phy shootout. Later resident Charles Niemeyer was Clerk of the Pinal County Board of Supervisors for 25 years and also served as local postmaster. Listed in the National Register of Historic Places on August 1, 1986, reference #86002627.
  • The Emma Monk Guild House – built in 1880 and located at 171 Willow St. Emma Monk Guild taught school in Florence on and off from 1885 to 1897 and was the first Florence principal. She also taught in Red Rock, Casa Grande and was an instructor at the University of Arizona Preparatory in Tucson and a principal at Clifton. She is considered one of Arizona's mothers of education. Listed as Historic by the Historic District Advisory Commission.
  • The Elmer Coker House – built in 1881 and located at 100 S. Main St. Elmer Coker was a delegate to the Arizona Constitutional Convention and is considered "Father of the Arizona Corporation Commission. Listed as Historic by the Historic District Advisory Commission.
  • The William Clark House – built in 1884 and located at 190 Main St. This house was built for Silver King mining engineer William Clarke and his wife Ella. The house later served as the residence of
    Richard E. Sloan
    , Arizona's last Territorial Governor. Listed as Historic by the Historic District Advisory Commission.
  • The Andronico Lorona House – built in 1886 and located at 324 Silver St. Listed in the National Register of Historic Places on August 1, 1986, reference #86002631.
  • The Carmen Mecha House – built in 1887 and located at 240 Ruggles St. Listed as Historic by the Historic District Advisory Commission.
  • The Truman Randall House – built in 1887 and located at 550 (once was 2010) S. Main St. W.C. Truman was the sheriff who in 1889 captured
    Pearl Heart
    , the first woman to rob a stagecoach. Listed in the National Register of Historic Places on July 13, 1987, reference #87001594.
  • The Jacob Suter House – built in 1888 and located at 270 Pinal St. Jacob Suter was a Swiss born tinsmith. Listed as Historic by the Historic District Advisory Commission.
  • The John Keating House – built in 1888 and located at 234 Willow St. John Keating was a pioneer stage driver. He served in the Territorial legislature, Florence town councilman and mayor of Florence. He was owner of the "Tunnel Saloon", site of the 1888 Pete Gabriel-Joe Phy shootout. Listed as Historic by the Historic District Advisory Commission.
  • The Albert T. Colton/ H. H. Freeman House – built in 1889 and located in the Southwest corner of Butte and Willow Streets. Listed in the National Register of Historic Places on August 1, 1986, reference #86002615.
  • The C.D. Henry House – built in 1889 and located at 144 (once 1520) S. Willow St. The Henry house is considered one of the earliest fired brick residences remaining In Florence. Listed in the National Register of National Places on August 1, 1986, reference #86002628.
  • The W.Y. Price House – built in 1900 and located at 1612 Willow St. Listed in the National register of historic Places in 1986; reference #86002632.
  • The Ines and Davis Littlefield Bea House – built in 1900 and located at 1913 S. Elizabeth St. It was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1986; reference #86002630.
  • The George Brockway House a.k.a. the Araiza House (formerly 2017 Central St.) – built in 1900 and located at 501 S. Central Ave. George Brockway was the first mayor of Florence. Listed in the National Register of Historic Places on May 26, 2004, reference #04000485
  • The Carminatte-Parham House – built in 1910 and located at 350 E. 6th St. Listed in the National Register of Historic Places on August 1, 1986, reference #86002624.
  • The Ignacio Manjares House – built in 1910 and located at 351 Silver St. Ignacio Manjares was a charter member of the Pinal County Cattle Growers Association. Listed in the National Register of Historic Places on August 6, 1987, reference #87001591.
  • The Adrian Pierson House – built in 1912 and located at E. 6th St. and U.S. Route 79. It was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1987; reference#87001593.
  • The Joseph Spinas Rental House – built in 1913 and located at 221 Bailey St. Joseph Spinas, a prominent cattle rancher, was born in Switzerland. With his two brothers, he built one of the first irrigation ditches in the Florence area on the north side of the Gila River. Listed as Historic by the Historic District Advisory Commission.
  • The George Huffman House – built in 1919 and located at 425 Butte Ave. Listed in the National Register of Historic Places on August 1, 1986, reference #86002629.
  • The Thomas Fulbright House – built in 1925 and located at 75 Matilda St. Thomas (Tom) Fulbright wrote a book titled "Cow Country Counselor". He was involved in the cases of Winnie Ruth Judd and Eva Dugan. Listed in the National Register of Historic Places on October 4, 1996, reference #96001955.
  • The John Zellinger House – built in 1929 and located at 191 Willow St. Listed as Historic by the Historic District Advisory Commission.
  • 9th, Willow and Central Street – According to the late A. W. Gressinger, president of the Pinal County Historical Society, Levi Ruggles was buried in the premises of his second house which was located at 9th St., between Willow Street and Central Ave. in 1889. The house itself was on the southwest corner of the lot, with much if the rest of the land occupied by fruit trees. By the time Ruggles died in his home in 1889, he had lost his wife, the former Cynthia Tharp, and three of their children years earlier. Their tombstones vanished and a developer built an apartment complex over their graves.

Bridges

  • The historic Florence Bridge – was originally built in 1885 over the Gila River. It was rebuilt in 1909 and is the third oldest Arizona Territory bridge still in use in Arizona.
  • The Queen Creek Bridge – built in 1916 and located in the Old Florence Highway over Queen Creek. It was listed in the National Register of Historic Places on September 30, 1988, reference: #88001643.[13]

Monuments and memorials

The images in this section are of the following:

  • Entrance of the historic Florence Cemetery located at Salazar Road just south of Highway 79.
  • The tombstone of Josephus "Joe" Phy, located in the Florence Cemetery at Salazar Road. Phy died in the Tunnel Saloon Gabriel-Phy shootout of 1888. The inscription on the tombstone reads:
In Memory of Josephus Phy Born May 22, 1844; Died June 1, 1888. Farewell dear brother we mourn your loss

  • The "Pyramid Tomb" of Charles Debrille Poston, known as The Father of Arizona, due to his efforts lobbying for creation of the territory. Poston was also Arizona Territory's first Delegate to the U.S. House of Representatives. The tomb is located on Primrose Hill, renamed Poston Butte.
  • The Tom Mix Monument, located in Arizona highway 79 about 20 miles from Florence, Az. where Tom Mix, a megastar of the silent film industry, died in 1940. The inscription reads as follows:
Jan. 6, 1880 – Oct. 12, 1940.


In Memory of Tom Mix
Whose spirit left his body on this spot, and whose characterization and portrayals in life served to better fix memories of the Old West in the minds of living men


Pinal County Historic Society & Museum

The Pinal County Museum was founded in 1959. The current building where the museum is located was built in 1970 and houses exhibits of early Native-American artifacts, day-to-day early pioneer life in Florence and prison Artifacts.[14]

Adamsville Ghost Town

Adamsville was a farming town founded in 1870 by Fred Adams. The town had stores, homes, a post office and a flour mill and water tanks. In 1900, the Gila River overflowed and wiped out most of the town. Those who survived the flood moved to the town of Florence. The inscription on the marker reads as follows: "In the 1870s, a flour mill and a few stores formed the hub of life in Adamsville, where shootings and knifings were commonplace, and life was one of the cheapest commodities. Most of the adobe houses have been washed away by the flooding Gila River". Listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1970, reference #10000114.[4]

Further reading

  • "Florence (AZ) (Images of America)"; by Pinal County Historical Society; Publisher: Arcadia Publishing (September 24, 2007); .
  • "Arizona Gunfighters"; by Laurence Yadon, Dan Anderson; Publisher: Pelican Publishing; .

See also

References