One of the most popular columns on this site is American Eden. Before red-tile-roof subdivisions built at an acre an hour. Before pavement, gravel, and longer, hotter summers, the Salt River Valley was an agricultural empire. Anything would grow here — just add water — and we shipped it across the country. Also, compared with today's 10,000-mile supply chain, we could feed ourselves.
Here's a sampling of images. Click on one for a larger view. Most are from the McCulloch Bros. Collection at the ASU Archives.
Fruit stands were ubiquitous into the 1970s. This stood at 41st Street and Baseline Road (Photographer unknown).
The Sunny Hills Fruit Stand at 32nd Street and Baseline in the 1960s (Photographer unknown).
Another one at 51st Street and McDowell in the 1960s. Phoenicians could ship fresh oranges and grapefruits to family and friends (Brad Hall collection/ Photographer unknown).
Alfalfa fields in 1923 (McCulloch Bros. Collection/ASU Archives).
The Arizona Fruit and Produce Co. at 48 N. Center Street in 1896 (Photographer unknown).
Black Sphinx data palms. Date ranches were at several spots in the valley starting in the 1920s. The black-and-white images are from 1927, a ranch at 56th Street and Indian School Road (Photographer unknown).
Picking cabbages (McCulloch Bros. Collection/ASU Archives).
The Glendale sugar beet factory in 1906, soon after it opened (McCulloch Bros. Collection/ASU Archives).
By the 1940s, the factory was permanently abandoned. Although beets continued to be harvested in the area, the plant never could turn a profit — except when it was leased to make liquor (McCulloch Bros. Collection/ASU Archives).
Orange groves with Camelback Mountain in the distance (Brad Hall collection/Photographer unknown).
Another view from the Ingleside Ranch (Brad Hall collection/ Photographer unknown).
The Ingleside Ranch in 1911 (Brad Hall collection/Photographer unknown).
Citrus trees at Sahuaro Ranch in the 1960s on the future site of Glendale Community College (Brad Hall collection/Photographer unknown).
Grapefruit trees, circa 1920s. Salt River Valley grapefruits were famous (Photographer unknown).
A new grove of citrus trees coming up with Shaw Butte in the background (USC Digital Library).
A grape vineyard with Camelback as backdrop. And a little girl on the packed grapes (McCulloch Bros. Collection/ASU Archives).
Billy and Jean Bumstead with grapes, circa 1920s (McCulloch Bros. Collection/ASU Archives)..
Packing honeydew melons. The citrus packing sheds were clustered near the railroad tracks in the Phoenix warehouse district, where they were loaded into refrigerated boxcars ("reefers") for shipment (Photographer unknown).
Picking cantaloupes (McCulloch Bros. Collection/ASU Archives).
A cauliflower field in 1942 (McCulloch Bros. Collection/ASU Archives).
The Central Avenue Dairy in the 1930s and 1940s. It became Park Central Shopping Center in the late 1950s (McCulloch Bros. Collection/ASU Archives).
Dairy cows at Webster's in Glendale, 1940 (McCulloch Bros. Collection/ASU Archives)..
The Mission Dairy at 27th Avenue and Camelback in the 1940s (McCulloch Bros. Collection/ASU Archives).
A family's cattle herd in the 1940s with (then) Squaw Peak in the background (McCulloch Bros. Collection/ASU Archives).
Children picking onions in 1937 (McCulloch Bros. Collection/ASU Archives).
Cotton became the biggest cash crop during World War I, crowding out many other crops. This is from 1920 (McCulloch Bros. Collection/ASU Archives).
Baled cotton awaiting shipment, 1930 (McCulloch Bros. Collection/ASU Archives).
Watermelon harvest (McCulloch Bros. Collection/ASU Archives).
The famous Japanese flower gardens on two-lane Baseline Road, lost to development Photographers unknown).
A tomato field along 32nd Street in 1941 (McCulloch Bros. Collection/ASU Archives).
Hegari is a grain sorghum for grazing or a cover crop — and we grew that, too (McCulloch Bros. Collection/ASU Archives).
Hurley Packing Co. with cows and pigs at 2000 S. 15th Avenue and the Sierra Estrella in the background, 1940s (McCulloch Bros. Collection/ASU Archives).
Another 1940s view of the Hurley feedlots and slaughterhouse (McCulloch Bros. Collection/ASU Archives).
The Tovrea feedlots around 42nd Street and Van Buren, among the largest in the nation. Below are more photos of the feedlots and slaughterhouses (McCulloch Bros. Collection/ASU Archives).
Finally, crate labels for Salt River Valley produce. They are still collected today.
RELATED: The art of American Eden.
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My book, A Brief History of Phoenix, is available to buy or order at your local independent bookstore, or from Amazon.
Read more Phoenix history in Rogue's Phoenix 101 archive.
They paved Paradise and put in the parking lots.
Great choice of pictures, haven’t seen the majority of these. Thank you.
In the 50 and 60’s my father in law flew his Air Coupe out of Airhaven Airport. Located to the southwest across the street from the Indian Drive In outdoor movie theatre. And just across the street from an awesome Mexican food restaurant (water cooled evaporative air cooling) where they fired the waitress if she didn’t bring you water as soon as you sat down. Fortunately most the waitress then were union members.
See the attachment for some old places.
https://azbigmedia.com/real-estate/7-historic-phoenix-landmarks-remembers/
I really enjoyed these. Thanks.
Just like food deserts in neighborhoods,we will probably have the same in cities if we have a national breakdown.