TIRES from V18


West by the lure of good pay, men who went from one big con- struction job to the next,” Litchfi eld wrote in his autobiography, Industrial Voyage. “We soon had 2,000 men on the job — and 1,200 mules at the peak, more than half the mule population of the state. First, the land had to be cleared of cactuses, brush and trees. “Big Caterpillar tractors rumbled in from the coast, were hooked up in tandem with a length of railroad steel between them, set off across the desert,” he said. “Other gangs were drill- ing wells, putting in pumps, building power lines, laying out a network of concrete canals and irrigation ditches, building high- ways, town sites, even a railroad. The property was so large and the roads so bad that we had to buy an airplane to get over it.” Litchfi eld’s success in Arizona prompted Goodyear Tire and


Rubber Co.’s founder, Frank Seiberling, to proclaim that his men made the desert “blossom like a garden” in a December 1917 letter to stockholders. More than 4,000 acres of cotton had been produced by the


Southwest Cotton Co. in 1917, and from 1918 to 1919, more than 6.7 million pounds of cotton were picked on the com- pany’s Arizona land. Paul Litchfi eld eventually became president of Goodyear Tire


& Rubber Co. and was featured on the cover of Time magazine on Aug. 10, 1931.


— Rich Ott


A member of the Litchfi eld Park Historical Society holds up an undated photo of a worker moving cotton-belted tires off of a manufacturing line at a Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. plant in Michigan. The tire manufacturer used West Valley cotton to make most of its tires before switching to metal belting.


School


Are you looking for a school with a family friendly environment...?


 Family & Veteran Owned & Operated   Aff ordable, Personalized Services   Caring & Comforting Staff 


Funeral Chapel Cremation Direct  In the heart of Old Town Avondale 


522 E. Western Ave. • 623-925-1525 www.AvenidasFuneralChapel.com


No Hidden Fees


$585 Fees


A school with high test score performance...? A school with low student to teacher ratio...?


Open House: Tues., Feb. 21 830 Plaza Circle, Litchfield Park


623-935-4690 School.TrinityLCS.org


Founded 1916 Litchfield Park Community Spirit


Litchfield Park Recreation Center 100 S. Old Litchfield Rd. • (623) 935-9040 Open year round to all of our surrounding communities


Family Rates • Lighted Tennis Courts Heated Swimming Pool • Pool Opens April 1st Classes


Leagues


• Swim lessons (all ages) • Water aerobics • Tennis (all ages) • Summer Day Camp


Spring/Summer 2012


Visit us at www.litchfield-park.org for online registration and additional information Vista — West Valley View, Avondale, Arizona


• Youth Basketball • T-Ball • Flag Football • Soccer • Youth Swim Team


Sat., March 3


Sat. & Sun., March 10-11 Sun.,


March 18 Fri.,


April 20


8:30 a.m. - 6:30 p.m. Pre-school thru 8th Grade (1 year - 8th Grade)


Incorporated 1987 National Pride Special Events


West Valley Pediatric Dentistry - Litchfield Park 10K, 5K, 1 Mile & Family Fun Run/Walk (Registration Fee Required) Check in 6:30 a.m. Participants receive an official event T-shirt and a raffle ticket for prize drawings. Food, drink and an Award Ceremony. www.active.com


Spring Art & Culinary Festival - Free admission and parking - Library Lawn & Town Center. Sat.-Sun. 9a.m.-5p.m. daily. Over 200 art booths, wine garden with wine and beer tastings, culinary and wine demonstrations. Great food, live music and much, much more.


Arts in the Park Concert Series - Free - Front lawn of the Wigwam Golf Resort & Spa, 4-6p.m., Featuring the Night Groove Band


Arts in the Park Concert Series - Free - Front lawn of the Wigwam Golf Resort & Spa, 7-9p.m., Thaddeus Rose Band; A show you don’t want to miss!


V19


Volunteers Welcome!


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48