ARIZONA from V6
Library of Congress photo ARIZONA from V5
Arizona, published a scholarly article in which he advanced his arguments for statehood. “In intelligence and education the people of Arizona will com-
That year, John N. Irwin, a former territorial governor in
pare favorably with those of any State in the Union,” Irwin wrote in “Claims to Statehood,” an essay in The North American Review. Irwin also praised the territory’s government system and public schools, adding that Arizona “has a fi ne asylum for the insane and a penitentiary, both built and maintained by territorial funds.” The former governor added, “Its superb winter climate has induced many northern and eastern people who are in search of mild winters to settle in its valleys, while the development of its mines and its adaptability for grazing, farming and fruit culture have been factors in bringing many people to make their homes within its borders.” Today, 119 years later, many of the same arguments can be made about Arizona and the state’s future prospects. For example, Coldwater, which later would become Avondale,
served as a dusty stagecoach stop when it was founded in 1896 by people settling along the banks of the Agua Fria River. The roots of Coldwater are traced to Billy Moore, a former blacksmith and reputed outlaw, who operated a freight station on the west side of the river. As the agricultural and water resources of the region became
known, more settlers arrived. The post offi ce at Coldwater was twice discontinued before it was renamed Avondale in 1911, just a year before Arizona statehood. During the past 100 years, the area has continued to mush-
V6
A Native American farmer works on a fi eld near what is now the Gila River Indian Community southeast of Goodyear and Avon- dale. The photo was taken sometime between 1918 and 1928.
What was once a vast open desert is now one of the largest metropolitan areas in the United States. Long before urban sprawl transformed the landscape, farmers tamed the land one fi eld at a time. Back then, Arizona was very much in the Old West, with cowboys, stagecoaches and steam locomotives.
room with the arrival of more residents. In the 2010 census, the Avondale population was set at 76,238. Now, Avondale and surrounding cities are thoroughly modern communities in the Phoenix metropolitan area and all with an eye to a very promising future.
— Brent Whiting Vista — West Valley View, Avondale, Arizona Spring/Summer 2012
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