VOLUME 15 ISSUE 1
$5.99 JANUARY FEBRUARY 2026 SERVING CONTRACTING FIRMS AND THE ARIZONA COMMUNITY. . . THEN & NOW
THE VALLEY’S CORNERSTONE FOR PROSPERITY: THEODORE ROOSEVELT DAM PLANE BAD LUCK: AN ITALIAN AVIATOR’S FLIGHT DISASTER AT ROOSEVELT LAKE RAIN DANCE: WHY PHOENIX ONCE CELEBRATED “THANKSGIVING” IN APRIL WATER-FLOW MASTERY: THE EVOLUTION OF THE ZANJEROS IN THE VALLEY A HYDROLOGIC JOURNEY INTO THE PAST: THE ARIZONA DAM’S REMNANTS
Arizona’s Timeless Magazine
ISBELL CONSTRUCTION’S WORK ON HIGHWAY 60 IN THE SALT RIVER CANYON
SRP RETIRES GRANITE REEF DIVERSION DAM’S HISTORIC DREDGE HAYDON NEARS COMPLETION OF VESTAR VERRADO MARKETPLACE
METROCENTER’S EVOLUTION TO “THE METROPOLITAN”
GORMAN COMPLETES HERITAGE SENIOR APARTMENTS IN SURPRISE
HOW CONSTRUCTION COMPANIES CAN DEFY INDUSTRY STAGNATION
MCCARTHY FINISHES ASU’S $250 MILLION ISTB 12 BUILDING
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AUCTIONS
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06 · Government 07 · Agriculture 08 · Truck & Trailer 14 · Vehicles 15 · Construction 20 · Government 21 · Agriculture 22 · Truck & Trailer 27 · OK Wildlife 28 · Vehicles 29 · Construction
‘23 Gomaco SOLD $359.700 EL6075 III slipform paver
FEBRUARY
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‘23 Case IH SOLD $155,100 EC1036 Puma 185 MFWD
03 · Government 04 · Agriculture 05 · Truck & Trailer 11 · Vehicles 12 · Construction 17 · Government 18 · Agriculture 19 · Truck & Trailer 25 · Vehicles 26 · Construction
PHOENIX ‘20 CAT D5 SOLD $231,000 EL6091 dozer
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Climbing Mt. Wrightson with Roy!
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A creek-side getaway in Greer! A hike in Chiricahua National Monument!
YOUR 2026 ARIZONA ADVENTURE?
Editor Douglas Towne douglas@arizcc.com Contributors John Bueker Mark Edelman Carly Hanson Clark Lowe Christina Noble Luke M. Snell Marissa Sotomayor Doug Sydnor Tom Yount Production Manager Laura Horner laura@arizcc.com
Driving I-15 through the Virgin River Gorge! Casa Grande Ruins National Monument The new Tucson Military Vehicle Museum!
In Memoriam Charles “Chuck” Runbeck 1928 - 2020
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Advertising 602-931-0069 arizcc.com/advertise Subscriptions: Online at arizcc.com Serving Contracting Firms and the Arizona Community… Then & Now Arizona Contractor & Community (ACC) magazine is published bi-monthly (Jan/Feb, Mar/Apr, May/June, July/Aug, Sept/Oct, Nov/Dec). ACC is a professional publication designed for the contracting industry, engineers, architects, equipment rentals, suppliers, and others interested in Arizona and its history. Content including text, photographs or illustrations may not be reproduced without the written permission from the publisher. The publisher does not assume responsibility for unsolicited submissions. ACC reserves the right to reject any editorial and advertising material and reserves the right to edit all submitted content material. Arizona Contractor & Community Copyright © 2026 All rights reserved.
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CONTENTS Contributors - Carly Hanson & Tom Yount From The Editor: Granite Reef Dam: The Essential Link Between SRP’s Lakes and Canals - Douglas Towne Construction Around Arizona: Projects • People • Practices Back When: Sailing the Salt with Condello’s Navy Band - John Bueker The Valley’s Cornerstone for Prosperity: Theodore Roosevelt Dam - Douglas Towne Plane Bad Luck: An Italian Aviator’s Epic Flight Ends in Disaster at Roosevelt Lake - Douglas Towne One Wild Rain Dance: Why Phoenix Once Celebrated “Thanksgiving” in April - Douglas Towne Hydrologic Mastery: The Evolution of the Zanjeros in the Salt River Valley - Marissa Sotomayor A Hydrologic Journey into the Past: Exploring the Remains of the Arizona Dam - Tom Yount Saluting Arizona’s Builders: Earle T. Dougherty Billy Horner Old School Equipment: Allis-Chalmers: Crawler/ Bulldozer Air Cleaners - Billy Horner Building on the Past: 1955 – Isbell Construction Expands U.S. Highway 60 in the Salt River Canyon Billy Horner Architect’s Perspective: Arizona Canal in Old Town Scottsdale - Doug Sydnor, FAIA Digging Through the Archives: Jim Anderson: A Life Built on Roads, Rock, and Resilience - Billy Horner Bid Results Advertising Index
Front Cover Marco Crane raises the Katy Pickrell dredge from the Salt River in front of the Granite Reef Diversion Dam. Since 1954, the dredge has helped remove sediment, but it was replaced by the more efficient Judge Dredge in 2025. Article on page 48
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Constructing Legacies
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Serving communities throughout Arizona KE&G Construction, Inc. - Heavy Civil Contractor www.kegtus.com | Tucson 520.748.0188 | Sierra Vista 520.458.9594
36" x 100' Stacker
CORRECTION On page 88 of the Nov/Dec 2025 issue, Jim Oliver, the man holding the blueprints, was misidentified as Murry Wentworth.
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CONTRIBUTORS S OA K IN T H E R E L AXAT I O N
CARLY HANSON
TOM YOUNT
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PAGE 70
C
castlehotsprings.com | 844.276.8052 | Morristown, Arizona
TEN
arly Hanson has been contributing to Arizona Contractor & Community since her journalism school days at ASU, covering the people and projects shaping Arizona’s construction scene. Over the years, she’s written about the early days of companies like Hooper Concrete Pipe and sat down with Paul Staman before his 100th birthday to relive his 48 years in the construction industry. Today, Carly is the co-founder of Taylor Street Communications. This consultancy takes a no-fluff approach to helping organizations strengthen their relationships with the people who matter most: their employees. She blends her communications and marketing experience to guide leaders and teams in aligning stakeholders, sharpening messaging, and navigating organizational change. Her work emphasizes clarity, empathy, and actionable strategies that get results. A lifelong Arizonan, Carly brings a people-first perspective to everything she does — whether it’s advising clients or celebrating difference-makers in the construction industry. She believes that meaningful stories and strong communication are at the heart of successful organizations — connecting people and inspiring action. When she’s not working with clients or revisiting her journalism roots, Carly enjoys trying new restaurants and coffee shops with her husband, Jeremy, a mechanic at Sunstate Equipment. She also takes annual trips to Lincoln, Nebraska, with her dad to get a front-row seat to Husker football and volleyball games.
A
longtime Valley resident, Tom only started showing interest in the history around him in recent years. Born in Illinois, he moved to Scottsdale when he was one and has lived in the Paradise Valley Village neighborhood for most of his life. His earlier years were spent skateboarding and playing drums in several local bands. He still performs with his drum kit, collects cymbals, and recently recorded with the local Thrash-Punks-style band, Conflict Resolution at Villain Recording, a well-established Phoenix studio. While his passion for Phoenix history is relatively new, he has long been deeply interested in military aviation, baseball, and is an avid music collector. Turning his curiosity and research skills in a new direction has made him a valuable addition to the Phoenix history community. In that group, he has met many knowledgeable friends who have shaped him into a more perceptive amateur historian. The group regularly gathers at historic local sites and challenges each other’s knowledge with games of “Phoenix Jeopardy.” Tom’s focus is on the canals, water systems, and historic buildings of the Valley. More often than not, you’ll find Tom searching for the perfect carne asada tacos or relaxing at home with his wife, Rhonda, and their two spoiled Boston terriers.
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