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Love It! Big Opportunity Small-Town Feel
from 2022 Greater Casa Grande Chamber of Commerce Community Resource Guide & Business Directory
by PinalCentral
CHOOSING CASA GRANDE
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Casa Grande has many parks for all to enjoy.
Casa Grande is a growing, progressive city with an ideal location in close proximity to the two largest cities in Arizona. Casa Grande’s central location at the connection point of two major interstates, affordable housing costs and smaller population often make it the best option for those choosing a place to live and/or to open/relocate a business. In fact, longtime residents and newcomers recognize and often remark about our city’s rare sense of community and hometown appeal that has remained through decades of well-planned development and an expanding population.
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As changes occur at State, County and national levels that affect us locally, such as public-health mandates and funding adjustments due to population data, the City of Casa Grande government adapts to these changes, and plans accordingly.
Our residents enjoy a wide range of services including excellent schools and educational options and access; outstanding health, wellness and medical care; employment opportunities and affordable housing.
Our broad range of facilities and activities including a senior center, recreation center, libraries, golf courses, skate-park, hiking and bike trails, rodeo facilities – all part of carefully planned growth. More than 25 parks are located in and around Casa Grande, many with shade ramadas, sports courts, sports fi elds, playground equipment and other excellent features that allow year-round residents and winter visitors to take advantage of our sunny weather. In Casa Grande and Pinal County, there are attractions and activities such as shopping and dining experiences, attractions, golf, movies, museums, community theatre, festivals and events enough to be as active and engaged in the community as you want to be.
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HISTORY OF CASA GRANDE
• Industrial • Commercial • Residential
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Licensed & Bonded K-34 ROC#181408 The Hohokams abandoned their settlement in this area for reasons that are still being questioned and under archaeological theory. The Spanish Conquistadors were most likely the fi rst “outsiders” to visit the area, sometime during the mid-1500s. During this time, the Akimel O’Odham lived along the Gila River and grew such items as corn, wheat, cotton, melons, beans, squash, and tobacco. In addition, the Tohono O’Odham and the Maricopa peoples settled nearby.
Padre Kino, a Jesuit missionary, was the fi rst acknowledged white man to visit the area. He is credited with discovering the Casa Grande Ruins, as well as visiting the Akimel O’Odham villages along the Gila River.
In 1846, Kit Carson guided an expedition from Santa Fe to California, traversing Pinal County along the Gila River. The same year, Lt. Col Phillip Cooke led a caravan of 402 Mormons, the “Mormon Battalion,” across Arizona to San Diego. This established the fi rst viable wagon road across the Southwest.
Two years after this fl urry of activity, in 1848, the section of Arizona north of the Gila River was part of the land ceded to the United States by the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, ending the Mexican war of 1848. The land south of the Gila River, which includes Pinal County, was acquired in the 1853 Gadsden Purchase.
Casa Grande began as many other towns and cities across the west began: as the end of the railroad. As the Southern Pacifi c Railroad was being built across Arizona, construction had to stop for a variety of reasons. Each place it stopped was called Terminus until the railroad continued. Each temporary stop was either renamed as a town or abandoned.
The Southern Pacifi c Railroad Company obtained permission to build from the west to the Colorado River at Yuma. The Southern Pacifi c arrived at the river opposite Yuma on May 20, 1877— only to have to halt construction until September 29, when the bridge across the Colorado was fi nished.
Work was resumed November 19th, 1878. As the railroad progressed across the desert from Yuma, the heat became oppressive. By May 19th, 1879, a point was reached about where the present town of Casa Grande is now located. Work was stopped until January 24th, 1880 and that temporary stop was called "Terminus." In September 1880, executives of the Southern Pacifi c Railroad renamed the town after the prehistoric Hohokam Indian structure (Great House) and ruins located 20 miles to the east. The Casa Grande Post Offi ce was established September 10th, 1881.
By the end of 1880, Casa Grande had 33 permanent residents. The town boomed as a railhead to mines by 1882. In 1886 and in 1893, the town was decimated by fi re. All of the wooden-frame buildings erected after the 1886 fi re burned in the 1893 fi re and the entire business district had to be replaced for a second time in less than a decade. Although the town might have died with each fi re, the beginning of Casa Grande’s indomitable community spirit stirred and merchants and business leaders rallied together to rebuild.
By 1890, the town had a multi-cultural population of 256. The town had 70 buildings.
A national mining slump almost killed the town in the 1890s. By 1902, Casa Grande's business district had dwindled to a mercantile store, saloon and two smaller stores. Agriculture saved the community from becoming another Southwestern mining ghost town. It started with small-scale agriculture and farm trade, along with livestock and vegetables, crops such as alfalfa, wheat, barley, citrus and cotton became important export commodities.
Explore Casa Grande history at The Museum of Casa Grande, 110 W. Florence Blvd. or visit www.tmocg.org.
Source: The Museum of Casa Grande website www.tmocg.org
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ARTS & HUMANITIES
Traditionally, a diverse blend of art, humanities and entertainment events are presented each year in the Casa Grande community with the support of several local cultural and educational organizations.
• Casa Grande Main Street hosts numerous free community events and activities in historic downtown Casa Grande. For information on these and other events, call (520) 836-8744 or visit www.cgmainstreet.org.
• A mix of cultural and educational programs for youth and adults are part of the activities offered by the award-winning Museum of Casa Grande, 110 W. Florence Blvd. For more information about its extensive collections and archives, or for a list of special events and activities, call (520) 836-2223, or visit www.tmocg.org.
• BlackBox Foundation, 407 N. Sacaton St., (in the historic Casa
Grande Woman’s Club building) (520) 428-7050: a 501(c) (3) performing-arts organization offers theatre performances, improv to the public and performing-arts classes for youth. For more information and a schedule of theatre productions, visit www.blackboxaz.com.
• Central Arizona College (CAC) brings a number of high-quality musical, theatrical and entertainment productions your way with its Entertainment Series. Call (520) 477-7469 or visit www.EventsAtCAC.com. • During the gorgeous Casa Grande evenings, a must-see is our newest attraction – the award-winning Neon Sign Park, 408 N.
Sacaton St. in historic downtown. From dusk to 11:00 pm, stroll around this most original park which is populated by neon signs, plaques and pedestals, and enjoy Casa Grande’s sign history that uniquely tells the “story of us”. www.neonsignpark.com.
• The Paramount Theatre, 420 N. Florence Street in historic downtown Casa Grande, is an artistic focal point for the
Greater Casa Grande area, providing arts, entertainment and education for children, youth and adults. For a schedule of events or to reserve the theatre, call (520) 836-4200, or visit www.paramountfoundation.org.
The Blackbox Foundation produces many theatre productions throughout the year.
• The Casa Grande Art Association Studio Tour in March each year. www.casagrandeartassociation.org
• The Casa Grande Art Museum, 319 W. 3rd St., (520) 836-0237 or visit www.casagrandeartmuseum.org
AWAITS YOU
Your journey to health begins here.
CHURCHES
No matter what your denomination, you can choose from more than 60 churches or houses of worship serving the Casa Grande area. For a list of Chamber-member churches, see “Churches” in the back of this directory, or visit our website at www.casagrandechamber.org.
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MUSEUMS & STATE PARKS
MUSEUMS
Ak-Chin Him-Dak Eco Museum (Maricopa) (520) 568-1350 www.azcama.org/museums/akchin
City of Coolidge Museum (520) 723-7186
Pinal County Historical Society (Florence) (520) 868-4382 www.pinalcountyhistoricalsociety.webs.com
Pinal Geology & Mineral Museum (Coolidge) (520) 723-3009 pinalgeologymuseum.org
STATE PARKS
The Museum of Casa Grande.
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NATIVE AMERICAN NATIONS
Historically, the O’odham inhabited an enormous area of land in the southwest, extending South to Sonora, Mexico, north to Central Arizona (just north of Phoenix, Arizona), west to the Gulf of California, and east to the San Pedro River. This land base was known as the Papagueria and it had been home to the O’odham for thousands of years.
From the early 18th Century through to the present, the O’odham land was occupied by foreign governments. With the independence of Republic of Mexico, O’odham fell under Mexican rule. Then, in 1853, through the Gadsden Purchase or Treaty of La Mesilla, O’odham land was divided almost in half, between the United States of America and Mexico.
According to the terms of the Gadsden Purchase, the United States agreed to honor all land rights of the area held by Mexican citizens, which included the O’odham, and O’odham would have the same constitutional rights as any other United States citizen. However, the demand for land for settlement escalated with the development of mining and the transcontinental railroad. That demand resulted in the loss of O’odham land on both sides of the border. Following the Plan de Iguala, O’odham lands in Mexico continued to decrease at a rapid rate. In 1927, reserves of lands for indigenous peoples, were established by Mexico. Today, approximately nine O’odham communities in Mexico lie proximate to the southern edge of the Tohono O’odham Nation, a number of which are separated only by the United States/Mexico border.
The division of O’odham lands has resulted in an artifi cial division of O’odham society. O’odham bands are now broken up into 4 federally recognized tribes: the Tohono O’odham Nation, the Gila River Indian Community, the Ak-Chin Indian Community and the Salt River (Pima Maricopa) Indian community. Each band is now politically and geographically distinct and separate. The remaining band, the Hia-C’ed O’odham, are not federally recognized, but reside throughout southwestern Arizona. All of the groups still speak the O’odham language, which derives from the Uto-Aztecan language group, although each group has varying dialects.
Source: www.tonation-nsn.gov/history-culture
