History

History Douglas C. TowneJanuary 25, 2023
Phoenix’s First Bowl Game Tossed Aside

Valley sports fans who revel in the prestigious and glamorous Fiesta Bowl every holiday season should be aware of the tasty gridiron appetizer once served in Phoenix. Although the name... continue reading. Click here for more info.

History Douglas C. TowneDecember 15, 2022
The Professional Building: Not Your Garden Variety Hilton

For a stunning Streamline Moderne skyscraper that has anchored Downtown Phoenix for more than 90 years, the Professional Building got off to a rough start. The name had to be... continue reading. Click here for more info.

History Douglas C. TowneSeptember 6, 2022
Prime Pole Position: DJ Car Camps Above Downtown Phoenix

A man rose into the heavens for an extended, difficult mission in Downtown Phoenix at the height of the Sputnik-inspired Cold War space race with the Soviet Union. “Lonesome Long... continue reading. Click here for more info.

History Douglas C. TowneSeptember 6, 2022
The Flame: The Restaurant That Set a Monkey Loose in Downtown Phoenix

For more than four decades, one of the city’s most popular dining locations was on Adams Street near Central Avenue in Downtown Phoenix. Four restaurants occupied the Balke Building, but... continue reading. Click here for more info.

History Douglas C. TowneAugust 3, 2022
Taking Phoenix to the Next Level: Porters Western Wear Store

The N. Porter Saddle was “The West’s Most Western Store.” Click here for more info.

History Douglas C. TowneJuly 6, 2022
The Downtown YMCA: Keeping Phoenix Fit Since 1892

The mission of providing a healthy environment for mind, body and spirit hasn't changed since the YMCA opened in Downtown Phoenix 130 years ago. Click here for more info.

History Fara IllichJune 2, 2022
New 25-Story Fairmont Hotel Coming to Jackson and First Streets

Fairmont Hotels & Resorts and Thunderbird Legacy Development announced the construction of a new 25-story hotel on the southwest corner of Jackson and First streets today. Scheduled to open in... continue reading. Click here for more info.

History Douglas C. TowneMay 19, 2022
1970s Backroom Politics Helped Establish Beloved Downtown Phoenix Park

The dilapidated 1895 Victorian mansion found an unlikely advocate in the late-Phoenix Mayor John Driggs, who helped put together the funding to rehabilitate the Rosson House in the mid '70s. Click here for more info.

History Douglas C. TowneMay 13, 2022
The Adams: A Downtown Hotel With a 125-Year Legacy

The Hotel Adams has been destroyed twice, only to rise from its ashes like the mythical phoenix bird at the northeast corner of Central Avenue and Adams Street. You may know it as the Renaissance Phoenix Downtown Hotel. Click here for more info.

History Donna ReinerMay 12, 2022
The Greatest Disaster: Downtown’s 1910 Adams Hotel Fire

A luxurious hotel when it was built in 1896, the Adams Hotel burned to the ground in 1910. The proprietor rebuilt a hotel at the same location and reopened it in 1911. It was eventually razed in 1973 to make way for a third hotel, the Renaissance Phoenix Downtown. Click here for more info.