History

History Douglas C. TowneApril 22, 2022
Van Buren: The Street Where Phoenix Shined Brightest

In the 1920s, Van Buren Street became a national thoroughfare, and over the next few decades, a number of motels and mini-resorts cropped up catering to highway travelers. With colorful lodging options featuring fanciful names, lush landscaping, kitschy themes and huge neon signs, it became one of the nation's most dazzling roadside strips. Click here for more info.

History Douglas C. TowneMarch 31, 2022
‘A Passage From One Era To Another:’ Constructing the Central Avenue Underpass

Completed in 1940 to connect South Phoenix and downtown, the Central Avenue underpass has evolved into one of the city’s most notable wormholes. Click here for more info.

History Douglas C. TowneMarch 9, 2022
Hanny’s Historic Terrazzo Entrance, Display Windows Still Entice Downtown Passersby

Hanny's restaurant is an outstanding example of a classic terrazzo entryway, built in 1947. Click here for more info.

History Douglas C. TowneFebruary 17, 2022
Housing, Healthcare and Urban Renewal: The Life and Legacy of Father Emmett McLoughlin

Father Emmett McLoughlin championed affordable housing, equal access to healthcare and urban renewal for Phoenix's marginalized Black and Latino communities. Click here for more info.

History Donna ReinerJanuary 20, 2022
Strike up the Band: Live Music in Downtown’s Early Years

In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, nearly every community had a local band stand and Phoenix was no different. In the early 1900s, people would gather around Phoenix's first band stand at Library Park near the Capitol for regular concerts and live entertainment. As the city grew, larger and more elaborate band shells and band stands were constructed in the downtown area. Click here for more info.

History Douglas C. TowneOctober 21, 2021
Reaching For the Sun: Downtown’s Iconic Westward Ho

Phoenix’s skyline—and its history—would seem incomplete without the towering presence of the Westward Ho. Click here for more info.

History Donna ReinerSeptember 16, 2021
Downtown’s Original Hangout: The 1920 High School Pharmacy

In Phoenix's early years, the High School Pharmacy was a popular hangout for youngsters. Here's a brief history of its owners, employees, and some of the locals it served. Click here for more info.

History Donna ReinerJuly 14, 2021
Then and Now: From Downtown’s Mule-Drawn Trolley To Light Rail

Light rail wasn’t Phoenix’s first use of the tracks for mass transit. And those old tracks periodically are rediscovered in some areas of that original system. Mule-drawn trolley cars in... continue reading. Click here for more info.

History Douglas C. TowneJune 17, 2021
‘Human Spider’ Free-Climbs Downtown Phoenix’s First Skyscraper

Shortly after the completion of Phoenix’s first skyscraper, an excited, death-defying feat took place atop the Heard Building. Click here for more info.

History Marshall ShoreJune 15, 2021
LGBTQ+ Tour of DTPHX

Some of the buildings may be gone, but the memories will last a lifetime. Take a journey through Downtown Phoenix's colorful, queer history with the Valley's own Hip Historian, Marshall Shore. Click here for more info.