Paradise, Arizona

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Paradise, Arizona
Paradise Cemetery 1.jpg
Paradise Cemetery
USA Arizona location map.svg
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Paradise, Arizona
Location in the state of Arizona
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Paradise, Arizona
Paradise, Arizona (the United States)
Coordinates: 31°56′5″N109°13′8″W / 31.93472°N 109.21889°W / 31.93472; -109.21889
CountryUnited States
State Arizona
County Cochise
Founded1901
Abandoned1943
Elevation
[1]
5,482 ft (1,671 m)
Population
 (2011)
  Total
5
Time zone UTC-7 (MST (no DST))
Post Office openedOctober 23, 1901
Post Office closedSeptember 30, 1943
GNIS feature ID 9192

Paradise is a small ghost town located in Cochise County in the U.S. state of Arizona. The town was settled in 1901 in what was then the Arizona Territory. Paradise is also the setting for the first two Postal games.

Contents

History

Old Paradise photo Paradise arizona.jpg
Old Paradise photo

In 1901 the Chiricahua Development Company located a vein of ore here. A post office was established on October 23, 1901, and at its peak, the town had saloons, general stores, a jail and a hotel. The town was essentially abandoned when the local mines failed, and the post office closed on September 30, 1943. [2] [3] However, a few residents remained. In June 2011, there were five permanent residents and 29 standing structures [4] when the Horseshoe 2 Fire swept through the area. [5] A few homes and cemetery remain. [6]

Geography

Paradise is located 5.7 miles west (up-mountain) from Portal, Arizona, and is surrounded by Coronado National Forest land. [1]

Climate

According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Paradise has a hot-summer mediterranean climate, abbreviated "Csa" on climate maps. The hottest temperature recorded in Paradise was 104 °F (40.0 °C) on July 8, 1912, while the coldest temperature recorded was −2 °F (−18.9 °C) on February 3, 2011. [7]

Climate data for Paradise, Arizona, 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1906–present
MonthJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecYear
Record high °F (°C)75
(24)
81
(27)
88
(31)
89
(32)
96
(36)
103
(39)
104
(40)
101
(38)
96
(36)
95
(35)
89
(32)
78
(26)
104
(40)
Mean daily maximum °F (°C)54.4
(12.4)
58.5
(14.7)
64.8
(18.2)
72.5
(22.5)
81.0
(27.2)
89.7
(32.1)
87.5
(30.8)
83.7
(28.7)
79.7
(26.5)
74.3
(23.5)
63.2
(17.3)
54.2
(12.3)
72.0
(22.2)
Daily mean °F (°C)39.3
(4.1)
43.4
(6.3)
49.1
(9.5)
55.7
(13.2)
63.3
(17.4)
72.3
(22.4)
74.1
(23.4)
70.9
(21.6)
66.2
(19.0)
58.1
(14.5)
47.5
(8.6)
39.9
(4.4)
56.7
(13.7)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C)24.3
(−4.3)
28.3
(−2.1)
33.4
(0.8)
38.9
(3.8)
45.6
(7.6)
54.9
(12.7)
60.8
(16.0)
58.2
(14.6)
52.6
(11.4)
42.0
(5.6)
31.9
(−0.1)
25.7
(−3.5)
41.4
(5.2)
Record low °F (°C)1
(−17)
−2
(−19)
8
(−13)
16
(−9)
25
(−4)
37
(3)
39
(4)
44
(7)
27
(−3)
18
(−8)
4
(−16)
2
(−17)
−2
(−19)
Average precipitation inches (mm)1.14
(29)
1.28
(33)
0.89
(23)
0.33
(8.4)
0.31
(7.9)
0.61
(15)
3.58
(91)
3.41
(87)
1.80
(46)
1.01
(26)
1.07
(27)
1.53
(39)
16.96
(432.3)
Source 1: NOAA [8]
Source 2: National Weather Service [7]

In media

The ghost-town of Paradise is also notably featured in media, such as video games and motion pictures.[ citation needed ]

See also

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References

  1. 1 2 U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Paradise
  2. Sherman, James E.; Barbara H. Sherman (1969). "Paradise". Ghost Towns of Arizona (First ed.). University of Oklahoma Press. pp. 114–115. ISBN   0806108436.
  3. Granger, Byrd H. (1970) Arizona Place Names, Tucson: University of Arizona Press [ page needed ][ ISBN missing ]
  4. Southwest Incident Management Team (21 May 2011) "Emergency Bulletin: Horseshoe Two Fire Update; Precautionary Evacuation Remains in Effect" Arizona Emergency Information Network (AzEIN)
  5. Rocky Basin Type-2 Incident Management Team (10 June 2011) "Emergency Bulletin: Horseshoe Two Fire 40 Percent Contained; Winds Expected from Southwest" Arizona Emergency Information Network (AzEIN)
  6. Varney, Philip (1980). "Eleven: The Chiricauhua Ghosts". Arizona's Best Ghost Towns. Flagstaff: Northland Press. p. 122. ISBN   0873582179. LCCN   79-91724.
  7. 1 2 "NOAA Online Weather Data – NWS Tucson". National Weather Service. Retrieved August 10, 2023.
  8. "U.S. Climate Normals Quick Access – Station: Paradise, AZ". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved August 10, 2023.

Further reading