Sahuaro Ranch

	Sahuaro Ranch
	U.S. National Register of Historic Places
	Main mansion of the Sahuaro Ranch, built in 1886
Location	9802 North 59th Avenue and Mountain View, Glendale, Arizona
Coordinates	33°32′19″N112°11′11″W / 33.53861°N 112.18639°W
Area	2,000 acres (810 ha)
Built	1886
NRHP reference No.	80000763
Added to NRHP	March 7, 1980

Last updated October 19, 2024

Sahuaro Ranch was founded in 1886, by William Henry Bartlett, a native of Illinois. The ranch, located north of what eventually became the city of Glendale, Arizona, was rich in figs and other fruit orchards, vineyards, and fields of alfalfa. The ranch has all of its historical structures restored, and the "Sahuaro Ranch Park" is administered by the Parks and Recreation Department of Glendale.

Ranch history

Bartlett era (1880 - 1913)

William Henry Bartlett and his brother were wealthy businessmen from Peoria, Illinois who homesteaded lands in what was to become the future the City of Glendale founded by William John Murphy. What made an investment attractive was the completion of the Arizona Canal in 1885.^[2] The canal allowed 100,000 acres (40468.564 hec or 40468 hec (hectare) and 5642.2 m²) of desert land to be opened up to homesteading and irrigation farming.^[3] The Homestead Act was a United States federal law that gave an applicant ownership at no cost of farmland called a "homestead."^[4]

The Bartletts' felt this was a great opportunity to invest in fruit ranching and farming. The brothers were owners of a grain brokerage business, and were amongst the largest traders in the Midwestern farm belt.^[2]^[5]

By 1891, William Bartlett had under his control 2,000 acres (809.371 hectares or 809 hec and 3712.8 m²) of farmland near Glendale. He established a 640-acre farm (25932.255 hec or 25932 hec and 2559.5 m²) and named it named Sahuaro Ranch. There he planted large citrus and pecan orchards. Even though he never lived permanently at Sahuaro Ranch, Bartlett took an active role in its development and had various buildings and residences built for the people who worked there and for his family. He hired superintendents to manage his ranch operations.^[5]

In 1881, the first structure in what was to become the ranch was built. It was an adobe house which served as the residence and office of Stephen H. Campbell, the first superintendent to manage the ranch. In 1895, the superintendent's residence was moved to the main house of the ranch and the adobe house was used to house the ranch employees. Bartlett had his hired hands plant figs and other fruit orchards, vineyards and alfalfa.^[3]^[5]

Other structures which were built on the ranch in the 1890s were the Foreman's House, the blacksmith shop and the horse barn. The Fruit Packing House, the largest packing house in the Salt River Valley, was built in 1891.^[5]

The farm animals raised in the ranch included cows, bulls and hogs. Between 500 and 1,000 hogs were raised in the ranch in the 1890s. Horses and mules were used to pull orchard wagons, mowers, rakes and other farming equipment.^[5]

The Guest House was built in 1898. When Bartlett's youngest son was stricken with tuberculosis while living in Chicago, his doctor recommended that he move to a warmer climate. Bartlett had the guest house building designed to accommodate the needs and comforts of his son and family.^[3]^[5]

In 1901, Bartlett had a pump house built for an oil-fired electrical generator. The pump house provided electricity to his ranch buildings with the help of a pump water. By 1905, the first automobiles were used in the ranch and Bartlett had a garage built to store his wagons and autos.^[2]^[3]^[5]

Bradshaw (1913 - 1927) and Smith (1927 - 1977) eras

In 1913, Peter E. Bradshaw purchased the ranch, and planted long-staple cotton in 1915.

In 1927, Richard W. Smith purchased the ranch and planted large citrus and pecan orchards.^[3]^[5]

In 1928, Smith built a dairy barn and raised dairy cows commercially. The milk from the cows was sold in bulk and shipped to local dairies in cans.

Richard W. Smith died in 1944. His son, Richard S. Smith, inherited the farm and established a retail dairy on the ranch, known as the Sahuaro Jersey Dairy Milk House.^[5]

In the early 1960s, 120 acres of the ranch were sold to develop the Glendale Community College campus.

National Register of Historic Places

In 1966, the City of Glendale, with the initiative of then Mayor Max Klass. began a process to purchase 80 acres (32.3748 hec or 32 hec and 3748.5 m²) of the original 640 acres of the ranch. In 1977, the purchase was made possible by a federal grant and the City of Glendale proceeded to restore the historical structures in the ranch. After the City of Glendale purchased the land, Richard S. Smith was allowed to lease the ranch until 1980.^[5]

On March 7, 1980, Sahuaro Ranch was registered on the National Register of Historic Places after the city applied for the registration of 17 acres of the ranch. The ranch is open to the public and is located at 9802 North 59th Avenue and Mountain View.^[1]^[2]^[5]

The Sahuaro Ranch fire

In September 2017, the ranch site endured a string of fires on September 18, 23 and 26. The blacksmith shop, granary building, and the milk house, all caught fire and were permanently destroyed. This was seen as a terrible loss of important historical assets for the community. The park was closed on September 26, 2017, to allow for an investigation of the fires and reopened the following day.

In February 2018, a 14-year-old was arrested for trespassing the night of Sept. 26, 2017, the night of the “most extensive fire” at the park. However, no evidence was ever found to connect the teen to any other crimes, such as the suspected arson.

The buildings were fixed and reopened in February 2020. They were rebuilt to as closely match the style and look of the originals as modern day regulations allowed. The city of Glendale used photographs and staff memories to match the look and had much of the lumber shipped from Flagstaff to get it as unprocessed as possible, as that is how it would have been built in the early 1900s.^[6]^[7]

Gallery of historical Sahuaro Ranch

Historical structures and equipment used in Sahuaro Ranch

Entrance to Historic Sahuaro Ranch.
Different view of the Main Mansion in Sahuaro Ranch.
Blacksmith Shop (1890).
Outhouse (1890).
Case Steam Engine used in Sahuaro Ranch.
Farm machinery and 1890s Horse Stable (in background).
1901 Pump House.
1905 Wagon and auto garage.
Well House (1920).

Images of the 19th Century interior furnishings and decorations of the Main Mansion and Adobe house.

The Smith bedroom on the second floor of the main mansion.
Small study in the hallway of the second floor of the main mansion.
Living room in the first floor of the main mansion.
The inside of the old Adobe house, the first structure built in the Sahuaro Ranch.

Related Research Articles

Glendale is a city in Maricopa County, Arizona, United States. Located about nine miles northwest of the state capital Phoenix, Glendale is known for State Farm Stadium, which is the home of the Arizona Cardinals football team. The city also contains the Arrowhead Towne Center shopping mall. As of the 2020 census, Glendale had a population of 248,325.

The City of Glendale is a home rule municipality located in an exclave of Arapahoe County, Colorado, United States. The city population was 4,613 at the 2020 United States Census. Glendale is an enclave of the City and County of Denver and is the most densely populated municipality in Colorado. The city is a part of the Denver–Aurora–Lakewood, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Front Range Urban Corridor.

The Workman and Temple Family Homestead Museum is a historic house museum located at 15415 East Don Julian Road in City of Industry, California, that features the homes and private cemetery that belonged to the pioneer Workman-Temple family.

Kyle Ranch or Kiel Ranch, was one of the earliest ranches established in Nevada's Las Vegas Valley. Founded by Conrad Kiel in 1875, today the location of the former ranch is in North Las Vegas, where the city maintains the remnants of the site as the "Kiel Ranch Historic Park." The original adobe structure, one of the oldest buildings in Las Vegas, a wooden shed known as the "Doll House," and the cemetery are all that remain after loss of buildings through fire and neglect. Also within the park is an artesian well and a small wetlands, a reminder of what drew travelers and early settlers to the area. Presently the ranch's location is memorialized with Nevada Historical Marker number 224.

The Sierra Bonita Ranch, founded in 1872 by Henry C. Hooker, is one of the oldest cattle ranches in the United States and the ranch buildings have been designated a National Historic Landmark. It was the first permanent American cattle ranch in Arizona. Hooker bought neighboring ranches until his operation became the largest ranch in Arizona, totaling 800 square miles (2,100 km²), or about 30 by 27 miles. It is located in Sulphur Springs Valley about 27 miles (43 km) north of present-day Willcox, Arizona. The modern ranch is much smaller but is still operational and owned by Jesse Hooker Davis, the sixth generation to live and work on the ranch.

The Minnie Hill Palmer House, also known as The Homestead Acre, is the only remaining homestead cottage in the San Fernando Valley. The cottage is a redwood Stick-Eastlake style American Craftsman-Bungalow located on a 1.3-acre (0.53 ha) site in Chatsworth Park South in the Chatsworth section of Los Angeles, California.

The Phillips Mansion is a Second Empire style historic house in Pomona, Los Angeles County, California. It was built in 1875 by Louis Phillips, who by the 1890s had become the wealthiest man in Los Angeles County. Situated along the Butterfield Stage route, the Phillips Mansion became a center of community activity in the Pomona and Spadra area. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1974, making it among the first 25 sites in Los Angeles County to be so designated.

Shadow Ranch is a historic ranch house, built from 1869-1872 using adobe and redwood lumber, on the original Workman Ranch in the western San Fernando Valley of Los Angeles, California. For much of the 20th century it was in Canoga Park, but it is now within the boundaries of the West Hills community. The park is also allegedly haunted, owing to its grim history, and has been featured on Ghost Adventures.

The Orcutt Ranch Horticulture Center, formally known as Rancho Sombra del Roble, is a Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument located in the West Hills section of Los Angeles, California, USA.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rooney Ranch</span> United States historic place

Rooney Ranch is an historic ranch near Morrison, unincorporated Jefferson County, Colorado. The ranch is one of Colorado's oldest centennial farms and is the oldest property continuously operated by the same family in Jefferson County.

The Buckner Homestead Historic District, near Stehekin, Washington in Lake Chelan National Recreation Area incorporates a group of structures relating to the theme of early settlement in the Lake Chelan area. Representing a time period of over six decades, from 1889 to the 1950s, the district comprises 15 buildings, landscape structures and ruins, and over 50 acres (200,000 m²) of land planted in orchard and criss-crossed by hand-dug irrigation ditches. The oldest building on the farm is a cabin built in 1889. The Buckner family bought the farm in 1910 and remained there until 1970, when the property was sold to the National Park Service. The Buckner Cabin was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974. The rest of the Buckner farm became a historic district in 1989. Today, the National Park Service maintains the Buckner homestead and farm as an interpretive center to give visitors a glimpse at pioneer farm life in the Stehekin Valley.

Manistee Ranch was founded in 1897 by Herbert W. Hamilton, a native of Wisconsin. The ranch, located in the town of Glendale, Arizona, was rich in citrus fruits and dates. The ranch has all of its historical structures restored. It is administered by the Parks and Recreation Department of Glendale.

The Catlin Court Historic District, established in 1914, is significant for its historic association with an important period in the development of the city of Glendale, Arizona, United States.

The Pioneer Living History Museum is located at 3901 W. Pioneer Road in Phoenix, Arizona. The museum, also known as Pioneer Village, has 30 historic original and reconstructed buildings from the 1880s and early 1900s on its 90-acre property.

The Adobe Mountain Desert Park a.k.a. "The Railroad Park" is a park complex that houses the Sahuaro Central Railroad Heritage preservation Society, Sahuaro Central Railroad Museum, Arizona Model Railroading Society, and the Maricopa Live Steamers. The approximately 160-acre Adobe Mountain Desert Railroad Park is located south of Pinnacle Peak Road on 43rd Avenue in the City of Glendale, Arizona.

Eagar Townsite Historic District is a section of the town of Eagar, Arizona which has been designated a National Historic Place. Sitting on roughly 54 acres, the site contains 37 structures, 21 of which have historical significance. The period of significance is from 1886, the year the townsite was founded, through 1942, which represents the significant period of development of the town. The site was added to the Register on July 23, 1993.

Bella Vista is a heritage-listed residence at Elizabeth Macarthur Drive, Bella Vista, The Hills Shire, New South Wales, Australia. It was built from 1830 to 1960. It is also known as Kings Langley, Stock Farm, Seven Hills Farm and Bella Vista Farm. The property is owned by The Hills Shire Council and was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 2 April 1999.

Kearney Park is a historic public park located west of Fresno, California. It is former residence of Martin Theodore Kearney and the community center of his Fruit Vale Estate agricultural colony. Kearney Mansion Museum is located in the park and operated by the Fresno Historical Society.

References

1 2 National Register of Historical Places
1 2 3 4 Phoenix Magazine
1 2 3 4 5 Sahuaro Ranch Park Historic Area Archived 2012-10-12 at the Wayback Machine
↑ "Homestead National Monument: Frequently Asked Questions". National Park Service.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Glendale Sahuaro Ranch History
↑ Jaspers, Bret (2020-02-04). "Glendale's Sahuaro Ranch Park Reconstructed After 2017 Fires". KJZZ. Retrieved 2023-06-27.
↑ Marsh, Adrian (October 4, 2017). "Glendale police investigate series of fires at historic Sahuaro Ranch Park". The Arizona Republic. Retrieved 2023-06-27.

External links

- City of Glendale

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.

[NRHP-1] 1 2 National Register of Historical Places

[VP-2] 1 2 3 4 Phoenix Magazine

[SRP-3] 1 2 3 4 5 Sahuaro Ranch Park Historic Area Archived 2012-10-12 at the Wayback Machine

[nps_homestead-4] "Homestead National Monument: Frequently Asked Questions". National Park Service.

[SR-5] 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Glendale Sahuaro Ranch History

[6] Jaspers, Bret (2020-02-04). "Glendale's Sahuaro Ranch Park Reconstructed After 2017 Fires". KJZZ. Retrieved 2023-06-27.

[7] Marsh, Adrian (October 4, 2017). "Glendale police investigate series of fires at historic Sahuaro Ranch Park". The Arizona Republic. Retrieved 2023-06-27.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]