Theba, Arizona

Theba, Arizona
Census-designated place
Location in Maricopa County, Arizona
Theba Show map of Arizona Theba Show map of the United States
Coordinates: 32°55′10″N112°52′41″W / 32.91944°N 112.87806°W / 32.91944; -112.87806
Country	United States
State	Arizona
County	Maricopa
Area [1]
• Total	0.62 sq mi (1.61 km2)
• Land	0.62 sq mi (1.61 km2)
• Water	0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)
Elevation [2]	732 ft (223 m)
Population  (2020) [3]
• Total	111
• Density	178.46/sq mi (68.94/km2)
Time zone	UTC-7 (Mountain (MST))
ZIP code	85337 (Gila Bend)
FIPS code	04-73490
GNIS feature ID	2582876 [2]

Theba is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Maricopa County, Arizona, United States. Theba is located along Interstate 8 and is served by Exit 106. As of the 2020 census, it had a population of 111, ^[3] down from 158 in 2010.

The Rowley Mine, a private copper mine known as a source of the mineral wulfenite, is located near the settlement. ^[4] The large Paloma Ranch was located near Theba before it was broken up. ^[5] The area is frequently marked as Paloma on maps.

History

The area, which is in the Sonoran Desert, was a farming area into the 1960s, and once had significant crops of melons, jojoba, ^{[6] [7]} and guar in the 1970s, which is used in the oil industry. ^[8] The Southern Pacific Company once had a railroad station there, served by Wells Fargo. ^[9] The population was estimated at 200 in 1960. ^[10]

Theba is the nearest community to the Painted Rocks, a site of ancient petroglyphs that was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1977. ^[11]

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
2010	158		—
2020	111		−29.7%
U.S. Decennial Census [12]

As of the census ^[13] of 2010, there were 158 people living in the CDP. The population density was 254.2 people per square mile. The racial makeup of the CDP was 37% White and 63% from other races. 96% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

Education

The Theba/Paloma area is served by the Paloma Elementary School District.

Theba Elementary School made headlines across the state of Arizona in 1977, when school administrators refused to sign a federal pledge agreeing not to discriminate against women. The school was one of the few in the country which refused to sign the agreement, disqualifying them from receiving federal funding. According to school administrators, the school refused to sign because they had never received federal funding anyway. ^{[14] [15] [16]}

References

1. "2021 U.S. Gazetteer Files: Arizona". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved May 18, 2022.
2. U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Theba, Arizona
3. "Theba CDP, Arizona: 2020 DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171)". U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved May 18, 2022.
4. "Rowley Mine". mindat.org. Retrieved June 11, 2009.
5. "New horizons for Paloma Ranch". Phoenix Business Journal. Retrieved November 10, 2021.
6. Roger Dunbier, "The Sonoran Desert: its geography, economy, and people," (University of Arizona Press, 1968), p. 298, found at Google books. Accessed June 10, 2009.
7. Gary A. Ritchie, "New agricultural crops," (Westview Press for the American Association for the Advancement of Science, Washington, D.C., 1979), ISBN   978-0-89158-473-5, found at Google books. Accessed June 10, 2009.
8. McGowan, Dan (December 17, 1982). "Arizona farmers making big money with guar". Kingman Daily Miner. Retrieved June 11, 2009.
9. "A B C pathfinder shipping and mailing guide", p. 734 (New England Railway Publishing Co., 1903), found at Google Books. Accessed June 11, 2009.
10. "Arizona". World Book Encyclopedia. Vol. 1. Field Enterprises Educational Corporation. 1961. p. 557.
11. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places . National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
12. "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2016.
13. United States Census ^{[ dead link ]}
14. "School near Gila Bend faces cutoff of funds because forms unfiled". Casa Grande Dispatch. Casa Grande, AZ. December 9, 1977. p. 1.
15. "HEW to stop funds to Theba School". Arizona Daily Sun. Flagstaff, AZ. December 9, 1977. p. 16.
16. "Theba won't pledge to treat women equally". Yuma Daily Sun. Yuma, AZ. December 9, 1977. p. 2.