Crops include long and short staple cotton, durum and winter wheat, barley, amaranth, alfalfa, beans, fruit trees, pecans and pistachios. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. The Duncan Pride Society has identified various structures as significantly historical. The county seat is Globe. The farther west anyone traveled, the fewer services were availablefor white people and especially for black people. These five Cs have been the driving force behind Arizonas economy, and gave economic security to past generations and hope to many generations. Encyclopdia Britannica (11th ed.). Learn More >. Tempe Arizona was one as well, but has been integrated since the 60s. In 1883, a post office was established in Purdy. As of the 2010 census, the population of the town was 696. As the Equal Justice Initiatives Bryan Stevenson points out: Civil rights in America is too often seen as a three-day carnival: On day one, Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on the bus. In 1930, 44 out of the 89 counties that lined Route 66 were all-white communities known as sundown townsplaces that banned black people from entering city limits after dark. Even once black travelers reached a multiracial city, such as Albuquerque, New Mexico, only 6 percent of the more than 100 motels along Albuquerques slice of Route 66 admitted them. Report to the President: Japanese-American Internment Sites Preservation. Lying five miles from the New Mexico border, in the deep southeastern corner of Greenlee County, Duncan seems a world away from the wild mountains surrounding it. A rustic service station with a genuinely old truck would invite them to clamber over it until their mothers call them home to supper. But, after a young black man was wrongfully accused of assaulting a white woman, an angry lynch mob broke out. Hildas Kitchen (Mexican-American grill): 105 SE Old West Highway, 928-359-1771 Three Sisters Bakery (bakery products): 113 SW Old West Highway, 928-359-2253 Humble Pie (pizza, calzones, lasagna, salad, garlic bread): 117 Main Street, 928-359-9866. Mining for gold and silver began in 1864, followed by copper in 1872. "At that time, the Fire District was requested to . Thus the new settlement was named Purdy. At that time, the town was located on the north bank of the Gila. It is part of the Safford Micropolitan Statistical Area. To accommodate the new Arizona and New Mexico Railroad, the people of Purdy moved their settlement to the south bank of the river and renamed it Duncan, after Duncan Smith, the managing director of the Arizona Copper Company. A city at the center of several natural attractions, Safford is a haven for outdoor exploration and activities. It doesnt. Simpson Hotel (former Hotel Hobbs) - 1914, River Front Lounge (former Bonnie Heather Bar/Pool Hall) - 1925, Old Duncan Bus Station now Hotel Duncan - 1920. News Arizona Flash Floods Flooding Weather. As of the 2010 census, the population of the town was 696. Willcox is home to the Cowboy Hall of Fame, the Chiricahua Regional Museum and Research Center, and the Rex Allen Museum. Today, they still play a critical role in U.S. history, revealing the untold story of black travel. He heard reports of the legend of the Seven Golden Cities and believed they were located north of Mexico's western coast. Keep up withmyblogand you will findsome important thingsto help you on your journeys. Cliff dwellers, conquistadors, Apache warriors, mountain men, westering immigrants each in their time has traveled its banks. In the town, the population was spread out, with 35.2% under the age of 18, 10.6% from 18 to 24, 22.2% from 25 to 44, 21.2% from 45 to 64, and 10.8% who were 65 years of age or older. Whats it like to be woken up by a bear while camping? Over the course of the year, the temperature typically varies from 35F to 101F and is rarely below 26F or above 107F. Published Jul 25, 2022 8:52 pm Last updated Jul 25, 2022 8:52 pm. sundown town, also called sunset town, in U.S. history, a town that excluded nonwhite peoplemost frequently African Americansfrom remaining in town after sunset. Many of the buildings along Route 66 are physical evidence of racial discrimination, providing a rich opportunity to reexamine Americas story of segregation, black migration, and the rise of the black leisure class. Reproduction in part or whole without written permission from the publisher is prohibited. For black soldiers stationed at Fort Leonard Wood near Rolla, Missouri, for example, their best option for a little R&R was a full 80 miles away: Grahams Rib Station in Springfield, Missouri, an integrated local landmark that opened in 1932 and was owned by an African American couple, James and Zelma Graham. After leaving Chicago on Route 66, the next Green Book sites were more than 180 miles away in Springfield, Illinois. (Today, nothing remains of Grahams, except a tourist cabin that an area law firm uses as its storage shed.). If you need to book a flight, search for the nearest airport to Duncan, SC. Today, Route 66 has surrendered to a series of bypasses, causeways, and highways, but the path it traced is still troubled: American Owned signs line the old Route 66; they are code for Not Owned by Immigrants. In Noel, Missouri, Somali immigrants say they are not welcome at Kathys Kountry Kitchen, where even now servers wear T-shirts reading, I got caught eating at the KKK. Stories like these are why the rosy hue of Route 66 nostalgia leaves a bitter chill in the souls of black people. Call 911 for emergencies, Greenlee County Sheriff's Department You can get a self-guided walking tour map at the Duncan Visitor Center on the main highway through town. Cliff dwellers, conquistadors, Apache warriors, mountain men, westering immigrants each in their time has traveled its banks. CANNOT RECOGNIZE What county is Safford AZ in? A sundown town is not just a place where something racist happened. Photo Credits: Family Wagon Trip by Norman Adams Detail from "Greenlee" Mural by Hal Empie by Desert Lavender Design That means places such as the Threatt Filling Station, a one-story sandstone bungalow with a slightly pitched and gabled roof, wide eaves, and a wooden door. To avoid the humiliation of being turned away, they often traveled with portable toilets, bedding, gas cans, and ice coolers. It was promoted by word of mouth, and a national network of postal workers led by Green sought out advertisers. Your email address will not be published. One of the finest B&Bs in all of Southern Arizona. But when a site is nurtured, like Cliftons, or commemorated, like the Threatt Filling Station, it can be an important connection to the past. Compton was also very rural at this time. [2] In 2018 the estimated population was 789. Gila Box Riparian National Conservation Area. Graham. The most snowfall ever in Duncan was 15.0 inches or 0.38 metres during the record Western cold wave of January 1949. Glendale has become the first city in California and the third in the nation to pass a resolution apologizing for its history as a . In his book, Loewen profiles three Indiana towns; Elwood, Huntington and Martinsville. History and Social Justice Website Copyright 2023, Using Lies My Teacher Told Me and Teaching What Really Happened, Resources for Teaching with Lies My Teacher Told Me, Teachers Corner: Teaching with Lies My Teacher Told Me, Contact Jim Loewen to Speak to Your Group, Causing Change With Lies My Teacher Told Me, Works Inspired or Influenced by Lies My Teacher Told Me, Useful Quotations about History and Social Justice, Native American Issues, Including the Explorers, Teaching Slavery, the Civil War, and Reconstruction, Civil Rights Movement to Modern Times: c. 1945 Now, Alphabetical Map of Sundown Towns by State, How to Research and Teach About Sundown Towns, Using Research Information to Help a Sundown Town Overcome Its Past, Loewens Work on Standardized Testing Used by Others, Embarrassing Questions about Standardized Tests. The Green Book covered the entire United States, but during the time it was in publication, Route 66 was easily the most popular road in America. There are three different campgrounds for lakeside camping as well as fishing, bird watching and water activities. One Green Book business that did survive over the decades is Cliftons, a quirky Depression-era cafeteria in downtown Los Angeles at the corner of 7th Street and South Broadwaythe original terminus of Route 66. Well, first that Flagstaff doesn't make any of the pre-World War II editions. Of course Route 66 wasnt any more racist than any other road in America at the time. I'm mixed with Black/White, and lived here my whole life in the Phoenix area. She wants to talk about the current townspeople. The society has taken it upon themselves the task of restoring many of them. Sadly, today theres no physical evidence that Murrays Dude Ranch ever existed. Here are our recommendations for Things To Do In Duncan Arizona; plus dining, lodging, & local history. (Excluding Federal Holidays) ullstein bild/Getty Images The Chicago suburb of Cicero was one of the most infamous sundown towns to ever exist in Illinois. But the current passion for gentrification and suburban sprawl is expunging the past: Most Green Book properties have been razed and many more are slated for demolition. "He just came out of the woods to . Duncan belongs to the Gila, the storied river of the west, the ageless natural highway whose passage through the mountain and desert southwest has served humankind since prehistoric times. According to the United States Census Bureau, the town of Duncan has a total area of 2.2 square miles (5.6km2), all of it land.[2]. They held their cross burnings inside. Now, the city has an $8.2 million plan to convert the property into a condo-hotel hybrid with shops and restaurants. His Green Book featured barbershops, beauty salons, tailors, department stores, taverns, gas stations, garages, and even real-estate offices that were willing to serve black people. Reynolds Farley is a research scientist at the Population Studies Center, the Dudley Duncan . Duncan, Arizona - a small town located along the New Mexico border. "Sundown suburbs" could be even larger, such as Glendale, a suburb of Los Angeles; Levittown, on Long Island; and Warren, a Detroit suburb. The town of Duncan in southeastern Arizona is under "mass evacuation" after the Gila River overflowed on Monday, reaching a "major flood stage" which . Some posted signs that read, Nigger, Dont Let the Sun Set on You Here.. I live in Los Angeles, California and love camping. The most accessible viewing station, at Bonita Creek, is a lovely 55-mile drive from Duncan. In a 2008 "UU World" article, Loewan said many sundown towns weren't always all-white. Some faced actual instances of violence or were arrested by local police, according to Farley. The original ownera white man, a Christian, and the son of missionariesClifford Clinton, had traveled with his parents to China, where he witnessed that countrys brutal and abject poverty firsthand. African Americans who lingered in sundown towns even during the daytime experienced harassment, threats, arrest, and beatings. The vast American landscape meant long, lonely stretches of perilously empty roads, and places like Grahams and other Green Book properties were vital sources of refuge. Black veterans were once blocked from taking advantage of the GI Bill, missing out on valuable educational resources. According archeologists the specimens of pottery and stone implements found in the area of Greenlee County, where the town of Duncan is located indicate that the members of the Anasazi were among the first people to inhabit the region. Still, the property sat empty for more than a decade after that purchase. What are some of the best ultralight camping gear options? In 1930, the black columnist George Schuyler wrote, Blacks who drove expensive cars offended white sensibilities, and some black people kept to older models so as not to give the dangerous impression of being above themselves., In the 1950s, my stepfather, Ron, experienced this firsthand as a child. During World War II, Route 66 played a major role in military efforts, becoming a primary route for shuttling military supplies across the country. Unheard of by many, loved by everyone who calls it home. The Duncan Valley Rural Fire District declared the "mass evacuation of flood prone areas in Duncan" early Monday, listing more than a dozen streets in the 712-person town as subject to the order . Sundown towns once drove out people of color or prohibited them from living within city limits. Safford averages 1 inches of snow per year. Ive estimated that nearly 75 percent of Green Book sites have been demolished or radically modified, and the majority that remain have fallen into disrepair, so its crucial to preserve whatever sites are left. Nature & Wildlife Areas, Scenic Walking Areas. Third, the Simpson Hotel B&B is located here. Sundown suburbs formed a little later, mostly from 1900 to 1968." Location of Duncan in Greenlee County, Arizona, Last edited on 10 February 2023, at 23:59, "Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (G001): Duncan town, Arizona", "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990", National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Duncan,_Arizona&oldid=1138676476, Source: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, This page was last edited on 10 February 2023, at 23:59. Vasquez de Coronado organized an expedition which eventually passed through the area where the San Francisco River is located. Esso Gas Stations (Standard Oil, which operates as Exxon today) sold the Green Book and hired two black marketing executives, James A. Jackson and Wendell P. Allston, to promote and distribute it. The town limits are on both sides of the Gila, but the primary portion of the town and the entire downtown area lie on the south side of the river. It is located behind the town's fire department and across the street from Minden Park. Don't Know Unions, Organized Labor? Carol McGrath, a Black woman, has lived in Glendale for 17 years and experienced racism as recently as two years ago. With a crime rate of 36 per one thousand residents, Safford has one of the highest crime rates in America compared to all communities of all sizes from the smallest towns to the very largest cities. With the rail, settlement of the fertile, easily irrigated valley boomed. However, all that is changing. In the mid-19th century, the Arizona communities along the Gila grew up around stage and freight stations and military posts that began to bloom in the valley as settlers arrived and battled hostile natives. When I talk to people about the full history of Route 66 and the Green Book, they say, Thank God we dont need that anymore. But while black people may not have to worry about KKK cross burnings at tourist sites, they still have to worry about being shot by the police. In a country that desperately, fitfully, tries to be color-blind, even the first black president has not been able to stop the bleeding, let alone heal the old and deep wounds of white supremacy and systemic racism. It looks like a movie set. Detail from Greenlee Mural by Hal Empie by Desert Lavender Design, Birding Trail in Late Spring by Deborah Mendelsohn, Town Hall Called Purdy in the Post Office register of 1883, it was founded by Messrs. Purdy and Bachelor as a way station on an ore haulage line that linked the railhead in Clifton with Silver City, New Mexico. [14] Also pictured is the antique town clock located in Spezia Square Park and the 1950 Chevrolet 6400 2-ton fire truck once used in Duncan. The town and area are primarily populated by ranchers and miners (especially from the Freeport-McMoran copper mines in southeastern Arizona and southwestern New Mexico). My neighbor ladies and I walk every day, she says. High Desert RV Park, High Street, 928-359-3030 Nine Rail RV Camp, Highway 75, 928-359-9107 Stephens RV Park, Madison Street off Highway 70, 928-359-2113. The images on this website are copyrighted. Click HERE to see some of the interesting places not far from Duncan. Cambridge University Press. Today, the town continues to thrive as an agricultural community, especially noted wine tasting rooms and award-winning vineyards. Also, Pellets on Sale. I guess if you dont know whether or not you need them, youre not the target audience. The name derives from the posted and verbal warnings issued to Blacks that although they might be allowed to work or travel in a community during the daytime, they must leave by sundown. Pearl Bailey ultimately bought the property in 1955 but sold it in the mid-1960s. My friend Julie and I walk into Hildas Kitchen & Meat Market, where Hilda Goekings smile is as wide as a rainbow. And after discovering the Green Book, I was never able to look at Americas favorite highway the same way againthe way those other tour guides seem to. "Mass evacuations" were . Your donation is fully tax-deductible. Your email address will not be published. Although the term most often refers to the forced exclusion of Blacks, the history of sundown towns also includes prohibitions against Jews, Native Americans, Chinese, Japanese, and other minority groups. James W. Loewen, Sundown Towns: A Hidden Dimension of American Racism (New York: The New Press, 2005); Candacy Taylor, The Roots of Route 66, The Atlantic, November 3, 2016, https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2016/11/the-roots-of-route-66/506255/; Sundown Towns, Encyclopedia of Arkansas, https://encyclopediaofarkansas.net/entries/sundown-towns-3658/. Town . Ive been questioning the existence of racial equality ever since. Duncan is at the juncture of the Gila River and the Arizona-New Mexico state border. During the Red Summer of 1919, white mobs repeatedly targeted Black World War I veterans and servicemen. The Negro Motorist Green Book, 1940, Victor Hugo Green. "We didn't have Jim Crow [laws] here in California, but we did have sundown town laws," said Peterson . Thats why the National Park Services Route 66 Preservation Program approached me in 2014 to document Green Book sites on Route 66 and to produce a short video. EASTERN ARIZONA. Just one year before construction on Route 66 began, the Chicago Tribune suggested in an editorial on August 29, 1925, that black people avoid recreational sites altogether: We should be doing no service to the Negroes if we did not point out that to a very large section of the white population the presence of a Negro, however well behaved, among white bathers is an irritation. But, yes Prescott area is one of the whitest areas in this state. [3] Duncan is in the Gila River valley, four miles (6 km) west of the Arizona- New Mexico border. He remembers Martinsville, Indiana as an unfriendly place. DUNCAN, AZ (3TV/CBS 5) Dozens of residents of a small town in eastern Arizona have evacuated after the Gila River reached a major flood stage early Monday morning, spilling water into parts of . The book stayed in publication until 1967, three years after the passage of the Civil Rights Act, which greatly reduced the number of sundown towns in America. Either way, it was painfully obvious to me that there was a problem. In the mid-19th century, the With the rail, settlement of the fertile, easily irrigated valley boomed. If it does, I hope they appreciate it. The site is on Gila River Indian Tribal land. As Blacks began to migrate to other regions of the country, many predominantly white communities actively discouraged them from settling there. Havent tried the lasagna yet. Five miles from our border with New Mexico, Duncan began in the late 1800s as Purdy, a way station for ore trains on the route from nearby Clifton to Silver City, New Mexico. The median income for a household in the town was $27,368, and the median income for a family was $33,750. Duncan (zip 85534)s population is 2,655 people. The Purdy post office was relocated to the new location of Purdy and thus the settlement was renamed Duncan. The Spanish-Pueblo Revival style of the building features a conference room with seven 20-foot murals painted by a Zuni artist. Ed Gordon discusses the historical significance of so-called "sundown towns," some of which are now promoting inclusiveness. into the 1960s, when the new Interstate 10 to the south diverted commercial traffic, contributing to a rising trucking industry. Ones chance of becoming a victim of either violent or property crime here is one in 28. Lying five miles from the New Mexico border, in the deep southeastern corner of Greenlee County, Duncan seems a world away from the wild mountains surrounding it. Monday - Thursday [1][2][3][4], Francisco Vasquez de Coronado was a governor of a province in New Spain (in Mexico). Cattle and calves and dairy are leading Arizona ag products, with cotton, lettuce and hay positioned as top-produced crops. Do you put hand warmers for camping inside a camping tent? Having moved from Las Vegas to Duncan, Hilda doesnt mention Sandra Day OConnor, the Supreme Court justice who put this town on the map by writing about growing up on her nearby ranch. The methods for enforcing such racial segregation ranged . Lemons, Limes, Mandarins, Grapefruit, and Oranges thrive in the warm sun and fertile soil of this region. In 1921, the Tulsa Race Riot erupted in the Greenwood District of Tulsa, Oklahoma. Sundown towns, or grey towns, were all-white neighborhoods in the United States that used discriminatory local laws, intimidation, or violence to keep their town all-white. Duncan might attract people who now realize they can work remotely from anywhere. This is a list, which includes a photographic gallery, of some of the remaining historic buildings, houses, and other structures in the mining town of Duncan, which is located in Greenlee County, Arizona. Just down the street is the Henrie Brothers Bakery, with a classic round clock on an ornate pole surrounded by bright blooms, like Mayberry at its best. Peoples of the Upper Gila River from Pre-History to the Present. This practice started in the late 19th century, but the impact continues today. At that time, American soldiers fought for human rights overseas, but the troops were still segregated at home. A growing community, with old generations and new ones coming together, Budgets, Annual Financial Statements and Independent Auditors Report, Residential/Business Water and Sewer Service, Irrigation, Livestock and Construction Water. Arizona is one of the top producers of citrus in the country. A rustic service station with a genuinely old truck would invite them to clamber over it until their mothers call them home to supper. After 16 hours, at least 300 people had died, 35 blocks of the Greenwood District had burned to the ground, and more than 10,000 black residents had been left homeless. He also published his findings in his book Sundown Towns: A Hidden Dimension of American Racism. Office: (928) 865-4149Emergency: 911. [12][8][9][13], The Duncan Pride Society was established on March 8, 2001. Principal Economic Activities 2020 Sundown Town Resolution. But Americans should not be so quick to pat themselves on the backs just because, nowadays, black people can drive U.S. highways mostly without incident. Duncan is a town in Greenlee County, Arizona, United States. Living in Safford offers residents a sparse suburban feel and most residents own their homes. The town of Duncan has been destroyed twice by flood and once by fire. It was indeed all White for a while. Americas favorite highway usually evokes kitschy nostalgia. The term "sundown town" goes back to segregation-era signs that said "colored people" had to leave by sundown. After being stopped by a sheriff while on vacation with his family, the sheriff asked Rons dad where he got the car. Greenwood was an unusually vibrant community of successful black entrepreneurs, doctors, and lawyers. DUNCAN, Ariz. - Evacuations are underway in a town in eastern Arizona after heavy rain flooded a river. The median age was 28 years. In 2018 the estimated population was 789. It WAS a Sundown town based on the criteria listed. "Between 1890 and 1954, thousands of independent communities across the United States drove out their black populations or took steps to forbid African Americans from living in them. In 1999, Dr. Loewen began a public database of sundown towns identified through research by himself and other contributors, a project he continued to grow until his death in the summer of 2021. The Mountain Villa Motel in Kingman, Arizona (147 miles west of Flagstaff), was listed in the 1957 Green Book, and the White Rock Court appeared in the 1956 edition. If you were black and didnt have this information, how would you know where to go? But Springfield at least was helpful, with 26 listings: 13 tourist homes, four taverns, three beauty parlors, two service stations, and one restaurant, barbershop, drugstore, and hotel. It was not uncommon for Black motorists passing through these communities to be followed by police or local residents to the city limits. DUNCAN, Ariz. - Evacuation orders for a small eastern Arizona town have been lifted after heavy rain overflowed the Gila River, spilling water into portions of the area. Duncan is in the Gila River valley, four miles (6 km) west of the ArizonaNew Mexico border. From hot springs to sand dunes to rock fields, Safford brings together many features that make Arizona famous in one place, creating the perfect family vacation destination. As stated earlier, a sundown town (also known as a gray town) is an area in the U.S. where Black people are essentially forced out of the public once the sun goes down. The Simpson Hotel has a wooden toy pony in a first-floor window. Can you ride in a travel trailer in california? United States President James K. Polk declared war against Mexico in what became known as the MexicanAmerican War. Clinton followed what he called the Cafeteria Golden Rule. His menu read, Pay What You Wish and Dine Free Unless Delighted.. Tucson is located in the Sonoran Desert approximately 100 miles south of Phoenix and 60 miles north of the Mexico border. The rise of sundown towns made it difficult and dangerous for Blacks to travel long distances by car. Leafy greens, cabbage, dates, melons, lemons, oranges, apples, potatoes and tomatoes are just some foods harvested from Arizonas nourishing soil. In the Pulitzer Prizewinning The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of Americas Great Migration, the writer Isabel Wilkerson recounts Dr. Robert Fosters harrowing journey in the West, where he would fall asleep at the wheel from exhaustion simply because he had been turned away from every motel he stopped at for being black. That said, there are places like Vidor Texas that still are, if unofficially. For visitors the primary interest is in the numerous recreational opportunities nearby, as well as the annual Salsa Fest. Other black travelers guides existedHackley and Harrisons Hotel and Apartment Guide for Colored Travelers (1930-1931), Travel Guide (1947-1963), and Graysons Guide: The Go Guide to Pleasant Motoring (1953-1959)but the Green Book was published for the longest period of time and had the widest readership. At that time, the town was located on the north bank of the Gila. Duncan, Arizona 85534, Hours: Monday - Thursday The new highway re-directed traffic away from Duncan and businesses began leaving the area. Safford, Arizona gets 10 inches of rain, on average, per year. To accommodate the new "Arizona and New Mexico Railroad," the people of Purdy moved their settlement to the south bank of The road certainly did not mean freedom for everyone, and it bore witness to some of the nations worst acts of racial terrorism. What makes Route 66 different is that the open-road branding associated with it celebrated a time when black Americans had to navigate racial violence and the Jim Crow policies that shut them out of businesses and recreational sites.
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