Florence (AZ) (Images of America) [Paperback]

Pinal County Historical Society (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 24, 2007 | Series: Images of America (Arcadia Publishing)

In 1866, Florence rose on the banks of the Gila River in south central Arizona. People came from near and far to this early settlement in the Arizona Territory, joining the Native Americans and Mexican farmers already established there. The town boomed with the discovery of a silver mine nearby. Politicians and lawyers followed when Florence became the seat of Pinal County in 1875, and when the Territorial Prison arrived in 1909, the community's future no longer depended upon the fickle mining business. World War II brought a prisoner-of-war camp, and popular youth rodeos added to Florence's remarkable character and history. In the 1970s, citizens began a model effort to preserve their community's legacy and remaining historic structures. The major growth that early Florence anticipated is finally occurring all around the town, bringing change once again.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Preserving Florence's unique heritage was a compelling reason for this book. A team of authors affiliated with the Pinal County Historical Society Museum in Florence gathered more than 200 photographs from the museum archives, the Arizona Historical Society, professional photographers Louise L. Serpa, Pedro E. Guerrero, and Dixie Legler, and other private collections to bring to life the story of a town whose history is, in many ways, the story of Arizona itself.

Product Details

• Paperback: 128 pages
• Publisher: Arcadia Publishing (September 24, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0738548995
• ISBN-13: 978-0738548999
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.3 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,726,272 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A slightly myopic image, February 22, 2010

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Patricia Mc Clenahan "mccats9876" (central coast California) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Florence (AZ) (Images of America) (Paperback)

This is a nice little book, showcasing various Florence, AZ dignitaries and outlaws, but lacking the sense of historical overview one would expect from an Historical Society.

It reads like a latter-day Florence Chamber of Commerce publication, with many photos of old buildings, cars, etc.

Although the book sways from the town of Florence to include events that occurred in Aravaipa Canyon, it includes only the crimes committed there, with no mention of the pioneer families in the Aravaipa that grew State Fair prize-winning fruit.

My own great-grandfather, Emil Kielberg, Sr. was one of the first settlers in the Western Aravaipa Canyon, and grew 160 acres of Arizona State Fair prize-winning peaches, apples, etc. He sold his produce in Florence, and to the prison in Florence. His blackberries were a delight, eagerly anticipated, and desserts all over Florence were planned for when Kielberg blackberries arrived.

The Aravaipa Canyon had much more to offer to Pinal County than just outlaws and crime.