A balloon ride over Phoenix, Arizona in 1911


It's 1911, so let's take a balloon ride over Phoenix.

Wow, this is amazing, how much my town has grown in the last few years. I wonder if it will keep growing? I hope so.

We're looking northwest. Let's see, down to our left is the new Dorris-Heyman store, which is at Adams and 1st Street. I really don't have much use for furniture, but if you want to go there after we land, that sounds fine.

Dorris-Heyman, 1st Street and Adams
Hey! There's my church, Central Methodist, right across from the Central School. I didn't go to school here in Phoenix, did you go there?


Central Methodist Church (left) and Center School, Central and Monroe.

And there's the post office building, and Steinegger's Lodge, and the Coliseum there on the corner. Maybe we could go see a vaudeville show there? I understand that they also plan on showing some of those new "moving pictures"!

Left to right: the post office building, Steinegger's Lodge, and the Coliseum. Monroe between Central and 1st Street.

What? That long building there on Melinda's Alley? Well, that's, um, where the "Ladies of the Evening" are. At least that's what I've been told. Not far from Millionaire's Row.

Along Melinda's Alley east of 1st Street, between Adams and Monroe

I don't know anyone who lives in one of the mansions on Millionaire's Row, do you? I think we should just walk up to one of those places, knock on the door and run away. How about that? No, I'm not eight years old, why do you ask?

Mansions along Millionaire's Row, Monroe east of 1st Street

I'm enjoying this balloon ride, but I'm feeling a little seasick. Maybe we should land, go have something to eat at the Del Rey. It's on me! And thank you for inviting me along in your balloon!

The Del Rey Hotel, Central Avenue and Monroe

Image at the top of this post: Looking northeast over Phoenix from a balloon in 1911. By the way, Steinegger's Lodge as of this writing is all boarded up, but is still there, on Monroe just east of Central, next to the Hilton Garden Inn.

 Photo from "Arizona the New State Magazine", March 1911.
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