History Adventuring

You look terrible. When is the last time you had your suit cleaned and pressed? And besides, it really doesn't fit you at all. Me? Yeah, well I guess you're right. We both need to go to 5 Points Tailors and Cleaners. It's the 1940s, so we want to look sharp enough so that the women aren't just looking at the servicemen in their uniforms. Let's go. You know where 5 Points is! It's where 7th Avenue, Van Buren, and Grand all intersect. I've seen 5 Points Tailors and Cleaners, when I was eating some Chop Suey. You know, right down from Joe Cannon's place, where they service Famous ABC beer! We could call ahead, at 34900, but I don't have a phone. Let's just walk over there. I understand it's run by a man named Rudy Steffen. I wonder if he'll clean and press on the tick? No, I suppose he's going to want money right away, seems to be the modern trend. I'm changing into my cowboy clothes, and I'll carry my suit. What?

I enjoy paging through the Phoenix newspapers at the Library of Congress site, and I came across this article about Mrs. Lobit's Cadillac from the Babbitt-Cadillac company in Phoenix in 1920. Nowadays newspapers really don't do this kind of stuff, as this article is really just an ad for the dealership. But back then it was common, and this practice really didn't end until the 1950s, when newspapers, magazines, and radio started making it very clear what was advertising, and what wasn't. Nowadays on the internet it's gone back to being difficult to know if an article is written just for information, or if someone has paid to have it written to promote something. It makes you skeptical. Well, the Babbitt-Cadillac company isn't paying me to write about seeing Mrs. Lobit's new car, I just think it would be fun. Let's go! The article doesn't give an exact address, but my best guess is that Joe Lobit and his lovely wife (whose first name isn&#

It's 1909 in the Salt River Valley, and the almond trees are in bloom. Let's stop a while. The trees are near the beehives, but don't worry, we'll be fine. Here, I'll help you out of the cart. The horses don't mind waiting for us, they can graze a bit while we walk. The blooms are so beautiful! It's almost a magical effect. I understand they've had them in California since the 1840s, and they do great there. Yes, the bees are important. Let's go take a look at the beehives, but not too close! The bees pollinate the almond trees. And they pollinate a lot of things in the Salt River Valley. What an amazing transformation it's been. Phoenix is no longer a desert, it's an oasis. Just add water, almond trees, and bees! From the 1909 booklet "The Salt River Valley, Arizona" If you liked this article, and would like to see more, please consider becoming a patron of History Adventuring on Patreon. If you're already a pa

I feel like having some chocolate. Let's go back to 1921 and get some Camelback Chocolates from Donofrio's. I know that the ad says, "Her Favorite Always", but we rough, tough men like them, too! Since it's 1921, Donofrio's is in the Ellingson Building, which is 21 East Washington. Or, as the locals would say, on "Cactus Way". Cactus Way was never an official Phoenix street, it was a north-south alley between Jefferson and Washington and Central and 1st Street. But let's get back to the chocolates! Personally, I've never really cared for their Cactus Candy. You can get some if you want to, that just means more chocolate for me! By the way, in case you're not familiar with Phoenix, Camelback Mountain is the most famous mountain in town. And the most delicious chocolate! Why yes, I did eat the whole box! Can you get us another one? If you liked this article, and would like to see more, please consider becoming a patron of

I just love my city. I live in Glendale, Arizona, which is a suburb of Phoenix. I've only lived two other places in my life, Minneapolis, and Los Angeles, but Phoenix is my home. Palm trees grow, and rents are low... let me tell you all about it! Sit down, I'll be talking quite a bit! And there you have it. Loving a city means talking about it all of the time, which is what I do IRL (In Real Life) and in cyberspace. And I'm one of the lucky ones who gets to live in a place that they love. Some people aren't so lucky, and they seem to always be thinking of the city that they love. My heart aches for them. Affection for a city, like any type of love, can be a wonderful thing, or it can be awful. I've known people who seem to think that loving somewhere means hating somewhere else, and that makes me sad. I don't hate Minneapolis, or Los Angeles, or any other place that people love, that just makes no sense to me. I can love without hating. I have a brother

It's 1911 and I think that I need some new glasses. I just noticed an ad for the Swigert Brothers Optical Company, so I think I'll go visit them. I'd appreciate if you'd come along with me. I don't see very well, and I might get lost. Looks like they're on Adams, across from the new Adams Hotel. Yeah, they've already replaced the old one that burned down last year. These Swigert Brothers look pretty respectable, and I see that they both wear glasses. They've been in business here in Phoenix for eight years, so they've been around since 1903. The ad says that I'd be cheating myself if I didn't allow them to care for my optical needs. I sure don't want to cheat myself! They say that they fit but one quality of glasses - the best. Sounds like they'd be expensive, but I guess that's how you don't cheat yourself! I would ask my neighbors and friends about them, but no one that I know wears glasses. Maybe I could go ask

Let's time-travel back to Miller Brothers Motors in 1941, which was at 6th Avenue and Washington, in Phoenix. I'm going to buy a new car! A Nash! I've been listening to you, and you've convinced me, I need to change to Nash. My old Pope-Toledo was never that reliable! I see that you're already waiting for me in the showroom, sitting there in the window, I recognize your white hat. Why yes, I did get all dressed up for this. That's the cowboy hat that I got at the rodeo last year, and I'm so proud of my cowboy boots that I tucked my pants into them. How do you like my bandana? I'm a real cowboy, ain't I? Now before I buy here, I want to go take a look at the repair department. I'd imagine I'd be needing a lot of repairs - you've seen my driving! It looks like they do good work here! I'm convinced. Let's see, I like the green one there in the showroom. Seems like they're more expensive than I had thought, tho

It's 1894, we're in Phoenix, Arizona, and I think we should go to the Opera House Pharmacy. You know, Keefer's Drugs. I just saw an ad in the paper that says that we can drink, smoke, chew, and swear there! Yes, I know where it is, it's on Center Street between Washington and Jefferson, on the west side of the street. You know, by the Opera House. I've never been to the opera house, but I've gone past it many times. What? A chemist? I have no idea what you're talking about... oh, you're from England? That's what they call drug stores there? Strange. OK. By the way, how's that queen of yours doing? I guess she's going to live forever? Victoria, right? She's been around so long that in the future people will probably just consider this whole era to be "Victorian", right? Well, they aren't going to name it after us! Let's see, I could use a drink, so I'll get a soda. I wonder if they have that new drin

As you know, fog isn't common in Phoenix. In fact, the skies are usually so clear and sharp it's amazing. And that's part of the reason I love living in the desert. It never snows, it rarely rains, and fog is very rare. But it's foggy right now, as I write this. If you're familiar with the most famous mountain in Phoenix, Camelback Mountain, take a look at the pic at the top of this post. Take a good hard look. The photo was taken this morning from about 40th Street and Indian School Road looking directly at Camelback Mountain. No, this isn't a trick, this isn't Photoshop, it's just fog. I've lived around mountains all of my adult life, in Arizona, and in California. Here in the Phoenix area, I often refer to them as "faces of old friends", and when I can't see them, it's strange. Phoenix is in a valley, so it's surrounded by mountains, and for someone like me, it gives me comfort. I seem to get all discombulated when the

Time-travel with me back to 1979, when I had just moved into the Saguaro Apartments, at 4201 N. 9th Street, in Phoenix. Unlike most of the history adventuring that I do, this is drawn from my actual memory, which is kinda shaky, but I'll do the best that I can. As I recall, his name was Bob. It may, or may not have been, and it's not really important nowadays, and it's probably best in these days of privacy, and not plastering someone's name all over the internet. So let's just call him Bob. I'm actually pretty sure that was his name. He was an old guy, probably about the same age that I am today, when I moved in there at age 19. Whether he was 50, or 100, at age 19, I had no idea. Just an old guy. He drove a car that he called "Big Red" - one of those 1970s cars with a hood so long that it "arrived fifteen minutes before you did". A real 1970s "boat", and he loved it. What Bob did before becoming a manager for a ratty litt

Although in this blog I usually time-travel to places and times I've never been, I've actually been to the Saguaro Apartments in 1979. In fact, I lived there from 1979 to 1980. And no, nothing spectacular happened there, it was just a place where people lived. If you're interested, I'd like to go back there with you now. My main goal when I grew up was to leave the snow and cold of Minneapolis. It really didn't matter to me where I went, I remember talking to my friends about Australia, or Mexico. The fact that I ended up in Phoenix just has to do with the minimum-wage job I had doing physical inventory while I was attending my first year of college in Minneapolis. I went to my boss one day, asked for a transfer, and he did it. He said, "Go to Phoenix, they're waiting for you!" It was an adventure that still makes me smile. If you grew up in Phoenix, there's no way that I can tell you how amazed I was at how hot the summers are. It's sti

It's the 1940s, and we're Boston Terriers, living a wonderfully privileged life, visiting the Arizona Biltmore. I must say that we're a dapper pair! I like that everyone calls us "American Gentlemen", and it's not just because we always wear our tuxedos, it's because we really are gentlemanly dogs. Oh, you're a female? Sorry, well, I guess you can be an American Gentleman Lady. The Arizona Biltmore in 1936. You're looking east-southeast towards Camelback Mountain. What a beautiful day! It should be, it's winter in Phoenix, which is the only time that the Biltmore is open. We've heard that it can be terribly hot in the summer, but we society dogs would only visit in nice weather. Anything else would be uncivilized! Since it's the 1940s, the Biltmore is way north of the Phoenix City Limits. You get there by going to Camelback Road and 24th Street, and then taking the drive across the Arizona Canal. I know, because I was l

If you lived in Arizona anytime from territorial times to 1992, you would have known Valley National Bank. It had been around so long that it had been deeply tied into the financial success of Arizona itself. So when it started tottering, in the mid 1980s, a crisis was looming that was averted when it was bought out by Bank One. I got to see it happen, working in the Marketing Department for Valley Bank, as a graphic designer. In fact, I had just barely started, in 1990, when the people around me started telling me how precarious a position Valley Bank was in. My favorite comment at the time was someone saying that if Valley Bank went under, we would all have to leave Arizona, and the last person turn out the light. I didn't understand how all of it worked, and I still don't, but it was a great job that I wanted to keep, and all I could do was hope for the best. And it worked out great for me. When I started at Valley Bank, I really didn't fit in very well. I came from

It's 1942 and "Dumbo" is showing at the Studio in downtown Phoenix. Let's go! I see that "Beyond the Blue Horizon" is also showing, but it's the cartoon that I want to see. They say that it's Walt Disney's gayest hit! What? No, it just means cheerful and happy. This is 1942, there won't be another meaning for that word for many, many years. Lamour? Yes, that's Dorothy from the Hope and Crosby road pictures. This one? I don't know, looks like a bunch of mush to me. You can stay and watch it, I ain't a-going to! Yes, it's in color. It's called "Technicolor" and I hear it's amazing. Yes, of course, Disney cartoons have been in color for a long time. Where have you been? Steamboat Willie? That's Mickey Mouse stuff! OK, meet me there. It's on Washington just east of Central, north side of the street. Yes, I'll be there. You can recognize me by the new slouch hat I just got. Ma and pa don