Visiting the H.H. Linville Ranch in 1884, Phoenix, Arizona

Although I don't do it anymore, there was a time when I just loved house-sitting for my friends who had a more luxurious lifestyle than mine. More often than not these people had large houses, beautiful landscapes, and spent very little time there to enjoy it themselves. So I did!

Of course, I wasn't always invited to places in spite of my dropping not-so-subtle hints, but today I'm invited myself to H. H. Linville's Ranch in 1884, and sure, you can come along, too! Let's time-travel to Phoenix, Arizona.


Linville's Ranch isn't part of the original 1870 Phoenix townsite, it's on the Linville Addition, at where 5th Street and Grant are nowadays, just east of where the Carver Museum is. Not really waaaaay out in the country, just a short walk from the Court House. Here, I'll zoom in on the drawing so you can see the Court House, which is in the same place as the Historic City Hall is now, at 1st Avenue and Washington.


You're looking northwest, and from this distance you could hardly have read the time on the clock! Yep, that cluster of buildings there is Phoenix. Even the railroad hadn't arrived in 1884.

I'll meet you at the Court House, and we'll walk from there. The Court House is at Washington and Cortez (which is called 1st Avenue now). Don't worry, H.H. and I go way back! He told me that it would OK if we visited anytime after he and everyone else had left for California, and it's about the end of April so the place should be mostly deserted. I would tell you to bring along your toothbrush, but I don't think they've been invented yet! Let's walk.

Here we are! What a place! The bricks and lumber were brought in from California as far as I know. Hold on, I'm going to go over and check with the hand, let him know that H.H. invited us.

Looks like we're all set. You can pick any bedroom except the main one, the place is empty. Air conditioning? What? This is 1884, there are sleeping porches. Breakfast? You see those chickens walking around, maybe we'll check for some eggs in the morning!

The Linville place in 1930, next to Carver High School

The drawing, and the article, is from the "History of  Territory of Arizona" 1884 book, 1964 reprint, Glendale Main Library.



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