Mariposa Trail is worth drive to Oracle, AZ

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[Source: Doug Kreutz, Arizona Daily Star] — Golden winter grasses carpet gently rolling hills and hidden hollows along the Mariposa Trail at Oracle State Park.  A trek on the trail is kind of like slipping into the park through the back door.  Beginning at its own trailhead northwest of the park’s main trail system and the historic Kannally Ranch House, the 1.2-mile route offers a “walk-in” alternative to driving into the park.

The Mariposa Trail dips into a hollow near the starting point and then climbs gradually to a grassy hilltop affording good views of the Catalina Mountains to the south and the rugged Galiuro range to the east.  It works its way down another hillside and then meanders southeastward to connect with a network of trails and the park’s main entrance road.  Hikers coming in on the Mariposa might choose to visit the ranch house or link with other trails for a longer hike.  By connecting with the Granite Overlook Trail Loop, the Windy Ridge Trail Loop or the Nature Trail Loop, it’s possible to fashion a round-trip trek of several miles.  [Note: to read the full article, click here.]

New grant for historic Pinal County courthouse

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[Source: Florence Reminder] — Pinal County received a new grant to continue repairs on the historic Second County Courthouse.  This new grant for $150,000 from the Arizona State Parks Historic Preservation Heritage Fund will be matched with $225,000 from Pinal County.  The county hopes to use the funding to repair the dormers, chimneys, frieze (area between the roof and wall), porch and dissolving brick.  County officials are working with the architect to prepare plans and hope to go out for bids by February or March.

Final rehab nearly complete for Florence’s Silver King Hotel

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[Source: Florence Reminder, Bonnie Bariola] — The front page of the April 14, 1977 Florence Reminder and Blade Tribune was devoted to an article about the purchase of the Florence Hotel by Norm and Bonnie Conkle, who were going to rehabilitate and reopen the hotel.  The article states, “As envisioned by Conkle, the new Silver King Hotel will not only be a beautiful place for tourists to stay, but will be a tourist attraction itself.

The hotel was operating until the day Conkle purchased it.  At that time it was the oldest operating hotel in Arizona.  It catered to silver and gold entrepreneurs, cattle barons, and many of Arizona’s earliest statesmen. Unfortunately, the Conkle’s plans did not materialize and over the next two decades the building suffered extreme deterioration.

During those two decades Bill Coomer was constantly telling his wife, Katie Montaño, that “someone” needed to do something about the hotel.  Katie finally told him that instead of talking about it, why didn’t he do something. Unknown to Katie, Bill created the private nonprofit Florence Preservation Foundation (FPF) in 1993.  He also wrote a Heritage Fund grant application to be used toward the rehabilitation of the hotel.  In addition he wrote a letter to Ed Bass asking for his assistance with the project.  Once the grant application was funded, he shared with Katie what he had done.  Had she not “shamed” him into doing something, the building probably would have been razed since this was what a lot of people thought should be done with it.  [Note: to read the full article click here.]

Arizona archives get new, upgraded home

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[Source: Mary Jo Pitzl, The Arizona Republic] — No more grandma’s attic for the state’s important papers and keepsakes.  Instead, the new Archives Building is a technological and climate-controlled wonder, especially when compared with the nearly 100-year-old space that housed everything from the original state Constitution to Wyatt Earp’s extradition papers.

The $38 million Polly Rosenbaum History and Archives Building, which opened late last fall, is being dedicated next week at a ceremony open to the public. It’s named after a long-serving lawmaker who was devoted to historic preservation and has already been dubbed “the Polly building.”  [Note: to read the full article click here.]