Visiting Coolidge, Arizona
Have you ever been to Coolidge, Arizona? Coolidge, Arizona is situated 29 miles south east of Chandler, Arizona and 35 miles southeast of Mesa, Arizona. It is located in Pinal County. The nearby Phoenix – Mesa metropolitan area is very easily accessible and this close proximity benefits the city’s population of approximately 8000 people. The Central Arizona College is also within this community.
The city of Coolidge, Arizona received an official incorporation in 1945. The city received its name in honor of the 13th president of the United States, Calvin Coolidge. In 1930 this president also dedicated the Coolidge dam. The city is close to the Casa Grande Ruins National Monument. This historical monument received its protected status in 1892 from the United States government. It has unique honor of being the first historical site to received such a status.
You can arrive by car or bus to the city of Coolidge, Arizona or you can travel by plane and arrive at the nearby Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport. Some of the attractions that are close to the city of Coolidge include the Arizona’s Women’s Hall of Fame, the Arizona State Capital Museum, the Usery Mountain Recreation Area, the Lost Dutchmen State Park, the Catalina State Park, the Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art, and as previously mentioned the Casa Grande Ruins National Monument.
For visitors who are traveling to Coolidge there are many exciting things to do including a visit to the Pueblo Grande Museum and Cultural Park. There is also two other excellent museums worth visiting at the Arizona State Capital Museum and the Hall of Flame Museum of Firefighting. If you enjoy playing a round of golf you can visit the Links Golf Club at Queen Creek, the Dave White Municipal Golf Course, the Mission Royale Golf Club, and the Poston Butte Golf Club.
Coolidge, Arizona history includes the Arizona Pageant. The Pageant was established as an association by a number of prominent Arizona residents to promote education. The president of the group was originally a gentleman named James McClintock. In 1925 this association made a pledge to raise $10,000. The $10,000 was to be used for the Casa Grande extravaganza. The National Park Service pageant director of this extravaganza was a man named Garnet Holmes who was chosen to supervise the pageant.
The original site chosen for the pageant was a multi-story wooden building. There were only a few limited seating spots available on a mound that was to the west of the stage. The majority of people that viewed the pageant were required to sit on the ground. A three-day production from November 5 – 7, 1926 was chosen and there was a cast of over 300 actors and actresses. A cloud of dust proceeded the arrival of more than 13,000 people traveling to the site in their cars.
The pageant consisted of 4 dramas which unfortunately did not have a great connection the history or prehistory of the monument. However, the pageant in its first year proved to be very successful and the Pageantry Association decided to continue with the performance each year. Due to continued dropping in yearly attendance after that pageant was dissolved in 1930. This pageant is just a sampling of the interesting history that you will discover when visiting Coolidge, Arizona.
