NOT JUST ANY OLD THINGS

Desert View Watchtower is impressive. And so are the Orpheum Theatre in Phoenix and the Hotel Congress in Tucson. But none of those places were around on Statehood Day. In fact, the list of 100-year-old landmarks in Arizona is somewhat limited. Still, we managed to come up with a hundred. It's a special collection, and our favorite, hands down, is LaVona Evans, who was born February 14, 1912 — the same day as the state of Arizona.

BY KELLY KRAMER, MAGGIE PINGOLT AND ROBERT STIEVE

1. LAVONA EVANS

Thatcher LaVona Evans pauses before a row of framed, black-and-white photographs hanging in the living room of her Thatcher home. She points to a picture of a family of six standing solemnly in front of a small brick house (opposite page). “I was born here, on the next street down,” she says. “I haven’t gone very far, have I?” LaVona’s guests laugh. She may have settled a block from where she was born, but life has taken LaVona far — as far as Tonga, where she taught the queen to quilt. But for most of her life, LaVona has lived in Arizona, which seems fitting. On February 14, both LaVona and Arizona will turn 100.

LaVona grew up with the state and witnessed its history firsthand. She survived the TB epidemic of the early 1900s. Her father farmed the West Valley. As a young mother during the Depression, LaVona worked for a fledgling dairy operation called Shamrock. Like many others, she raised rabbits and vegetables during World War II. In the 1970s, hippies lived on land she owned near Redington. She has seen the explosion in the state’s population, and contributed to its growth more than a little.

That shared heritage extends even to LaVona’s name. The first three letters are the first three letters of Valentine, spelled backward, for the holiday celebrated on February 14. The last three letters come from Arizona. But the links between LaVona and Arizona go back even further.

LaVona descended from Mormon pioneers who settled the state. Her great-grandfather, Daniel Webster Jones, led the group that colonized Lehi, originally called Jonesville, which became Mesa. Her grandfather, Daniel P. Jones, was speaker of the Arizona House of Representatives in the 1920s. His wife gave birth to the first baby born in Lehi. That baby, Daniel Dudley Jones, was LaVona’s father.

“He taught school until he was 80 years old,” LaVona says of her father, moving on to a photograph of perfectly scripted letters that he drew on a chalkboard.

“He liked penmanship,” she says. “Penmanship and English.” But he taught everything: Spanish, calculus, agronomy. He taught Spencer W. Kimball, who became president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. And he taught LaVona.

“Don’t ever have your parents for your schoolteachers,” she says. “They use you for an example.” LaVona’s early years were hard. One of her earliest memories involves running to her mother while being chased by an older brother. Her mother was carrying a pan of boiling water and LaVona got badly burned. She remembers Dr. Platt arriving each day by horse and buggy to change the bandages.

“They named my younger brother Donald Platt,” she says.

When LaVona was 5, her mother died of a brain tumor. She and Donald went to live with their grandparents in Mesa. LaVona shared a bed with her aunt Laura, who contracted tuberculosis while at school in Tempe. Laura and three other siblings died from the disease. Somehow, LaVona never got it.

After her father remarried, LaVona rejoined her family. They moved frequently as her father chased teaching jobs from Chandler to Goodyear, where he grew fields of cantaloupes in the summer. They moved again, to Tucson, and, eventually, to Colorado.

Her father never returned to Arizona, but LaVona came back with an older brother at age 18. They settled in the "But I bawled so," she says. "He said, 'If you have someone carry you in, I'll let you go home.'"

She arrived just as her husband was being carried out. "He just looked at the baby and kissed me goodbye, and that's the last I saw of him."

It was in the midst of the Great Depression, but LaVona found work at a little operation called Shamrock Dairy.

"The owner, Mr. McClelland, was milking cows by hand," LaVona recalls. "And [his wife] was going to work in the office."

They hired LaVona to do housework, and let her bring her children. At Shamrock, LaVona met her second husbandMormon community of Binghamton, now part of Tucson, in the Catalina foothills. There, she met and married her first husband, Lavar Price.

Lavar and LaVona built a home on Chapel Street, just off of Fort Lowell Road, where LaVona delivered their first child. The windows hadn't yet been installed and the house had no electricity. They couldn't use a lamp because of the chloroform, so the baby was delivered by flashlight. Lavar buried the afterbirth in the backyard - he was so excited he put the shovel through his shoe.

Ten days after the birth of their second child, in "the stork's nest" this time, Lavar died from a burst appendix. LaVona was still hemorrhaging, and the doctor wanted to and, Quinton Hawkins. They added rooms onto the Binghamton house and had three more children. LaVona tended large gardens - flowers in front, vegetables in back. The girls helped in the house while the boys, active in 4H, tended cows, chickens, goats, horses and rabbits.

Quinton and LaVona were married 38 years when he died of lung cancer.

At 62, LaVona married Junius Evans, a man seven years younger. They moved to a remote area near Redington, in a house with no closets and boards for cupboards.

A colorful character, Junius flew a plane held together with baling wire, allowed a group of hippies to settle on their land and made pets of the javelinas, which, according to LaVona, had the run of the house.

"They went around by the front porch and knew if they kept hitting on the screen door it would open just enough so they could get their legs in there and come on in," LaVona recalls. Junius drove the animals to town, where they'd follow him to the bank and the store.

"He was real interesting," LaVona says. Junius was a well driller and, in 1980, their church sent the couple on a two-year mission to Tonga.

"My husband was drilling a well for the king, and the queen was there," LaVona recalls. "She asked [Junius] what his wife was doing, and he told her that I was home quilting. She came over and said she wanted to quilt."

One of their projects was a wedding gift for Prince Charles and Lady Diana.

"She came to my house all the time, just like any neighbor," LaVona recalls. "But she always had a lady-in-waiting with her."

In 1986, Junius and LaVona built a house in Thatcher to be near LaVona's three brothers and two daughters.

LaVona has lived there alone since Junius died in 1988. She grows tomatoes and cuts her own grass with an electric mower. A small back room holds toys for the great-grandkids. An easel displays her latest painting, and a frame holds the quilt she's working on. Each week, she bakes a dozen loaves of bread. She also prepares meals for people she refers to as "the elderly." Still active in her church, she's been a visiting teacher - a kind of mentor to younger women - for 75 years. She renewed her driver's license not long ago and drives herself to Bashas'.

She takes no medications and, aside from having her babies and a gallbladder opera-tion, LaVona's never been to the hospital. If she's lost track of how many grandkids she has, she can be forgiven. Four years ago, her descendants totaled 137.

They gather on her birthday. Last year, the family played a game of Jeopardy! with categories such as "Early Years," "Husbands" and "Tonga."

As this article went to press, the family hadn't finalized plans for this year. LaVona's daughter, Louise, knew only one thing for sure: It would be very special.

EDITOR'S NOTE: What follows are 99 other things that were around when Arizona was granted statehood. Most are on the National Register of Historic Places, and most are open to the public. Some, however, are not. Please respect the rights of private property owners.

2. ADAMS SCHOOL

(a.k.a. Grace Court School)

800 W. Adams Street, Phoenix

Adams School was established in 1911 and was later named for its long-serving principal, Grace Court. The school closed in 1977, and, after a series of owners and renovations, now hosts office space for private companies. One of the original classrooms remains intact.

3. ALMA WARD MEETING HOUSE

809 W. Main Street, Mesa The Alma Ward Meeting House was once just that - a place of meeting for members of a Mormon ward in Mesa. Today, the structure serves as the Landmark Restaurant. The church was housed in what is now the dining room.

4. ARIZONA PIONEERS' HOME

300 S. McCormick Street,

Prescott

Prescott's Arizona Pioneers' Home has always ministered to the elderly. Opened in 1911, it served as a hospital, as well as institutional housing. Today, it's an assisted-living and skilled-care facility.

5. ARIZONA RANCHO

Tovar & Apache streets, Holbrook Arizona Rancho was constructed as a hotel in 1888 and has since gone through several incarnations - the Higgins House, the Brunswick Hotel and the Arizona Hotel, to name a few. Today, the building is vacant.

6. ASHURST HOUSE

421 W. Aspen Avenue, Flagstaff Before Henry J. Ashurst and his family moved in, brick-manufacturer-turned-judge J.C. Mulligan inhabited this now-private residence. It was built in 1890 and was once used by the U.S. Weather Bureau.

7. BABBITT BROTHERS BUILDING

12 E. Aspen Avenue, Flagstaff The Babbitt family built a two-story structure at the corner of Aspen Avenue and San Francisco Street in Flagstaff in 1889, and there opened Babbitt Brothers Trading Co. Today, the building houses Babbitt's Back-country Outfitters.

8. BEET SUGAR FACTORY

5243 W. Glendale Avenue,

Glendale

This site opened as a sugar-beet processing plant in 1906. It also served as a soy sauce processing plant during World War II. After many years of vacancy, the factory is now being renovated into a distillery.

11. BORDEN MILK CO. CREAMERY & ICE FACTORY

1300 E. Eighth Street, Tempe Opened in 1892 as an ice plant, this build-ing eventually became a creamery and was known as the Tempe Creamery and the Pacific Creamery. The Borden Milk Co. purchased it in 1927, and today it houses Four Peaks Brewing Co.

12. CAMERON SUSPENSION BRIDGE

U.S. Route 89, Cameron This bridge (left) was built in 1911 as a response to flooding at Tanner Crossing, along the Mormon Honeymoon Trail. Today, the bridge is used to carry an oil pipeline.

13. CAMP CRITTENDEN

State Route 82, Sonoita Camp Crittenden was established in 1867 as a base from which to battle the Apaches. What's left of Camp Crittenden is on private property, but history buffs may visit its historical marker, on the right side of State Route 82 (when traveling west), near Milepost 29.5.

14. CARTWRIGHT SCHOOL

5833 W. Thomas Road, Phoenix This site, established in 1884, has always been a school. Originally, classes took place in one room, but as the student population grew, administrators added a tent and, eventually, additional rooms. In 1924, an entirely new, more modern school was constructed.

9. BISBEE WOMAN'S CLUB CLUBHOUSE

74 Quality Hill, Bisbee This clubhouse was the first to be owned and occupied by a women's organization in Arizona. The Bisbee Woman's Club constructed the building in 1902, and continues to gather there today.

10. BOOTHILL CEMETERY

State Route 80, Tombstone Founded on a hill northwest of Tombstone in 1878, Boothill Cemetery is the final resting place of some of Arizona's earliest pioneers, including Frank Bowles, Lester Moore and a saloon girl nicknamed "Margarita." Today, the cemetery is open for tours.

15. CASA GRANDE HOTEL

(a.k.a. Gould Hotel) 201 W. Main Avenue, Casa Grande Before it was a hotel, this site, which dates to the 1890s, operated as a butcher shop and dry goods store. In the early 1900s, it was converted to a five-room hotel, and that's how William Gould purchased it in 1909. Today, the structure is vacant.

16. CASTLE HOT SPRINGS RESORT HISTORIC DISTRICT

Castle Hot Springs Road, Castle Hot Springs This resort was opened in 1896 and has survived a series of owners, as well as a fire during the 1970s. Today, caretakers maintain the property, but it remains vacant.

17. CITIZENS CEMETERY

815 E. Sheldon Street, Prescott Prescott's Citizens Cemetery began with a gunshot. That is, Joel Woods was shot to death on June 2, 1864, and buried in "a beautiful ground just east of town." Today, the cemetery is open to the public from dawn to dusk.

18. COCHISE HOTEL

U.S. Route 191, Cochise Built in the 1880s, the Cochise Hotel operated for decades as a boarding house, post office, and bed and breakfast. Now, the Amerind Foundation operates the property as a museum, but is considering changing the property back into a hotel.

ARIZONA CASTL HOT SPRINGS HOTE HOT SPRINGS ARIZONA

19. COTTAGE HOTEL

First Street & Shoeny Avenue, Seligman This hotel, located along Historic Route 66, was built in 1912. Today, the Seligman His torical Society owns the property and oper ates a part-time museum therein. Society members hope to renovate the building for use as a visitors center and museum.

20. DESERT LABORATORY

1675 W. Anklam Road, Tucson The Carnegie Institution for Science estab lished Desert Laboratory in 1903 to study the adaptation of plants to the desert. Today, the public may hike the trail leading up to the lab, which is located on Tumamoc Hill.

21. DRAGOON SPRINGS STAGE STOP

Dragoon When the San Antonio and San Diego Mail Line first traversed Arizona to reach the Pacific coast in 1857, the route included a stop near Dragoon Springs. There, riders would change horses or mules. Today, the site is identified with a historic marker.

22. DUQUESNE HOUSE

357 Duquesne Avenue, Patagonia This historic adobe house was constructed in 1898 along Patagonia's original main street. Today, the house serves as a bed and breakfast for visitors to Southern Arizona's wine country.

23. DURLIN HOTEL

Main Street, Oatman Also known as the Oatman Hotel, the original Durlin Hotel was built in 1902 and reconstructed after a fire in 1924. It was renamed the Oatman Hotel in the late 1960s. Though overnight accommodations are no longer available, the hotel houses a bar-restaurant and a museum.

24. EL TOVAR

Grand Canyon National Park Opened in 1905, this iconic hotel sits on the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. The hotel underwent a major renovation - one that totaled $4.5 million - in 2004 and 2005, and remains open to park visitors today.

25. EL TOVAR STABLES

Since 1907, mules from El Tovar Stables have carried curious Grand Canyon-goers into the natural wonder. Although generations of mules and tourists have gone through the building, the structure itself remains mostly unchanged.

26. ELKS BUILDING & THEATER

117 E. Gurley Street, Prescott The Elks Building and Theater in Prescott opened on February 20, 1905, and has hosted performances ever since. The site underwent a major renovation in 2010.

27. ELKS LODGE NO. 468

Fourth & Oak streets, Kingman Built in 1903 and 1904, the Kingman Elks Lodge underwent a major renovation in 1913. Now, nearly 100 years after that reno vation, the lodge is still used for club meet ings and gatherings.

28. EMPIRE RANCH

Greaterville The 22-room adobe-and-wood-frame Empire Ranch House dates to 1870. The ranch, part of the 42,000-acre Las Cienegas National Conservation Area, now hosts tours, trail rides and educational events.

29. EVERGREEN CEMETERY

Old Douglas Road, Bisbee Evergreen Cemetery, established in 1912, replaced the old City Park Cemetery in Brewery Gulch, when the Bisbee Town Council determined City Park might pose a hazard to the town's drinking-water sup ply. More than 10,000 people are interred in Evergreen.

“Even the thought of the Grand Canyon takes my breath away. I tell my friends who visit Phoenix that it’s worth driving four hours to the Grand Canyon just to look at it for five minutes.”

MISTY HYMAN, OLYMPIC GOLD MEDALIST

30. FORT BOWIE

Off State Route 186, Bowie The U.S. Army occupied Fort Bowie — site of the Bascom Affair and the Battle of Apache Pass - between 1862 and 1894. Today, the National Park Service preserves the fort as a National Historic Site.

31. FORT LOWELL

2900 N. Craycroft Road, Tucson California Volunteers established Fort Lowell in 1862, after recapturing the land that is now Fort Lowell Park from Texas Confederates. Seven years later, the fort was moved to its present location. Today, it houses a museum.

32. FORT VERDE

125 E. Holloman Street, Camp Verde Fort Verde, originally known as Camp Lincoln, was Major General George Crook's headquarters during his campaign in the Tonto Basin in the 1870s. Today, the site is home to Fort Verde State Historic Park.

33. GADSDEN HOTEL

1046 G Avenue, Douglas Douglas' Gadsden Hotel dates to 1907. The hotel was restored following a fire in February 1928, and reopened to the public in 1929. Today, the hotel features 160 rooms, a restaurant, and a coffee shop and bar.

34. GOODWIN BUILDING

514 S. Mill Avenue, Tempe Garfield Abram Goodwin constructed the Goodwin Curio Store in 1907. There, he sold Indian artifacts and crafts. Today, the site is owned by the city and rented by a retail clothing operation.

“My wife has taken me to quite a few mystical places in Arizona — most notably, Sedona and Patagonia. With her company and my guitar along, I always seem to get inspired musical ideas.”

35. GRAND CANYON RAILROAD STATION

(a.k.a. Grand Canyon Depot) Grand Canyon National Park Built in 1910 as a depot for trains visiting the Grand Canyon, this station is still operational. Though it doesn't receive trains every day, it's part of the Grand Canyon National Park Historic District. It's one of the only log depots left in the United States.

36. HARDYVILLE CEMETERY

1776 State Route 95, Bullhead City This cemetery near Bullhead City opened in 1864. Many early settlers are buried here, in what a placard describes as “the last vestige of the pioneer settlement of Hardyville.” Founded in 1864 by William H. Hardy, the town served as an important ferry crossing, steamboat landing, shipping point for area mines, and as the Mohave County seat from 1867 to 1872.

37. HAYDEN FLOUR MILL

119 S. Mill Avenue, Tempe Charles T. Hayden constructed the first mill at this site in 1874, and when it burned in 1890, he rebuilt it. That mill burned again in 1917, and J.C. Steele built the existing mill in 1918. The mill has been vacant for more than a decade, but the city of Tempe recently launched plans to revitalize the structure.

38. HAYDEN HOUSE

(a.k.a. Monti's La Casa Vieja) 3 W. First Street, Tempe This house was built in 1873 for Charles T. Hayden and his family. By 1889, the property was being used as a boarding house, and was later renovated for use as a teahouse and restaurant. Today, the house is better known as Monti's La Casa Vieja, a popular steakhouse.

39. SAMUEL HILL HARDWARE CO. WAREHOUSE

154 S. Montezuma Street, Prescott This building was constructed in 1903 to accommodate the storage needs of the Sam Hill Hardware Co. Today, the building houses Prescott College's Art Gallery at Sam Hill Warehouse.

MESA MESA 40. HOPI HOUSE

Grand Canyon National Park Designed by Mary Jane Colter and built in the Pueblo style in 1905, Hopi House served as a residence for many of the Hopi workers who helped build it. Today, it operates as the largest gift shop at the Grand Canyon.

41. HOTEL ST. MICHAEL

205 W. Gurley Street, Prescott Hotel St. Michael opened on June 1, 1901, offering "gracious accommodations," according to the property's historic marker. The hotel still operates today, and is considered a cornerstone of Whiskey Row.

42. HUBBELL TRADING POST

State Route 264, Ganado John Lorenzo Hubbell purchased existing primitive buildings here in 1878 and expanded them into a trading post in 1883. Today, the trading post is operated by the National Park Service.

43. JACOB LAKE

RANGER STATION Kaibab National Forest, Jacob Lake Built in 1910, this building was used by rangers who worked in the Kaibab National Forest. The station is no longer operational.

44. KANNALLY RANCH

Center for Environmental Education, Oracle State Park The ranch lands surrounding this property were purchased in 1903, but the home here wasn't built until 1929. Today, the house contains the gift shop and visitors center for Oracle State Park, which is currently closed due to budget cuts.

45. KENTUCKY CAMP

HISTORIC DISTRICT Sonoita This camp was built in 1904 as the headquarters for the Santa Rita Water and Mining Co., but the mine ceased operation following the death of the company's chief engineer. The property then became a cattle ranch and mining operation again, before the Coronado National Forest acquired it in 1989. Now, the camp hosts tours and volunteer opportunities for preservation.

46. KIRKLAND STORE

8985 Iron Springs Road, Kirkland This site, which has also housed the Haselfeld Store and the Kirkland Hotel, was built in 1863. It underwent a major renovation in 1923, and now operates as the Kirkland Bar & Steakhouse.

47. LITTLE RED

SCHOOL HOUSE 219 N. Fourth Street, Kingman The Little Red School was built in 1896 and operated as such for students in first through eighth grades until 1928. When the students moved to a new school, civic and religious organizations moved into the building, along with the chamber of commerce and the library. Today, it houses the Kingman Municipal Court.

48. LOS BURROS RANGER STATION

Forest Road 20, McNary Built in 1909 or 1910, the station was occupied by rangers who worked in the surrounding national forest. The site is abandoned today, but an old barn and a corral are still standing.

49. MANNING CABIN

Saguaro National Park, Tucson One-time Tucson Mayor Levi Manning constructed this home, which is located within Saguaro National Park, in 1905. Except for a brief period in the mid-20th century, the cabin has housed fire guards, researchers and park rangers.

50. LEVI H. MANNING HOUSE

9 W. Paseo Redondo, Tucson After successful careers in journalism, surveying and managing Tucson's Ice and Electric Co., Levi Howell Manning - who at one time served as the city's mayor - built this 12,000-square-foot home in 1907. Today, it's used for special events, weddings and banquets.

51. MEXICAN CONSULATE

129 W. Fourth Street, Yuma Yuma's Mexican Consulate was built in 1892, but has been out of use and in total disrepair since a fire occurred more than 50 years ago. In its prime, it was used to facilitate relations between Arizonans and their neighbors to the south.

52. BENJAMIN B. MOEUR HOUSE

34 E. Seventh Street, Tempe Purchased by Dr. Benjamin Moeur in 1896, the Moeur House was expanded over the years, and in 1912, it received an additional facelift, bringing it into the Neo-Colonial Revival style that was popular at the time. Today, the home is occupied by the Tempe Community Council.

53. MONTANA HOTEL

Jerome The 200-room Montana Hotel opened in 1900 and burned in 1915. It was never rebuilt, but visitors can still see the building's foundation.

54. MOUNT CARMEL

(a.k.a. St. Mary's Church) 2121 S. Rural Road, Tempe When it opened its doors in 1903, St. Mary's Church served as a Catholic parish for the people of Tempe. It continues as such today.

55. NAVAJO COUNTY COURTHOUSE

Courthouse Square, Holbrook The Navajo County Courthouse was built in 1898 for $15,000 and included a $3,000 jail. Today, courthouse judges still hear minor cases, but the building is primarily used as a museum.

56. NORTHERN ARIZONA NORMAL SCHOOL HISTORIC DISTRICT

Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff In 1899, 23 students became the inaugural class at Northern Arizona Normal School. Today, the buildings they occupied are part of Northern Arizona University.

I love everything about Tucson, whether it's the warm weather or the beautiful mountains. When you associate a place with home, it's always very special.

KERRI STRUG, OLYMPIC GOLD MEDALIST

57. JOHN H. NORTON AND CO. STORE

(a.k.a. The Willcox Commercial) 180 N. Railroad Avenue, Willcox Built as a dry goods store in 1880, this landmark was named to the National Register of Historic Places in 1983. It continues operations today as the Willcox Commercial.

58. OLD BARBER SHOP

68 N. Frontier Street, Wickenburg Wickenburg's Old Barber Shop first raised its pole in 1910. Today, it's occupied by a far different type of establishment - a ladies boutique by the name of Susanne & Co.

Tucson ARIZONA THE SUNSHINE CITY 59. OLD BRICK POST OFFICE

144 N. Frontier Street, Wickenburg Wickenburg's first post office was established in 1865, with B.F. Powell serving as postmaster. Two brick buildings were used for the post office along Frontier Street. One was located where a drycleaner currently is, and the other, circa 1908, was housed on the south side of the old Vernetta Hotel, in what is now the Hassayampa Building.

60. OLD GOVERNOR'S MANSION

415 W. Gurley Street, Prescott Prescott's Old Governor's Mansion, which historian Sharlot Hall dubbed "Arizona's Mount Vernon," was built in 1864 and housed Territorial Governor John Good-win and Secretary Richard McCormick. Today, the mansion houses the Sharlot Hall Museum.

61. OLD MAIN

Arizona State University, Tempe Old Main was dedicated on February 4, 1898, and was the first building in Tempe to be wired for electricity. Today, the building is a gathering place for alumni of Arizona State University.

62. OLD MAIN

University of Arizona, Tucson The University of Arizona's Old Main was built in 1891. It's now used as offices for the university's dean of students and career-services representatives.

63.

PALACE SALOON

120 S. Montezuma Street, Prescott Originally built in 1877, the Palace Saloon (pictured above) was the go-to destination at the turn of the 20th century. Today, the saloon is still kicking, thanks to owners Dave and Marilyn Michelson, who have restored it to its original appearance.

64.

PEARCE GENERAL STORE

Ghost Town & Pearce roads, Pearce Pearce's General Store opened in 1896 and was converted to a museum when the store closed. Now, the building is open once a year for tours -during Old Pearce Heritage Days, which takes place the weekend after Thanksgiving.

65. PENDLEY HOMESTEAD

(a.k.a. Slide Rock State Park) State Route 89A, Oak Creek Canyon Frank L. Pendley purchased this land in 1910 as part of the Homestead Act. Today, Slide Rock State Park occupies the 43-acre former apple farm. Pendley is credited with establishing the irrigation system that still exists in the park.

66. PHELPS DODGE GENERAL OFFICE BUILDING

Copper Queen Plaza, Bisbee From 1896 to 1961, this building housed the headquarters of the Phelps Dodge Mining Co. Now, it's home to the Bisbee Mining & Historical Museum.

67. PHOENIX CARNEGIE LIBRARY AND LIBRARY PARK

1101 W. Washington Street, Phoenix The Phoenix Carnegie Library was built in 1908 and existed as the Phoenix Public Library for more than 40 years. It became a recreational facility and social-service center in 1954. The building was shuttered because of safety concerns in 2001, but may soon host the State Library's archives.

68. PHOENIX INDIAN SCHOOL HISTORIC DISTRICT

300 E. Indian School Road, Phoenix During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the federal government constructed a series of boarding schools designed to integrate Indians into urban educational systems. Phoenix Indian School was one of them. It opened in 1891 and closed in 1990. After more than a decade of vacancy, Steele Indian School Park opened at the site in 2001.

69. PINEDALE SCHOOL BELL

1300 Pinedale Road, Pinedale The Pinedale School bell first rang in 1892 and later survived two moves. Though heavy snows destroyed the school in 1967, the bell remained intact. Today, it is identified by a historical marker along Pinedale Road.

70. PIONEER & MILITARY MEMORIAL PARK

15th & Jefferson avenues, Phoenix This site was developed in 1884 as a final resting place for some of Phoenix's earliest pioneers, including its first mayor, John T. Alsap, and "Lost Dutchman" Jacob Waltz. Today, the park is open to the public by appointment.

"I miss Arizona's sunsets, the smell of the desert and the smell before it rains. You can have a clear sky, but know that it's going to rain because of that smell and something electric in the air."

LYNDA CARTER, "WONDER WOMAN"

PHOENIX Arizona

IN THE VALLEY OF THE SUN

PHOENIX Arizona

GREETINGS from PETRIFIED FOREST ARIZ.

“Hike from Patagonia to the top of Mount Wrightson. If you go in spring, you'll meet the swallows and ladybugs up there. At the top, the views of the deserts, mountains, plains and sky are mesmerizing.”

ROGER CLYNE, MUSICIAN

90 FEBRUARY 2012

71. PIPE SPRING NATIONAL MONUMENT

State Route 389, Moccasin Mormon pioneer Jacob Hamblin (for whom Jacob Lake is named) discovered Pipe Spring in 1858. A fort was raised in 1872, and water from the spring was used to supply the fort and ranches in the area. Today, the national monument commemorates pioneer life with a museum and the Kaibab Band of Paiute Indians Visitor Center.

72. PRESCOTT PUBLIC LIBRARY

125 E. Gurley Street, Prescott Built in 1903, the Prescott Public Library on Gurley Street, known as the Carnegie Library, served as a repository for thousands of books. Though the library, also known as “Prescott's Living Room,” is now located on Goodwin Street, the original building is being used for private offices.

73. RIORDAN ESTATE (a.k.a. Riordan Mansion, Kinlichi Knoll)

2 Kinlichi Knoll, Flagstaff Built in 1904, Riordan Mansion was designed by Charles Whittlesey, who also designed the Grand Canyon's El Tovar (see No. 24). The property includes two almost identical homes that housed brothers Michael and Timothy Riordan and their families. The property is now a state historic park.

PREMIUM LIST TENTH ARIZONA ANNUAL STATE FAIR PROGRAM OF EVENTS 74. RONSTADT HOUSE

144 E. University Boulevard, Tucson Built in 1899, this site, also known as “The Big Blue House,” was purchased by Joseph M. “Pepe” Ronstadt in 1914. Today, the home is used as the Big Blue House B&B.

75. ROOSEVELT DAM

State Route 88 Construction on Theodore Roosevelt Dam began in 1903 in an effort to control the Salt River and gather its water for irrigation. The dam's namesake, Theodore Roosevelt, dedicated the structure in March 1911, and the dam underwent a major modification project from 1989 to 1996. The dam forms Theodore Roosevelt Lake, which features approximately 128 miles of shoreline.

76. SAHUARO RANCH

9802 N. 59th Avenue, Glendale Built in 1886, Sahuaro Ranch was a model of modern (at the time) architecture. The ranch housed one of the first olive and orange orchards in the state. Today, it is preserved by the city of Glendale.

77. SAN XAVIER DEL BAC

Mission Road, South of Tucson Father Eusebio Francisco Kino founded Mission San Xavier in 1692, and construction of the current church was completed in 1797. Known as the “White Dove of the Desert,” the mission remains open to visitors and Catholic parishioners.

78. SANTA FE RAILWAY DEPOT

216 N. Frontier Street, Wickenburg This hub for the Santa Fe Railway was built in 1895 and is now used to house the Wickenburg Chamber of Commerce.

“Is there any natural wonder that's more gorgeous than Sedona? And when monsoon storms fire up above those red rocks ... the combination is breathtaking.” 79. SCHOOLHOUSE AT TRUXTON CANYON TRAINING SCHOOL

State Route 66, Valentine

80. SCOTTSDALE GRAMMAR SCHOOL (a.k.a. the Little Red Schoolhouse)

Scottsdale's Little Red Schoolhouse was built following a $5,000 bond election in 1909. Eventually, it housed the Scottsdale Chamber of Commerce, and is now the site of the Scottsdale Historical Museum.

81. THE SECOND PINAL COUNTY COURTHOUSE

135 N. Pinal Street, Pinal & 12th streets, Florence This courthouse opened on February 2, 1891, and has been vacant since 2005. The city of Florence is fundraising in the hopes of restoring the courthouse and converting it to a visitors center.

82. SIERRA BONITA RANCH

Willcox Established by Colonel Henry Hooker in 1872, Sierra Bonita has the distinction of being the first permanent American cattle ranch in Arizona. Today, the ranch is private property.

83. SISTERS OF MERCY HOSPITAL

Prescott College, Prescott The Sisters of Mercy opened their hospital in Prescott in 1897, adding to the property in small stages throughout the early 20th century. Now, the hospital is on the grounds of Prescott College, and the hospital convent serves as the college's chapel.

84. SIXTH AVENUE HOTEL (a.k.a. Windsor Hotel)

546 W. Adams Street, Phoenix Built in 1893, this site has primarily been a hotel, though it's experienced a few name changes - from the Sixth Avenue Hotel to the Windsor Hotel to the New Windsor Hotel. Today, it serves as low-income hous-ing for the elderly.

85. SNOWFLAKE STAKE ACADEMY BUILDING

Bullard & Hulet avenues, Snowflake Snowflake Stake Academy was founded in 1888 as an educational institution for pioneer students who wished to advance beyond eighth grade. The town of Snow-flake acquired the property in 2001, and plans are under way to restore the building.

86. SOUTHERN PACIFIC FREIGHT DEPOT

400 Block of Main Street, Yuma Built in 1888, this depot ushered gold miners, cattle ranchers and gold seekers on their way west. Despite the efforts of preservationists, the depot has not been renovated.

87. ST. MARY'S BASILICA

231 N. Third Street, Phoenix This downtown Phoenix church was established on June 24, 1881, as the Church of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary. It continues to operate as a Catholic parish.

88. ST. MARY'S HOSPITAL

1601 W. St. Mary's Road, Tucson Established by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet in 1880, St. Mary's began as a 12-bed hospital. It remains a hospital today, and is one of the crown jewels of Carondelet Health Networks properties, with more than 400 beds.

89. ST. MICHAELS MISSION

State Route 264, Window Rock The original friary and church was built in 1898; the nearby school was founded in 1902 by Mother Katharine Drexel. Today, the mission is home to a museum and the Mary Mother of Mankind Church.

90. STEINEGGER LODGING HOUSE

27 E. Monroe Street, Phoenix The Steinegger Lodging House opened in Phoenix in 1889. Later, it was known as the Alamo Hotel, St. Francis Hotel and the Golden West Hotel. It's vacant today.

91. STINSON-FLAKE HOUSE

Freeman Avenue & Stinson Street, Snowflake Mormon pioneer James Stinson constructed this home in 1873 and turned it over to William Jordan Flake in 1878. Today, the home is the site of the Stinson Pioneer Museum.

92. STRAWBERRY SCHOOLHOUSE

9318 Fossil Creek Road, Strawberry Strawberry Schoolhouse, which is the old-est remaining school in Arizona, served students of Pine and Strawberry from 1884 through June 1916. Today, the school is open for tours Friday through Monday.

93. TANQUE VERDE GUEST RANCH

14301 E. Speedway Boulevard, Tucson This ranch was built in 1868, but grew famous in 1908, when Jim Converse began inviting traveling ranchers to stop and stay awhile. Now a guest ranch, the property offers a cowboy experience for city slickers.

94. TEMPE DEPOT

Third Street & Railroad Avenue, Tempe This building served as Tempe's railroad depot in 1908. It burned in 1923, but was reconstructed in 1924. Today, Macayo's Depot Cantina - a Mexican-food restaurant occupies the space.

"The desert looks barren to most people, but part of its beauty is morning the sunrise and then, later, the sunsets. Spring and fall are magnificent."

CLIVE CUSSLER, AUTHOR

95. TOMBSTONE COURTHOUSE

219 E. Toughnut, Tombstone Tombstone's courthouse opened in 1882 to administer justice in the rugged Old West town. Today, the property houses the Tombstone Courthouse State Historic Park.

96. TUBA TRADING POST

Main & Moenave streets, Tuba City Since 1906, the Tuba Trading Post has offered Indian crafts, jewelry and pottery to visitors to the Navajo Indian Reservation.

97. UNITED VERDE MINE

County Road, Jerome Jerome's United Verde Copper Mine opened in 1882 and was owned by Territorial governor Frederick Tritle. When copper prices dwindled, the mine closed. Today, it's owned by Freeport McMoRan, but isn't in use.

98. WEATHERFORD HOTEL

23 N. Leroux Street, Flagstaff The Weatherford Hotel opened in downtowntown Flagstaff in 1900 and still operates as a hotel today. It's also the site of the city's annual New Year's Eve Pine Cone Drop.

99. YUMA CROSSING

Marked by two huge granite formations near the banks of the Colorado River, this site has marked a way to cross the river since long before Yuma was developed.

100.

1 N. Prison Hill Road, Yuma More than 3,069 men and women did time in Yuma Territorial Prison (pictured above) between 1876 and 1909. Today, people voluntarily visit the state historic park.

YUMA YUMA

THE SUNSHINE CAPITAL OF THE UNITED STATES

THE SUNSHINE CAPITAL OF THE UNITED STATES