ARIZONIQUES

ARIZONIQUES A TRICK OF THE EYE

It looks every inch a nineteenth century fire station at 3440 East Roeser Road, Phoenix, but it's actually the Phoenix headquarters of Thunderbird Fire and Safety Equipment Corporation. The building's concrete walls serve as the canvas for New York artist Richard Haas, who has created a trompe l'oeil (deceive the eye) mural of an 1880s fire station in the style of H.H. Richardson and Henry Flagg, architects of that period. Haas's work also appears on buildings in Boston, New York, Milwaukee, Galveston, and Munich.

SAVING ARIZONA'S PREHISTORY

Arizona has thousands of archaeological sites on public and private lands that may one day divulge secrets of mankind's early existence. To protect these valuable sites for posterity, the Arizona State Parks Board has formed the Archaeology Advisory Commission to heighten public awareness of these unique cultural resources. Chaired by Dr. Charles Redman, professor of anthropology at Arizona State University, the ten-member commission is providing public relations support for the proposed Homolovi State Prehistoric Park near Winslow (see Arizona Highways, January, 1986). In addition, the commission is developing programs to halt destruction of archeological sites, provide protection and management help to private owners of such sites, and inform the public on archeological issues and activities within the state. For more information, call the State Historic Preservation Office at 255-4174.

HOW TO TALK LIKE AN ARIZONAN

Although Arizonans don't have a distinctive accent as do many Texans, New Yorkers, and New Englanders, the mispronunciation of Arizona place names will identify a newcomer quicker than out-of-state license plates on a black car in the desert in July. Many monikers of towns and landmarks are derived from Spanish or Indian languages and can be real traps or tongue twisters for the neophyte southwesterner. Others are just plain contrary pronunciations. Some of the more commonly abused names are: Tucson-the city in southern Arizona (often misspelled "Tuscon" by the unwary). Pronounced Too-sahn, the name comes from the Indian words Chuk Shon, the Papago name for Sentinel Peak to the west of town, meaning "the base is darker than the summit." The Spanish who established the settlement in 1769 approximated the Indian pronunciation, and over the years Chuk Shon became Tucson.

Casa Grande-the town, and the national monument in south-central Arizona. Spanish for "big house," it is properly pronounced cab-sah grahnday, though natives often render both words with a flat a instead of a broad a The name refers to the four-story adobe structure built by the prehistoric Hohokam culture and thought to be an astronomical observatory. Casa Grande National Monument near Coolidge is a fascinating tour through prehistory. The town of Casa Grande is a farming center.

Gila-the river; the county; the Gila monster, one of North America's few poisonous lizards; and Gila Bend, the cotton farming town in southern Arizona. Pronounced Hee-lah, from the idiomatic Spanish de gila, meaning "steady going from one place to another." The Gila River used to be one of the major rivers of the West, flowing almost constantly for hundreds of miles from its source in the high country of New Mexico to its confluence with the Colorado River near Yuma. Since construction of Coolidge Dam in the 1920s, the lower reaches of the Gila generally remain dry.

Tempe the city southeast of Phoenix. Pronounced Tem-pee. Most newcomers accent the first syllable, after which they usually hear, "Where are you from?" Originally called Hayden's Ferry for Arizona pioneer Charles Trumbull Hayden, who first settled in the area and ran a flour mill and a ferry across the Salt River. The name Tempe was suggested by the scholarly pioneer Darrel Duppa of Phoenix because, he said, it resembled the Vale of Tempe in Greece.

Mogollon Rim-the dramatic escarpment scribing Arizona from the New Mexico border to west of the Verde Valley, marking the line where the pine-clad high plateau of northern Arizona drops toward the desert basin and range terrain of central and southern Arizona. Pronounced Mogeyown (some say Muggy-own), the Rim was named for Juan Ignacio Flores Mogollon, Spanish governor of New Mexico from 1712 to 1715. The scenic Mogollon Rim also is called the Tonto Rim and is featured in several of Zane Grey's novels. Today it provides one of Arizona's finer outdoor playgrounds.

Canyon de Chelly-the national monument in northeastern Arizona. Pronounced day-shay, from the Navajo Indian word "Tseyi" meaning among the cliffs. The closest the Spanish could come to the "Ts" was their "Ch." The "y" sound in Spanish is spelled II. Today the Navajos farm and raise sheep in this extensive sheer-walled canyon containing ruins of Indian cliff dwellings built between A.D. 350 and 1300.

CELEBRITY BIRTHDAYS

Two talented and beautiful Arizona natives who celebrate their birthdays in July are singer Linda Ronstadt and "Wonder Woman" Lynda Carter.

NAVAJO SPOKEN HERE

If you live in the western United States, there's a good chance you can hear Navajo spoken right in your own home. The Navajo Indians now have their own 50,000-watt radio station broadcasting twenty-four hours a day from Window Rock, Arizona. The station, KTNN (the last three call letters stand for The Navajo Nation), is the first "clear channel" station owned by an Indian tribe. Broadcasting in English and Navajo at 660 on the AM dial, KTNN plays country and western music during the day and contemporary music at night. The powerful signal can be heard throughout the "four corners" states of Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, and Utah during daylight hours and throughout the West after dark.

BISBEE 'DEPORTATION'

Sixty-nine years ago this month, Cochise County Sheriff Harry Wheeler deputized 2000 men and rounded up nearly 1200 striking copper minersmembers of the Industrial Workers of the World union commonly labeled the "Wobblies"-herded them into boxcars, and deported them to New Mexico. For a detailed account of Arizona's early mining labor struggles, read Forging the Copper Collar, by James W. Byrkit, published by University of Arizona Press, Tucson, 1982.

CALENDAR

Fourth of July weekend is traditionally a big event in Arizona, and this year will be no exception. Nearly every community has something special planned to celebrate our nation's birthday, so contact respective chambers of commerce for local activities. Some of the more impressive Independence Day celebrations include: July 2 through 6, Prescott. Frontier Days: the world's oldest rodeo, fireworks, a parade (July 5), and booths around the Plaza combine for a traditional western salute to independence. Telephone 445-2000.

July 4, Bisbee. Fourth of July Celebration-Coaster Races. Children under twelve speed their coaster cars down the steep streets of Bisbee. Fireworks and other traditional fare complete the day. Telephone 432-2141.

July 4 and 5, Williams. The Fourth of July Western Heights Roundup includes team roping, a pit barbecue, old-fashioned ice cream social, fireworks display (July 4), and a 7.6 mile run (July 5). Telephone 635-2041.

OTHER EVENTS IN JULY:

July 4 through 9, Flagstaff. The fifty-sixth Hopi Craftsman Exhibition at the Museum of Northern Arizona displays the finest contemporary and traditional Hopi arts and crafts. Telephone 774-5211.

July 3 through 6, Pinetop. The National Juried Art Show and Outdoor Arts and Crafts Fair sponsored by the NorthEastern Arizona Fine Arts Association. Telephone 369-0362.

July 24 through 26, Snowflake. The 108th annual Snowflake Pioneer Days. There'll be a family rodeo, golf tournament, parade, dances, barbecues, softball tournament, arts and crafts fair, and fireworks. Telephone 536-7103.

July 26 and 27, Payson. The eleventh annual state championship Loggers/Sawdust Festival. Men and women loggers from all over the North American continent will compete in contests such as crosscutting, bucking, log rolling, tree topping, and greased pole climbing. Telephone 474-4515.

For a more complete calendar, free of charge, please write the Arizona Office of Tourism, Department CE, 1480 East Bethany Home Road, Phoenix, AZ 85014. Unless otherwise noted, all telephone numbers are within area code 602.

Edited by Robert J. Farrell