Maricopa and Phoenix Railroad
The Maricopa and Phoenix Railroad was a railroad which connected its two namesake towns: Maricopa and Phoenix, Arizona. It was the first railway in Phoenix, providing a connection to the national rail network.
Authorized by an act in 1883,[1] the railway was built with the intent of providing a direct connection from Phoenix to the new Southern Pacific Sunset Route.[2] Planners initially intended to route the line around the west of the South Mountains, though support from Tempe and Mesa compelled a route to the east through those towns.[3] The Maricopa And Phoenix's inaugural trip was on July 4, 1887.[4] The line frequently experienced issues with flooding would sometimes strand passengers at either endpoint for up to a week. The company would go on to be absorbed into the Arizona Eastern Railway in 1910, and then finally becoming part of Southern Pacific itself in 1924.[5] The company would go on to build the Phoenix Subdivision to provide a more reliable route to the city, and the Maricopa Branch would lose significance as a line. Passenger service ended in 1933, and the southern section of the line was abandoned in 1935.[6] A segment of the line exists as the Union Pacific Tempe Industrial Lead.
References
[edit]- ^ "Domestic". Tucson, Arizona. Arizona Daily Star. March 8, 1883. p. 1. Retrieved June 30, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Brock & MHS 2011, p. 22.
- ^ Cook, James E. (July 2, 1987). "Phoenix was slow to feel rumbling of railroad". The Arizona Republic. Phoenix, Arizona. p. G3. Retrieved June 30, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Brock & MHS 2011, pp. 8, 22.
- ^ "Historical Names". The Arizona Republic. Phoenix, Arizona. December 4, 1924. p. 4. Retrieved June 30, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Brock & MHS 2011, p. 21.
Bibliography
[edit]- Brock, Patricia; Maricopa Historical Society (2011). Maricopa. Arcadia Publishing. ISBN 9781439639993.