We offer a wide range of content on Arizona Oddities catering to an eclectic group of fans from around the state. From history and recreation to artistic endeavors and those weird things you see along the highway, we’ve got it covered.
Here, we’re showcasing some of our favorite 11 posts from 2011.
Ever since man first set foot in this rugged piece of terrain known as Arizona, he has felt compelled to brand everything with a name. Inspiration for these place names came from a variety of sources—some quite obvious.
Lousy Gulch got its name after all the residents got lice. When Mormon pioneers decided to settle near a large stand of Ponderosa pines, they simply named their community Pine. Another group settled in a small valley where they found wild strawberries growing in abundance and decided to name their town Strawberry. Henry Clifton, a member of an early Indian-fighting militia, claimed that in 1864 the place was known as Wah-poo-eta for a prominent Tonto Apache chief better known to whites as Big Rump. The most obvious place name in Mogollon Rim country was bestowed when a group of settlers pulled into a little green valley and promptly named it Little Green Valley.
Q: Everybody refers to this area as the Valley. What exactly is the Valley the valley of?
A: This is a deeply troubling question because it actually required some work to nail down the answer.
The easy part first: This is the Valley of the Sun.
Of course it isn’t really the Valley of the Sun. The ancient Hohokam Indians did not say to their relatives, “Hey, you should come down to the Valley of the Sun for the winter.”
Valley of the Sun was a name cooked up in the 1930s to boost tourism. As these sorts of things go, it’s not bad — short, snappy, descriptive.
Test your knowledge of Arizona with this quick sampler, originally published in Marshall Trimble’s Official Arizona Trivia. Don’t scroll down too quickly. The answers are posted shortly below the questions. When you’re finished, leave a comment with your score. Good luck! These questions are a little harder than previous trivia posted on the blog!
1. What is the oldest building on the University of Arizona campus?
2. Which architect is known for his wind bells?
3. The wood from which desert tree is in vogue for grilling steaks?
4. What is the English translation of Santa Cruz (County)?
5. What is Arizona’s number one farm crop?
Q: My husband and I travel often between Prescott Valley and Phoenix, and I am wondering about the origin of the names of Crown King, Bumble Bee and Bloody Basin.
A: …Bloody Basin is such a great Arizona name, don’t you think? Bloody Basin is in the far southeast corner of Yavapai County. According to Barnes, it was named for the many bloody battles with Indians that took place in the area.
Bumble Bee was a stagecoach stop sometimes known as Snider’s Station for the man who first operated it. By 1880 it was known as Bumble Bee, named for Bumble Bee Creek, which in turn was named by some prospectors who in 1863 discovered a large bee’s nest nearby and got stung while trying to raid it for honey.
