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Arizona Oddities

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ArtValley of the Sun
Home›Art›Giant Kachina Guards Carefree Subdivision

Giant Kachina Guards Carefree Subdivision

By Sam Lowe
September 1, 2009
3088
6
27 kachina-small

World’s largest kachina in Carefree. Photo Credit: Sam Lowe

CAREFREE – The world’s largest kachina is a 39-footer that stands guard over the Tonto Hills subdivision about several miles north of downtown Carefree. This giant Hopi legend weighs 14.5 tons and took four months to complete. E.V. Graham, the subdivision’s developer, had it built as an inducement to get his wife to move onto the property, which at that time was way out in the country.

The statue, located on Old Mine Road off the Carefree Highway, is composed of nine concrete sections. They were poured beforehand, then assembled and painted on the site.  Designs of Hopi-raised vegetables were cast into the base of the figure, accurately indicating the four points of the compass.

The work was designed by Philip Sanderson and engineered by Carl Ludlow, both of Phoenix. And here’s the best part – there’s no admission fee to view this man-made wonder.

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Tagsartcarefreelandmarks

6 comments

  1. Terry Rohrs 2 September, 2009 at 20:54 Reply

    Holy cow! How have I missed this all these years?? Thanks, Sam!!

  2. SaraD 8 September, 2013 at 08:26 Reply

    Sam, do you have a date for when the Kachina was put in place? I’m pretty sure it was already there in 1960. Just curious.

  3. Andrea Aker 9 September, 2013 at 13:39 Reply

    Hi Sara, I connected with Sam, and he thinks it was put there in 1972, but he can’t find anyone to verify that. He just has the word of a local who talked to him back in 2006.

    • SaraD 10 September, 2013 at 09:57 Reply

      OK. I lived out there in Cave Creek from 1971-73, but I may just be remembering something else – a large sign or some other similar symbol that predated that Kachina.

      So, here’s another question: Is that developer (E.V. Graham) connected to Graham County and the Grahams of Pleasant Valley War fame?

      Thanks to both you and Sam.

      • Sam Lowe 11 September, 2013 at 10:29 Reply

        Sara..
        As near as I can determine, there is no connection. EV Graham the developer arrived here much later than the man after whom Graham County is named. But I’ll keep checkikng.

        Sam

        • SaraD 11 September, 2013 at 11:00 Reply

          In the ’60s, I knew a Tewksbury descendent, so I was thinking it might not be impossible for a Graham descendant to have been kicking around down in the Valley, too. Plus, I always like to make as much trouble as I possibly can. 😀

          Thanks, Sam.

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