Arizona Trivia & Tidbits - Page 10

Looking for Arizona trivia? Try our list Arizona little know facts, tidbits and trivia.

Built in 1956, the Chapel of the Holy Cross—featuring a 90-foot white cross on its facade—rises 200 feet from the red rock landscape near Sedona (pop. 10,192). Marguerite Brunswig Staude, a student of architect Frank Lloyd Wright, designed the church, which belongs to the local Roman Catholic parish, but is open daily to visitors.

first appeared: 5/23/2004

Brothers Emery and Ellsworth Kolb made history in 1912 when they used a movie camera to film their boat trip on the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon. At the Kolb photography studio, built on the Canyon’s South Rim in 1904, Emery presented the movie to visitors from 1915 until his death in 1976 at age 95.

first appeared: 5/16/2004

Allen Street in Tombstone (pop. 1,504) was named for entrepreneur John B. “Pie” Allen, who, after traveling to Arizona in the mid-1850s, successfully sold pies made from dried apples to local settlers. In 1864, Allen became the first person to file for a homestead in Arizona, claiming 160 acres that included the Maricopa Wells area.

first appeared: 5/9/2004

Bullhead City’s population of 33,769 increases by 15,000 during the winter months, when “snowbirds” from colder climates call the city home. The city’s name comes from Bull’s Head Rock, a navigation point along the Colorado River that was almost entirely submerged when Davis Dam construction created Lake Mohave in 1953.

first appeared: 5/2/2004

More than 600,000 tourists have chosen to ride mules into the Grand Canyon since this sure-footed mode of canyon transport began in 1887. Today, two mule tours are offered from the South Rim: day trips to Plateau Point, and overnight trips to Phantom Ranch on the canyon floor.

first appeared: 4/25/2004

Kingman (pop. 20,069) is home to the longest stretch (about 158 miles) of old U.S. Route 66—sometimes known as the Mother Road—still in existence. The city boasts the slogan “Heart of Historic Route 66.”

first appeared: 4/18/2004

The giant hole known as Meteor Crater—570 feet deep and nearly a mile across—was formed near Winslow (pop. 9,520) when a massive meteor slammed into the ground. Scientists have estimated that the gaping pit, discovered in 1891, is nearly 50,000 years old.

first appeared: 4/11/2004

A hike up Escudilla Mountain southeast of Eagar (pop. 4,033), Arizona’s third-highest peak, provides a lesson in natural forest reclamation after a fire. An area burned by wildfire in the summer of 1951 now displays a thick growth of aspens where mixed conifers, consumed in the blaze, once stood. Today, more than 50 years later, conifers are beginning their recovery.

first appeared: 4/4/2004

Congress approved Arizona statehood in 1911, but President William Howard Taft vetoed the bill because of a clause allowing the recall of judges. The offending clause was removed, statehood was granted in 1912, and Arizona promptly restored the recall of judges.

first appeared: 3/28/2004

The bola tie, comprised of a medallion and length of thin rope, became the state’s official neckwear in 1971.

first appeared: 3/21/2004

A popular tourist attraction in Yuma is the Yuma Territorial Prison, which was built by prisoners held there between 1876 and 1909. The prison was considered a model of enlightenment in its time, and also housed the town library and a hospital.

first appeared: 3/14/2004

The Arizona ridgenose rattlesnake is considered the most beautiful of 11 species of rattlesnakes found in the state. It is the state reptile, and Chiricahua Apaches were said to have modeled their war paint after its facial markings.

first appeared: 3/7/2004

In the late 1800s, copper mines in Bisbee (pop. 6,288) made it the largest city between St. Louis and San Francisco. The Bisbee Mining & Historical Museum is the first small, rural museum in the United States to become affiliated with the Smithsonian Institution.

first appeared: 2/29/2004

Phoenix is not only a city in Arizona; it is also a city in New York, Maryland and Oregon.

first appeared: 2/22/2004

Arizona once had a navy consisting of two boats on the Colorado River. They were used to prevent California from encroaching on Arizona territory in the late 1800s.

first appeared: 2/22/2004

Flagstaff (pop. 52,894) is one of the snowiest cities in the United States, with an average annual accumulation of 109.8 inches. The chance of having a white Christmas in Flagstaff is 56 percent, higher than in Denver, Chicago or Salt Lake City.

first appeared: 2/15/2004

The Apache trout is found only in the White Mountain lakes and streams of eastern Arizona. It is yellowish-gold in color, with an adult length of 6 to 24 inches—weighing from 6 ounces to almost 6 pounds. It is considered excellent eating.

first appeared: 2/15/2004

Petrified wood is the official state fossil, and most of it comes from the petrified forest in northeastern Arizona. There, Petrified Forest National Park protects the largest tract of petrified wood in the nation. (Petrification occurs over time when water, saturated with minerals, infiltrates organic matter, eventually turning it to stone.)

first appeared: 2/8/2004

The Arizona tree frog is the state’s official amphibian. This adept climber with leopord-like spots seldom grows to more than 2 inches long. Schoolchildren gave it 11,622 votes in 1986, with second place going to the Colorado River toad (8,520 votes).

first appeared: 2/1/2004

The ocotillo, Spanish for “coachwhip,” is a native plant that looks dead most of the year with only sharp thorns showing on its long, thin limbs. But following a rain it comes to life, sprouting thousands of tiny green leaves which turn into more thorns as dry weather returns. Usually wildlife doesn’t bother this tree.

first appeared: 1/25/2004

jump to page: 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 , 18 , 19

newspaper partner login create account

Recent

Popular

Recipes

Below are the most recent American Profile articles:

Below are the most recent, highest rated American Profile articles:

Below are the most recent, highest rated American Profile recipes:

Relish

Spry

Below are the most recent articles from our Relish sister site. Click on the "Spry" tab above to see the most recent articles from our other sister site.

Below are the most recent articles from our Spry sister site. Click on the "Relish" tab above to see the most recent articles from our other sister site.