Roadside History of Arizona

by Marshall Trimble

Join Marshall Trimble, state historian, storyteller, and native son, on the highways and back roads of Arizona, where a Grand Canyon's worth of facts and stories add up to a portrait of a state. Along the way meet Fathers Eusebio Kino and Francisco Garc�s, Ned Beale and his camels, Nellie Bush and her steamboats, "Great Western" Sara Bowman, and the Navajo code talkers. Find out why Why's called Why; where Arizona's Civil War battlefields are; what happens at the Zuni River Reservation, where no Zuni live; and much, much more. Visitors, newcomers, and long-time residents alike will enjoy this travel and history classic, now revised and updated.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Travel, Westerns

489 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 1986

Reviews

[Beverly Reidy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting format for the book— towns and areas along the major thoroughfares of Arizona. Some incidents were told in different parts of the book with slightly different variations. Hard to read about all the altercations with the native peoples.

[Bill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Can't remember where I picked up this book but it has been an extraordinary resource for discovering new adventures in Arizona. Published in 1986, this dense read of almost 500 pages lists chapter and verse the state's historical sites and cities along established highways, Interstates, state roads, etc., less a "roadside attractions" book than a short history of every small town that has existed in Arizona since recorded history. The beginning of the text features a short two-page chronology of Arizona dating back to 15,000 BCE to the date of printing, an effort to establish places like Arizona have been continuously occupied for an extraordinarily long time.

In many cases, I have used this text as a jumping off point for investigating many historical events and locations that are sometimes mentioned in passing. The book reads more like the documented oral history of settlements within the state rather than a reprinting every town's Chamber of Commerce propaganda.

I consider this a must-have if you are an amateur historian of Arizona ... and I honestly have no idea how this book was received by established state historians.

(Actually, while writing this I decided to research the author, Marshall Trimble, in case he turned out to be a kook or a lunatic. So much rides on these reviews I write for goodreads (!) but as it turns out, Trimble he was made the Official State Historian of Arizona in 1997 by then governor (and since convicted felon) Fife Symington III. In an unfortunate coincidence, this was the same year Symington resigned in disgrace ... heh.)

And as far as I can tell, he's still the official State Historian, so I guess my assessment wasn't that far off. He knows his stuff.

[Josh · Rating 5 out of 5]

I grew up in the Phoenix West Valley—very very suburban, does its hardest to hide its history if you don’t go out looking for it (especially when it knocked down the Phoenix Trotting Park, a still unforgivable sin). Something nudged me one day, “I should learn more about my state.” In 2015 I found a copy of this in a Goodwill and read and enjoyed reading about all my West Valley haunts. Then, sure enough, at my college (GCU) I saw fliers that Trimble was speaking in two weeks. I met him and can happily announce he comes off exactly as personable, charming, and widely-read he does in his writing. The group was on the topic of Arizona music and I asked him if he was familiar with Lee Hazlewood (a personal favorite of mine), he replied he met him twice. The hell… (He correctly gleaned I made music and asked what instrument I played, caught me off-guard.) I got his inscription, of course. I would’ve loved to take his classes at Scottsdale Community College just to hear him go off on different stories, but he was retired at that point.

I find it hard to separate my enjoyment of Arizona history from enjoyment of the state I live in. If you’re an Arizonan: 100% read this book. If not, I recommend two things: this book, and also your own homestate’s history. Arizona’s history is wonderfully colorful and scrappy and Marshall Trimble has the perfect eye for what history and old characters make these places feel real. Though I read it start-to-finish over a few years, it’s organized like a reference guide based on the towns on each major road, which sometimes has a narrative relation due to geographical proximity, but not always. (It does however make it a good road trip companion. Finally learn what all those small exits are for…) Yet, I love the structure for giving opportunity to hear about small communities, frequently just as colorful as the bigguns. I can honestly say reading this changed my perspective on the state’s personality (*people* actually lived here!) and place in history, and has spurred ideas for more than a couple new road trips…

[Rachel Feeck · Rating 5 out of 5]

Welcome to the wild, wild west, where cactus roam, bandits blow up trains, land barons sneak forged documents into Mexico, ranch hands battle the natives in deadly skirmishes, and ever so slowly civilization takes root in the Sonoran desert. My personal favorite is the tale of an early police officer who fell off his bike on his way to deliver the first speeding ticket in Tucson to a speedster roaring through at over 20 miles per hour. Pick up this book for entertaining bits of local history and stories that make you question if fact is stranger than fiction.

[Jacqui H. Travis · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book! I've traveled through Arizona quite a few times, and this book takes me back to familiar places and favorite haunts. Arizona has a colorful, exciting history and Marshall Trimble writes the history of all its famous cities, little-known settlements, and ghost towns like a series of Western short stories. This is the third time I've picked this book up, and I find a new story every time I do.

[Brandon Gries · Rating 5 out of 5]

My wife and I travel out to Arizona at least once a year from the Midwest. We have done this for over a dozen years. It was a quite a treat this year to have encountered this book while we were on vacation at Zion National Park. It added a new layer of enjoyment and appreciation to the roads that we have traveled so much across the state of Arizona.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read a fair number of books about Arizona since moving here in '08. This one has really given me a sense of knowing where I am in time and space. It's the history of every little town in the state and the people who settled them and what went on in them. It's separated into regions so you get a sense of the geography and the different resulting activities around the state and around which settlements formed. He recounts the histories of early settler families. I now know who the Babbits are and who the Udalls are. This gets you about as close as one can get I think to a sense of place like someone who grew up here.

[Colin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent for what it intends to be - a history of the state of Arizona that follows major roads and explains events at points along those roads. It is not an in-depth history of Arizona, and it doesn't claim to be - it is anecdotal in style, lots of fun, though it did clearly involves some research and real work to put it all together. I would recommend it to anyone with a casual interest in the history of the state!

[Ryan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Got this as a gift. I read it straight through like a novel. This is not really how the book was designed to be read. There were many interesting stories. I also got a better understanding how how things came about back then. The number of times the towns moved or changed thier names was facinating. An all right read sitting here half a country away, but must be really cool if you are in AZ.

[Aaron · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you want to know about Arizona, Marshall Trimble is the man to talk to. This should be required reading for any Arizonan or any person wishing to live or spend extended time there. Chock-full of good stuff! This book was a blast.

[Jim · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent, concise, colorfull history of the Grand canyon state.

[Connie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fantastic job! Overall, I'm actually not that interested in history, but Marshall Trimble makes it very interesting!

[Ken Angle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mr. Trimble, has packed this book c details that only a native son would know. It's not fancy, never the less a great read. Yahoo! KGA

[Christine · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love these type of books

[Donna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book with so much information about Arizona!