Posted: 11/9/2025 4:54:24 PM EDT
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Everyone has heard of Miranda rights. The case was Miranda v Arizona. Ernesto Miranda was born in Mesa. He was also a rapist. His initial conviction was overturned, but he was later convicted again in '67. Given 20 to 30 years. Paroled in '72 (how the flip does that work? They have to serve 85% of their sentence now). Long story short, got stabbed and died in a bar fight in '76. The stabber ironically invoked his 5th Admendment rights and was released. He fled to Mexico and disappeared. Miranda is buried in Mesa. In the spirit of the topic, it was the Amapola Bar in Phoenix where he was stabbed. 233 South 2nd Street. It now appears to be part of the Suns arena now.   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ernesto_Miranda Any additions are appreciated. Especially the theme parked that closed before my time. |
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Quoted: Everyone has heard of Miranda rights. The case was Miranda v Arizona. Ernesto Miranda was born in Mesa. He was also a rapist. His initial conviction was overturned, but he was later convicted again in '67. Given 20 to 30 years. Paroled in '72 (how the flip does that work? They have to serve 85% of their sentence now). Long story short, got stabbed and died in a bar fight in '76. The stabber ironically invoked his 5th Admendment rights and was released. He fled to Mexico and disappeared. Miranda is buried in Mesa. In the spirit of the topic, it was the Amapola Bar in Phoenix where he was stabbed. 233 South 2nd Street. It now appears to be part of the Suns arena now. https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/7/73/Ernesto_Miranda.jpg https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSBIhrHYCsw3UC3l0I7n7Z-cr_gKJBaPL0DxBljqgm0jWNhZeCmI_6zxhw&s=10 https://i.ibb.co/RT5V96r7/Screenshot-20251109-115515-Maps.jpg https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ernesto_Miranda Any additions are appreciated. Especially the theme parked that closed before my time. I'm assuming you mean Legend City and not Kiddieland  I went to both often as a kid. Legend City has a tribute web site. |
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Legend City has off of East Van Buren St before going into Tempe, it’s now Salt River Project building. Kiddieland turned into Enchanted Island Amusement Park at Encanto Park. I remember going to Woolworth's Department Store in downtown Phoenix it was at the intersection of First and Washington streets, that was when I was little kid in the 60’s and 70’s. Look into the history of Woolworth's Stores. We would drive into Phoenix from West Buckeye Rd and turn onto Central Ave, spend the day there going to all the stores. There was never any kind of theme park in that area. |
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Tom Mix, an early western film star, died on RT 79 south of Florence AZ. From Wiki.. On October 12, 1940, after visiting Pima County Sheriff Ed Echols in Tucson, Arizona,[4] Mix was killed when his car overturned while he was taking a detour 18 miles (29 km) south of Florence, Arizona.[4] He was 60 years old. A small stone memorial marks the site of his death on State Route 79, and the nearby gully is known as "Tom Mix Wash".[25] The marker bears the inscription: "In memory of Tom Mix, whose spirit left his body on this spot and whose characterization and portrayals in life served to better fix memories of the old West in the minds of living men." My fiancee and I were down to Tombstone a couple weeks ago and stopped at his monument on the way home. As an aside, I watched a documentary on the German Enigma code machine used in WW2. One of the soldiers used "TOM MIX" repeatedly as a preamble to his messages which was deciphered by the US. The Germans were fans of the "Old West" and watched Tom Mix movies before the war. It bit them in the @$$ lol. |
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Camp Bouse During WW2 the US Mil created a secret base in Bouse, AZ (central west AZ, South of Parker) to test if putting a 13 million candlepower light on a tank could be used to blind enemy combatants A bunch of money, time and effort later it was discovered that it didnt really work and people tend to shoot at lights   https://azoffroad.net/camp-bouse |
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If we're doing obscure military stuff, one of the more amusing ones -- the NAVSPASUR radar facility in Gila River. Navy satellite tracking facility in the middle of the desert. Imagine how bad you had to F up in the navy to get assigned there. My understanding is they mostly used contractors. It operated from 1961 to 2013. The antennas are gone but the facility remains. |
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Quoted: If we're doing obscure military stuff, one of the more amusing ones -- the NAVSPASUR radar facility in Gila River. Navy satellite tracking facility in the middle of the desert. Imagine how bad you had to F up in the navy to get assigned there. My understanding is they mostly used contractors. It operated from 1961 to 2013. The antennas are gone but the facility remains. Your link to the location sends you to the Gulf of Guinea, off the coast of Nigeria. Intentional?? |
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Quoted: If we're doing obscure military stuff, one of the more amusing ones -- the NAVSPASUR radar facility in Gila River. Navy satellite tracking facility in the middle of the desert. Imagine how bad you had to F up in the navy to get assigned there. My understanding is they mostly used contractors. It operated from 1961 to 2013. The antennas are gone but the facility remains. The one your talking about is about three miles north of Maricopa on the west side of the highway and it was run by the Air Force; I have a friend who used to work out there. It was a receiving station. I just drove by today while going down to southern Arizona. Air Force uses invisible fence to protect skies |
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My favorite AZ histories: Mattie Earp, of Tombstone fame, is buried in the Pinal Pioneer Cemetery by Superior. She lived a sad life, ultimately abandoned by Wyatt. The Red Ghost Hi Jolly and the US Camel Corps The last cavalry-indian fight ever was in 1918, at the Battle of Bear Valley down by Ruby. |
Or the 81st Inf Div. monument north of Dateland. The memorial is for Camp Horn. Patton's troops trained there for North Africa. If you go out there, you can still see the rows for barracks and occasionally find .30-06 brass. |
  Lee's Ferry was named after John D. Lee. He was a Mormon militia leader and helped orchestrate the Mountain Meadows Massacre where Mormon militia dressed up like Indians and recruited local Indians to help. They killed 120+ settlers. He was excommunicated from the LDS church and arrived at the Colorado River crossing, in part to lay low. He then made improvements and established the ferry. He was later arrested, convicted and executed, being the only one punished for the massacre. He is buried in Panguitch, Utah. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lees_Ferry https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_D._Lee |
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Quoted: Marty Robbins, born and raised in Glendale, Arizona attended Unit 1 grammar school (now Landmark School), as did "wicked Felina". In 1918, famous cowboy poet Gail Gardner, wrote a poem called Tying Knots in the Devils Tail. it’s about two cowboys at a roundup camp in the Sierra Prieta who go into Prescott and get drunk on Whiskey Row. The story was based on Gail and his friend Texas Bob Heckle. Bob Heckle was Marty Robbins grandfather. There’s been a bunch of versions of that poem released as songs by country singers, there’s a recent one by Colter Wall with Corb Lund. That’s pretty obscure if you like cowboy stuff. |
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Maybe someone can help me out with this: Had a buddy go to an old bar/saloon in Globe. The bar bottom had a giant board running on the top of it. Under it is a V shaped trough. It was a giant urine trench for cowboys at the saloon in the past. I also remember an Arizona Highways segment where there is a current bar/grill in Globe. The upstairs is somewhat preserved. It was a brothel way back when. Speaking of debauchery, the Bird Cage Theater in Tombstone has some licenses on the walls under the stage. There are rooms there where the prostitutes would entertain their clients. The city actually issued licenses to the prostitutes. |
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Quoted: In 1918, famous cowboy poet Gail Gardner, wrote a poem called Tying Knots in the Devils Tail. it’s about two cowboys at a roundup camp in the Sierra Prieta who go into Prescott and get drunk on Whiskey Row. The story was based on Gail and his friend Texas Bob Heckle. Bob Heckle was Marty Robbins grandfather. There’s been a bunch of versions of that poem released as songs by country singers, there’s a recent one by Colter Wall with Corb Lund. That’s pretty obscure if you like cowboy stuff. Quoted: Quoted: Marty Robbins, born and raised in Glendale, Arizona attended Unit 1 grammar school (now Landmark School), as did "wicked Felina". In 1918, famous cowboy poet Gail Gardner, wrote a poem called Tying Knots in the Devils Tail. it’s about two cowboys at a roundup camp in the Sierra Prieta who go into Prescott and get drunk on Whiskey Row. The story was based on Gail and his friend Texas Bob Heckle. Bob Heckle was Marty Robbins grandfather. There’s been a bunch of versions of that poem released as songs by country singers, there’s a recent one by Colter Wall with Corb Lund. That’s pretty obscure if you like cowboy stuff. That is very cool! I do enjoy the old cowboy stuff, I'll have to look into that. In addition to Marty Robbins and Wicked Felina, azjeeper also attended Unit 1 grammar school. That's REALLY obscure! lol |
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If you've never been to Young, it's a cool place. Suv/truck recommended. Easier to get to via Payson than Globe. Never been to the Cherry Creek Lodge, but have heard good things about it. Shot trap there during summer in the past. No idea if they still do it. This is relevant. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pleasant_Valley_War Ate at the Antlers there once and the HS graduating class was there. Think there were 3 kids. |
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Quoted: Maybe someone can help me out with this: Had a buddy go to an old bar/saloon in Globe. The bar bottom had a giant board running on the top of it. Under it is a V shaped trough. It was a giant urine trench for cowboys at the saloon in the past. You're thinking of the Drift Inn Saloon. It was the International House Saloon in the early 1900's. |
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the state flag was designed by the Rifle team that went to Camp Perry during territorial days. @Bill Poole might have more details Az State flag history |