Valley of the Sun, 1960s

good evening ladies and gentlemen this is Jack Douglas and these are the Peaks and Ridges of a mountain range in Arizona which roughly forms a 360° circle now the area within this circle of volcanic rock is known as the Valley of the Sun and in the heart of this Valley the vacationer will find one of the most attractive and fastest growing cities in America this is Phoenix and this will be your armchair vacation and mine too the Valley of the Sun well this is Phoenix today a booming Dark Horse of the desert which within a few years may have a larger population than Boston or Philadelphia and he this in just 10 years the population of Phoenix increased by 400% in downtown Phoenix the skyline changes every few weeks and you go downtown and you see these High risers reaching for the clouds and you ask yourself how did it happen how could such a beautiful sprawling City emerge from this desert dust the answer is water water to make the sandy soil rich and productive water to quench The Thirst of these modern-day Pioneers the next most important factor has been air conditioning now in the summer the temperature here may hit 100° in the shade but the most important TV station in Arizona answers the switchboard in this manner good afternoon it's Coolin Phoenix Mr Chanty one moment please hello it's cool in Phoenix Mr Lane one moment please and as you look at and listen to this attractive girl in a modern TV office you again wonder how did it happen from this to this well let's begin at the beginning peblo Grandy is within the the city limits of Phoenix and outwardly it is a museum this small Adobe hardly bigger than a typical Navajo Hogan a small plaque tells us that this land was donated to the city in 1924 by one Judge Thomas Armstrong some 3 and 1/2 acres beyond the plaque that stairway leads us to the top of a mound the prehistoric Indian dwelling known to us today as peblo Grandy here in Dugout dwellings closely resem Ling those of ancient Jericho a handful of Indian Farmers developed the first irrigation project in the valley and that was centuries ago frankly there isn't too much to see at peblo Grandy and with wire and supporting braces the archaeologists are fighting desperately to save the diggings from crumbling into dust these few prehistoric Acres seem so small and insignificant when measured against the Panorama of of giant Phoenix but here on this dry clay small elevation is where it began the first organized attempt by man to survive in the Valley of the Sun in sharp contrast to peblo Grandy Phoenix offers the Arizona builtmore one of the most prestigious hotels in America it is closed during the summer but opens for what Phoenix calls the season that is from from Early Autumn to late spring the builtmore is certainly one of the last of the world's great hotels surrounding it is the residential area known as the builtmore Estates and these are the desert homes of some of the best known people in America the size and the cost of the builtmore Estates homes varies sharply but all of them have a common denominator the desire of the owners to have A Place in the Sun for the vacationers People Like Us Mountain Shadows is typical of the many first rate hotels and motels in the Valley of the Sun it is plush gorgeous friendly Heavenly and yet the price of a large room or small Suite handsomely furnished is less than what you would pay ordinary hotel room in New York City well you swim the year round you can play tennis the year round and as for golf and I'm a golf nut in entally Mountain Shadows has the most beautiful short course I have ever seen anywhere in America in fact the course has only one drawback it is so beautiful that you can't concentrate on golf you line up a putt and you're distracted by this or you're all set to smash an iron shot and you peek to your right to see this even people who don't play golf go out of their way to walk the course merely to reffle in the sheer lovely of it it's quite a place when you visit Phoenix you will sooner or later probably enter this small Adobe the entrance to the Desert Botanical Garden it is not a large garden perhaps several acres in size yet in just 30 minutes you will see more varieties of desert plants and flowers than you would see in 30 days of driving throughout the West in Mexico the cacti dominate The Garden here's the totem pole cactus which has alkaloids in its skin to repel rodents and hungry animals the octopus of sonara Mexico assumes a red coloration during dry or cold periods the Indian comb Cactus also a native of Mexico attains the size of our own Saro but its fruits resemble an enormous chestnut with yellow stiff bristles and this now is perhaps the most oppressive of the capti family the the Organ Pipe Cactus whose Rising arms give the appearance of pipes of an organ from the Desert Botanical Garden this white pyramid is in plain view it is the pyramid tomb of Arizona's great Governor George Wy hunt Governor hunt was the first second 3D 6th 7th and eighth governor of Arizona this is a quiet place but a fascinating place and I'm sure sure that you will like it the Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix the owners of this car and trailer are friends of mine Les lindvig his wife Leona and their son Jerry and they have something in common besides their clothing all three are fanatic Rock hounds now almost every weekend they'll drive out about an hour or two past the Phoenix City Limits and no matter where they Park in this desert terrain they know they'll uncover one or more unusual rocks or Stones this is banded Jasper and the entire area was full of it this bluish stone is Chris aola Young Jerry here is quite a go-getter he'll grind and polish these stones at home then sell them at school to be used mostly in making costume [Music] jewelry these are not Hollywood movie actors on location nor are these men rehearsing for a wild west show or even a local parade these are the Bill Williams mountain men named after a great Arizona Pioneer and preacher the present leader of the mountain men is Bill Freeman Jack you asked why the mountain men were formed the Markman was started in 1953 by a group of businessmen in Williams Arizona for the purpose of promoting a road a highway from Williams Arizona to Phoenix the main purpose of this highway was to get a direct route from Phoenix to Grand Canyon so far we got about half of it completed we are still working on it we need some more the mountain men every year will ride that same ride out from Williams to Phoenix Arizona to join the JC Rodeo of rodeos every year we go horseback to 200 miles across country and we camp out we just rough it and we have a lot of fun going and coming there are a Hardy bunch of [Music] men well around this campfire are men from all walks of life judges Carpenters ranchers service station attendants you name it some are rich most are not but in perpetuating the memory of the mountain men of yester year these men have found a unifying Bond you'll see their campfires burning the whole night long and their lonely Sentinels silhouetted against a sky of gold and pink where of course in Arizona's Valley of the Sun at the height of the vacation season Phoenix plays host to the Arizona State Fair one of the biggest state fairs in America it has the expected giant Midway and hundreds of indoor and outdoor attractions and Exhibits but the big highlight is the Miss Arizona pageant after months of Statewide contests the queens of the state's many counties now compete for the title of Miss Arizona and a chance to become Miss America the guest of honor was greeted with a thunderous Ovation for this is vond K van djk Arizona's own Miss America 1965 now the inevitable tears of joy as a lovely Miss America crowns the new Miss Arizona formerly Miss Yuma County Miss Sandra Montgomery Sun City is a separate Community just a few miles beyond the Phoenix City Limits and the sign would have us believe that Sun City is heaven on Earth for the senior citizen I saw wide handsome streets I saw hundreds of attractive well-groomed homes priced between 11,000 and 17,5 and 175 was the top price including the lot well I went to these homes not model homes but homes that are being lived in homes built primarily for two people and sometimes reflecting the background of the owners typical of these homeowners are Mr and Mrs Melvin Phelps we moved in with the first 20 Pioneer families and I've enjoyed watching the community grow and having people come from all parts of the country I enjoy Sun City because it gives my husband a chance to have the companionship of people of his own age and take part in activities Sports and so forth that he enjoys while I am still employed uh we traveled for 4 and 1/2 years looking for a place to retire and live after my husband was through with his work and this offered more than any place that we saw in the whole country for active retirement and companionship I think I saw more senior citizens in 2 days than I would normally meet in a year I saw them bicycling the streets of the their City I saw them swimming golfing playing shuffleboard by the hour I saw them learning to paint and sketch and to develop an understanding of the Fine Arts I saw them in craft classes here making Ceramics which they are able to sell and always they seem to be having fun now this is a typical outdoor exercise and dancing class on your own [Music] [Music] Dan drive along the streets of Sun City and you'll see signs that would make a college cheerleader proud just 2 minutes to a new way of life retirement means active living and home of the friendliest people anyway Sun City has become almost overnight one of the top tourist attractions in the Valley of the Sun and even young adults flock to it like an outdoor movie why well we put this question to the man who developed Sun City Mr Dell uh that is due to the fact that uh the active retirement and the new way of life for the senior citizen has become very popular the older people like to come and see what we have here the younger people like to come and see what we have and they're thinking about their retirement Maybe their parents and so forth now if I had never seen Sun City how would you describe it to me in just a couple of sentences I would say that Sun City is a self-contained Community for the active retired individual this is part of the campus of Arizona State University at Tempe in the metropolitan Phoenix area of special interest is the Grady G Memorial Auditorium designed by the late Frank Lloyd Wright the gamage auditorium typifies the new Western architecture that is stylish yet ideally suited to these desert surroundings this is the Prince of Peace Lutheran Church and here different in form but similar in concept is the Unitarian Church another Phoenix church is one of the loveliest I've ever seen the Paradise Valley Methodist Church inside as well as out the architect has achieved solemn purpose yet he wasn't afraid to blend the splashing rainbow colors of modern stained glass with the bright Hues of flowers and other decorations the cross and the cactus God and nature a symbolic picture I'll always remember the new desert architecture is just as easily adaptable if not more so to the home here a circular structure much resembling a car cell and with Windows all around those oval decorations by the way are blue green orange and yellow this elegant Hilltop residence is literally built upon the rocks and just take a look at the stunning indoor [Music] pool Beyond this tile roofed residence is a truly fantastic pool and talk about a natural setting well the word is [Music] wow the major department stores were among the first to take on the new look of desert design IM Magnum features the huge pool and Fountains at its entrance to remind visitors that the Valley of the Sun is no longer arid and here's what sax Fifth Avenue looks like halfway between Phoenix and nearby Scottsdale in design construction and ornamentation the Indian Western flavor is unmistakable and I might add a treat to the eyes there are two Goldwater stores one in Scottdale and the other in Phoenix both are owned by the family of the 1964 Republican presidential candidate Scottsdale is delightful and clean and new its wax museum is one of the country's best and some of its Office Buildings make conventional big city skyscrapers seem drab in comparison the Lulu Bell one of Scottsdale's best restaurants preserves the atmosphere of the gay90s these visitors testing an old Horseless Carriage are Mrs JC Cuda and Mrs Edward Morrison of Morris Minnesota with Mr Cuda taking the pictures for the folks back home but make no mistake Scottdale has an air of Elegance about it this walkway is known as The Fifth Avenue shops shops that are small but offer quality merchandise matching the best of Fifth Avenue New York these are Leona Caldwell Originals gay decorated with Phoenix birds or the desert Road Runner or Cactus Etc the desert Squire is the men's shop in Scottdale but wouldn't you know it most of the window Shoppers are women The House of the six directions derives its name from Indian lore and this Ultra fashionable gift shop specializes in Indian and Western items Kachina dolls Pottery silverware necklaces just bring the checkbook and have a ball Craftsman's Court adjoins The Fifth Avenue shops and here are found many of Arizona's finest Artisans among them beep now beep sounds like an Indian name and its owner is in fact the Cherokee Indian chief who has served two terms as head of the wenka a confederation of 17 Cherokee tribes or unions youngsters really flip when they meet the chief and his shop is full of delightful surprises this is the old Colt Lightning and the silver work shows the phoenix bird in combat the bird is the Cherokee symbol of fortitude and this is the butt of the Winchester 73 the gun that made the West the inlay work is mainly silver and turquoise the chief does most of his silver smith work at night for during the daytime he's busy with vacationers answering their questions posing for pictures signing auts anything to oblige his thousands of annual visitors incidentally almost all of the items for sale in the chief's shop have been made by him and no one else belt buckles Rings bracelets necklaces just about everything in the way of authentic Indian costume jewelry This Magnificent saddle however is not for sale it was captured from a US Army captain in 1872 by the chief's grandfather Gordon beep and has been handed down to the chief of the tribe ever since the next day at our request the chief posed for the camera in full regalia a beloved chief of the Cherokees beep of the the Valley of the Sun A Different World of Color awaits your youngsters at the Children's Zoo in Phoenix and here are just some of its many light-hearted attractions [Music] [Applause] [Music] also for the sake of the youngsters take the short drive to Cave Creek once the site of an ancient Indian settlement later a mining town and today a thriving retirement center the town stages a sort of wild west melodrama for the benefit of passing vacationers no one can figure out the story not even the actors so everybody has a lot of [Music] fun having dispensed with the Indians the good guys and the bad guys now decide it's time to have a [Music] shootout notice our brave hero he turns his back now notice our hero dead as a doornail and for once the bad guy wins at Cave Creek another interesting stop in the Valley of the Sun the very next morning we were at the airport reluctantly leaving behind 3 weeks I'll not soon forget we had a little time to kill and we learned that the Phoenix Airport is the second or third busiest airport in America primarily because of this float tiller of private planes taking off and Landing almost every few seconds in fact the field is so busy that it has its own Flyin bank and here's how it works the Rancher or businessman flies in taxes to within a few feet of the cashier's window transacts his money matters and continues on his way saving himself a trip to the downtown Bank well this is the first flying Bank I've ever seen but these new fangled ideas are taken for granted in a city which almost literally as the phoenix bird of folklore was born of dust and Ashes I think of Phoenix is a city of family fun it is clean bright gay warm prosperous full of Vitality and it is Rich with a romantic Heritage of its earliest settlers the Indians Spanish Mexican and Western pioneers Phoenix Arizona in the Valley of the Sun the green gaes is one of the many fine restaurants in Phoenix but if you think you've seen everything this night in armor on a white Steed will make you change your mind no he isn't going to challenge you to a duel he's here to help you park your car yes I think I've seen everything at the Green Gables Restaurant in Phoenix in the Valley of the Sun now until next week Jack Douglas saying thank you so much and good night ladies and gentlemen boys and girls