Resource Type
Years
Pegi and Bob Sanders of Scottsdale, carousel collectors, brought the park’s first carousel from Toronto, Ontario, Canada, then restored it and supervised its installation at the park. It was dedicated on September 26, 1987, charging 50 cents a ride. “Under a lease agreement, the city and the Sanders Carousel Company share the proceeds from ticket sales.” The carousel, built in 1929 in Tonawanda, NY by Allen Herschell (or was it Alfred Spellman?), had 30 horses and two ‘chariots’ that were outfitted as stagecoaches. “The ornately decorated and mirrored rounding boards that conceal the gear mechanism above the horses are from a Carlsbad, New Mexico carousel built by another famous carver, Gustav Dentzell, in the early 1900s.
DATE: November 18, 1980
Thanks to the Scottsdale Railroad and Mechanical Society, the Magma Copper Co. steam locomotive was moved to the McCormick-Stillman Railroad Park in 1977. It cost about $7500, which was about the same price Magma paid the El Paso & South-Western Railroad (EP & SW) for the engine in 1922. This engine was constructed by Baldwin Locomotive Works (No. 31880) in October 1907 as the Arizona & New Mexico Railway #26. It was transferred to the El Paso & South-Western Railroad as their #130 when that railroad absorbed the A&NM. It was then sold to the Magma Arizona Railroad as their #6 on December 11, 1922. It hauled copper from the mine at Superior to the southern Pacific interchange at Magma for 38 years.
DATE: December 28, 1977
In 1967, 100-acres of land was donated to the City of Scottsdale by the McCormick’s. Also at this time, Guy Stillman, a local businessman, announced he will turn over his miniature railroad as a long-term lease – purchase agreement with Scottsdale. Mr. and Mrs. Fowler McCormick had operated an Arabian horse ranch for many years upon these many acres. Guy Stillman donated his steam engines and rolling stock, with hopes that everyone could enjoy trains for years to come. This was indeed the start of something magical for Scottsdale.
DATE: February 25, 1974
The 1895-vintage Peoria Depot was acquired, and moved to the park on March 22, 1972, just as it was about to be demolished by its owner, the Santa Fe Railroad. It had been a station along the route of the Santa Fe, Prescott and Phoenix Railway, which was nicknamed the “Peavine.” The Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway Company closed the Peoria Station effective August 4, 1969, then transferring operations to the depot in Glendale, Arizona. E.V. O’Malley donated materials to restore the station after it was moved to the railroad park.48 Over the years at the park, the building has been used as a model train ‘knick knack’ and repair shop called Gerry’s Trains & Tools (run by Jerry Klei), and as a railroad museum.
DATE: March 22, 1972The French Gratitude (Merci) Train carried more than 3,200 gifts from the people of France in appreciation of American generosity in the postwar years. This boxcar was moved to the park from the Pioneer Arizona Living History Museum north of Phoenix by the 259th Engineering Company of the Arizona National Guard. It arrived in need to total refurbishment, but was welcomed at a public ceremony on Saturday, November 7th, 1987 at the park where Mayor Herb Drinkwater, French consul Claude Prosnier, Arizona National Guard Commander Major General Donald L. Owens and chief champion and fundraiser for the restoration Zina Kuhn each spoke.
In addition, after years of fundraising and getting help with restoration, community volunteer Zina Kuhn was proud to have the French Gratitude/Merci Train car dedicated at McCormick Railroad Park on Veteran’s Day, Saturday November 11, 1989. French Consul-General Gerard Coste was an honored guest at the dedication ceremony. In conjunction with the dedication of the French Gratitude Boxcar, Zina Kuhn started an annual City of Scottsdale tradition – hosting a Veteran’s Day Ceremony in front of the historic boxcar, where veterans, residents, students, as well as local government officials gather to pay tribute to Scottsdale’s veterans, past and present.
Zina Kuhn passed away August 15, 2005 at the age of ninety-one.
In 1989, the Scottsdale North Rotary Club donated $3,000 for a ramada to shelter the Gratitude Train Car at the park. The City matched the club’s donation. Club members also donated labor to build the ramada.
DATE: November 11, 1949
The Santa Fe Railroad built a depot in Wendon, Arizona for the Arizona and California Railway. The depot was moved to Congress, Arizona in 1936, and finally to Aguila, Arizona (approximately in 1964). The depot also housed Aguila’s telegraph office. The Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railway company had closed the Aguila Depot effective August 4, 1969; in 1977 it was purchased by the Scottsdale Railroad and Mechanical Society and moved by truck to the railroad park.
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Once running on the tracks, this trolley car now sits inside the Model Railroad Building on display.
The McCormicks donated 100 acres of virtually undeveloped land to the City of Scottsdale for park (70 acres west of Scottsdale Road/30 acres east of Scottsdale road – both parcels south of Indian Bend Road). Guy Stillman, son of the McCormicks and Scottsdale resident, presented the deed to the land to Scottsdale Mayor Bud Tims at a ceremony at the ranch December 13, 1967. In his acceptance speech, Mayor Tims said, in part, “They [the McCormicks] led the way in development of Scottsdale, and when the city expanded, were the first to ask inclusion within its new boundary. Much of the master plan the city has recently adopted generated from ideas of the McCormicks. Their vast holding make it possible for the city to realize this plan. When a month ago I received from Mrs. Anne McCormick a letter advising me of their gift to the city of 100 acres of land, I was struck with sincerity and kindness shown. The second paragraph of this letter represents the spirit of this kind woman. I quote it now: “I loved my children dearly – who had many advantages. It gives me great pleasure to be able to make other children happy.” I am delighted to be able to accept this wonderful gift on behalf of the people of Scottsdale, and to pledge to you the city’s determination to develop recreational and cultural facilities of this site.”
City of Scottsdale Resolution #608 formally accepted the gift on December 19, 1967. According to a history compiled in 1979 by Guy Stillman, “The appraised value was $800,000 which constituted one of Arizona’s significant gifts to the public sector.” Fowler McCormick also donated funds to get the park started.
DATE:Walter Lee “Gabe” Brooks
Gabe Brooks’ machine shop was acquired by the City of Scottsdale from Brooks’ daughter, Emmajeane Brooks Harris of Phoenix, at a cost of $5,000. The shop was moved from Earll Drive in downtown Scottsdale to the park in December, 1973. Brooks built the 20-foot by 20-foot shop circa 1930 on Powderhorn Ranch, the land he homesteaded in 1917 that is northeast of what was then unincorporated Scottsdale. He later moved the shop into the downtown area, first to Scottsdale and Thomas Road, then to 7125 E. Earll in 1945. The shop was considered state-of-the-art for its time and Brooks was considered a master precision machinist. Brooks was also known for his prowess as a water well digger throughout the Scottsdale area during the 1930s and 1940s and he used the shop’s equipment in his drilling business.
The machinery within the shop was mostly made in the 1800s and every lathe, drill press, and milling machine was run by a series of belts from overhead shafts. Many things were built within the shop, including scale model live steam locomotives and during World War II, Brooks was contracted by the AiResearch to build precision tools and parts for B-29 bombers.
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Paradise and Pacific’s Engine No. 12 makes it official!
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