He said the woman sitting next to him (his wife) was his employers maid, and he was taking her and her son (Ron) home. (Today, nothing remains of Grahams, except a tourist cabin that an area law firm uses as its storage shed.). Mass evacuations ordered after Gila River overflows into eastern PDF PRRAC Poverty & Race Zinc and copper mines were established in the hills around Duncan. Greenlee County was created in 1909 and named for Mason Greenlee, who was an early settler in the Clifton area. If you need to book a flight, search for the nearest airport to Duncan, SC. Hats made from the fur of beavers were very popular in the 1800s. Long-held jealousies over black prosperity and Greenwoods wealth ignited a riot. Chinese Miners Faced Racism, Violence As Mountain West Sundown Towns Called "Purdy" in the Post Office register of 1883, it was founded by Messrs. Purdy and Bachelor as a way station on an ore haulage line that linked the railhead in Clifton with Silver City, New Mexico. The rise of sundown towns made it difficult and dangerous for Blacks to travel long distances by car. In the Pulitzer Prizewinning The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of Americas Great Migration, the writer Isabel Wilkerson recounts Dr. Robert Fosters harrowing journey in the West, where he would fall asleep at the wheel from exhaustion simply because he had been turned away from every motel he stopped at for being black. If you haven't heard about 'sundowner' towns, it meant that non-white citizens must be out of town at sundown after 6 p.m. And that siren goes off at 6 p.m. to remind everyone of thatand that siren still goes off to . Town of Duncan - A growing community, with old generations and new ones AP Road Trip: Racial tensions in America's 'sundown towns' Arizona north of the Gila River was taken by the United States under the terms of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo at the end of the war. "At that time, the Fire District was requested to . How do I convince my parents that I dont want to go camping? 2020 Sundown Town Resolution. The town of Duncan was actually established in 1883 with the coming of the railroad, but the early settlement here was started in the 1870s along the Gila River on an important stage & freight route. Ones chance of becoming a victim of either violent or property crime here is one in 28. All rights reserved. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Horses and cattle were owned by a lot of people in Compton. The Duncan Pride Society has identified various structures as significantly historical. To avoid the humiliation of being turned away, they often traveled with portable toilets, bedding, gas cans, and ice coolers. The American ideals associated with Route 66, then and now, have usurped the narrative, erasing the more harrowing aspects of the nations past. Ive estimated that nearly 75 percent of Green Book sites have been demolished or radically modified, and the majority that remain have fallen into disrepair, so its crucial to preserve whatever sites are left. These were the only listings for Kingman, but considering its status as a former sundown town, they were a blessing. Cliff dwellers, conquistadors, Apache warriors, mountain men, westering immigrants each in their time has traveled its banks. Black motorists of course also had to avoid sundown towns such as Edmond, Oklahoma. After leaving Chicago on Route 66, the next Green Book sites were more than 180 miles away in Springfield, Illinois. In 1956, 11-year-old William Flanagan was on his way to a little league baseball game and came across a black truck driver who was stranded and in need of food. In a country that desperately, fitfully, tries to be color-blind, even the first black president has not been able to stop the bleeding, let alone heal the old and deep wounds of white supremacy and systemic racism. Among the historic properties is the Benjamin F. Billingsley House, which is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. Next door, a half-moon sign announces that the turquoise front surrounded by cream-colored, textured brick houses the Bank of Duncan, established in 1908. National Register of Historic Places listings in Greenlee County, Arizona, Rich History; Clifton A Town Born of Chance, Native American Tribes & the Indian History in Clifton, Arizona, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=List_of_historic_properties_in_Duncan,_Arizona&oldid=1076525624, This page was last edited on 11 March 2022, at 15:24. The American Southwest is known for many thingsNative American reservations, hot weather, and absolutely . As stated earlier, a sundown town (also known as a gray town) is an area in the U.S. where Black people are essentially forced out of the public once the sun goes down. Called Purdy in the Post Office register of 1883, it was founded by Messrs. Purdy and Bachelor as a way station on an ore haulage line that linked the railhead in Clifton with Silver City, New Mexico. She wants to talk about the current townspeople. Compton was also very rural at this time. In the late 19th century, Chinese miners lived in the Dostal Alley section of Central City in Gilpin County, Colorado. "Sundown suburbs" could be even larger, such as Glendale, a suburb of Los Angeles; Levittown, on Long Island; and Warren, a Detroit suburb. It is an entire community (or even county) that for decades was "all white" on purpose. The Gila River crested at a record-breaking 30.28 feet on Sunday night near Virden, New Mexico, a town just 7 miles from Duncan, Arizona. Cheryl Resur, known as The Cookie Lady, happily sells us a toothsome assortment. The book stayed in publication until 1967, three years after the passage of the Civil Rights Act, which greatly reduced the number of sundown towns in America. Laws and policies that enforced racial exclusion have largely disappeared, but de facto sundown towns existed into the 1980s, and some may still be in evidence today. Businesses that served Black customers or hired Black employees would be boycotted by the white townspeople, ensuring that Blacks had few, if any, job opportunities in those communities. Eventually the Apaches, who were hunters, gatherers, and raiders, would become the dominant native-American force. Duncan is a town in Greenlee County, Arizona, United States. In his book, Loewen profiles three Indiana towns; Elwood, Huntington and Martinsville. Wildlife viewing is good year-round but birding is best during the spring and fall migrations or the summer nesting season. Havent tried the lasagna yet. Thus the new settlement was named Purdy. At that time, American soldiers fought for human rights overseas, but the troops were still segregated at home. the river and renamed it "Duncan", after Duncan Smith, the managing director of the Arizona Copper Company. Peanuts Tire & Lube has a natty, smiling peanut waving from the painted brick edifice. No Negroes. The humiliation of being shut out of not only public spaces but entire towns was bad enough, but for black people, there were always plenty of even bleaker fearsevery stop was a potential existential danger. Duncan prospered until the Interstate Highway (I-10) was build further south. Looking at the products on wide shelves feels like I stepped into one of my childhood Golden Books, one where the artist didnt want to get in trouble for using real brand names. What is the best battery pack for camping? Hildas Kitchen (Mexican-American grill): 105 SE Old West Highway, 928-359-1771 Three Sisters Bakery (bakery products): 113 SW Old West Highway, 928-359-2253 Humble Pie (pizza, calzones, lasagna, salad, garlic bread): 117 Main Street, 928-359-9866. Duncan, Arizona - A Small Town Full of Opportunity - YouTube Encompassing Gardens, 928-359-3590 or innkeeper@simpsonhotel.com, Dorothea Lange Portraits (1935-1939) Arizona small-town sheriff, Duncan, Arizona. The Duncan Valley Rural Fire District declared the "mass evacuation of flood prone areas in Duncan" early Monday, listing more than a dozen streets in the 712-person town as subject to the order . Click HERE to see the substantial variety of birds that have been sighted in or near Duncan recently. Phone: (928) 359-2791, Duncan Valley Rural Fire District Not when a struggle for social mobility continues to take a debilitating toll on black Americans. In 1881 and 1882, when the Arizona Copper Company was formed at Clifton-Morenci, an influx of Scottish capital financed the building of a narrow-gauge railway from Clifton to Many families live in Safford and residents tend to lean conservative. Apart from oral histories, there are often few archival records that describe precisely how sundown towns excluded Blacks. On July 3, 1919, active members of the Army's segregated 10th Cavalry Regiment ("Buffalo Soldiers") were in Bisbee, Arizona, to participate in the town's Independence Day parade. If it does, I hope they appreciate it. (Although, the motor lodge did have a brief gig as the setting for a scene in Breaking Bad.) Office: (928) 865-4149Emergency: 911. Town of Duncan. A full list of Sundown Towns in the United States - Reddit Rich history of the Gila River Valley and the Town of Duncan, Arizona Living in Safford offers residents a sparse suburban feel and most residents own their homes. In May 2022, an image went viral that supposedly showed a sign in a modern-day "sundown town" that read "whites only within city limits after dark." While the assertion that sundown towns still . Pistachio trees have a small presence in the Grand Canyon State, but the pecan business is developing quickly. Sundown Towns are all-white communities, neighborhoods, or counties that exclude Blacks and other minorities through the use of discriminatory laws, harassment, and threats or use of violence. As a professional camping teacher I can tell you a lot of important things you should know for your nextcamping trip. History and Social Justice Website Copyright 2023, Using Lies My Teacher Told Me and Teaching What Really Happened, Resources for Teaching with Lies My Teacher Told Me, Teachers Corner: Teaching with Lies My Teacher Told Me, Contact Jim Loewen to Speak to Your Group, Causing Change With Lies My Teacher Told Me, Works Inspired or Influenced by Lies My Teacher Told Me, Useful Quotations about History and Social Justice, Native American Issues, Including the Explorers, Teaching Slavery, the Civil War, and Reconstruction, Civil Rights Movement to Modern Times: c. 1945 Now, Alphabetical Map of Sundown Towns by State, How to Research and Teach About Sundown Towns, Using Research Information to Help a Sundown Town Overcome Its Past, Loewens Work on Standardized Testing Used by Others, Embarrassing Questions about Standardized Tests. [1][2][4][8][9], In 1845, Mexico severed its relations with the United States because of the annexation of Texas by the United States. The following historic structures are listed as contributing factors within Duncan. And after discovering the Green Book, I was never able to look at Americas favorite highway the same way againthe way those other tour guides seem to. In Tulsa, for example, travelers can now visit the Greenwood Cultural Center to learn about the Tulsa Race Riot. Sundown Towns Black People Should Be Aware Of - NewsOne A chauffeurs hat. Safford is a mining town in Eastern Arizona. We mourn the loss of our friend and colleague and remain committed to the work he began. In 1921, the Tulsa Race Riot erupted in the Greenwood District of Tulsa, Oklahoma. In the town, the population was spread out, with 35.2% under the age of 18, 10.6% from 18 to 24, 22.2% from 25 to 44, 21.2% from 45 to 64, and 10.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 28 years. Cliftons closed for a few years starting in 2011 to undergo a $10 million renovation before reopening last year. Also, Pellets on Sale. I guess if you dont know whether or not you need them, youre not the target audience. And, although its no longer open to the public, the building still stands. For black soldiers stationed at Fort Leonard Wood near Rolla, Missouri, for example, their best option for a little R&R was a full 80 miles away: Grahams Rib Station in Springfield, Missouri, an integrated local landmark that opened in 1932 and was owned by an African American couple, James and Zelma Graham. Is This a Real 'Sundown Town' Sign Photographed in 2022? Greenwood was an unusually vibrant community of successful black entrepreneurs, doctors, and lawyers. "He just came out of the woods to . He couldnt understand how America, a country with so much wealth, could allow its citizens to go hungry. Sundown suburbs formed a little later, mostly from 1900 to 1968." The per capita income for the town was $13,642. You could easily wind up in the wrong town after dark. Five miles from our border with New Mexico, Duncan began in the late 1800s as Purdy, a way station for ore trains on the route from nearby Clifton to Silver City, New Mexico. I said, Mom, isnt slavery over?, I said, Why are all of these black men in chains working in a field?. Today, Route 66 has surrendered to a series of bypasses, causeways, and highways, but the path it traced is still troubled: American Owned signs line the old Route 66; they are code for Not Owned by Immigrants. In Noel, Missouri, Somali immigrants say they are not welcome at Kathys Kountry Kitchen, where even now servers wear T-shirts reading, I got caught eating at the KKK. Stories like these are why the rosy hue of Route 66 nostalgia leaves a bitter chill in the souls of black people. Current Sundown Towns in the U.S. - Distractify EASTERN ARIZONA. Since 2020, it has had a population growth of 6.7%. After 16 hours, at least 300 people had died, 35 blocks of the Greenwood District had burned to the ground, and more than 10,000 black residents had been left homeless. James Duncan Smith became the managing director of the Arizona Copper Company, and, after Purdy was moved to the south bank of the river, it was renamed Duncan. To accommodate the new Arizona and New Mexico Railroad, the people of Purdy moved their settlement to the south bank of the river and renamed it Duncan, after Duncan Smith, the managing director of the Arizona Copper Company. Lonesome Dove Mercantile - built in 1860 and located in 404 North Ave. Saint Mary's Catholic Church - built in 1936 and located in 111 3rd Street. Someone from Petticoat Junction could walk in at any moment. In 1930, 44 out of the 89 counties that lined Route 66 were all-white communities known as sundown townsplaces that banned black people from entering city limits after dark. When I talk to people about the full history of Route 66 and the Green Book, they say, Thank God we dont need that anymore. But while black people may not have to worry about KKK cross burnings at tourist sites, they still have to worry about being shot by the police. If you were black and didnt have this information, how would you know where to go? Given this mass denial, its not surprising that Route 66 is weighted down with nostalgia, suffocating from an idealized past that never was. Other spots in Illinois with reputations as sundown towns or of racial . According to the United States Census Bureau, the town of Duncan has a total area of 2.2 square miles (5.6km2), all of it land.[2]. Americas favorite highway usually evokes kitschy nostalgia. [7], The territory that includes present-day New Mexico and Arizona was designated as "New Mexico. Some faced actual instances of violence or were arrested by local police, according to Farley. As of the 2010 census, the population of the town was 696. Jonathan Majors stars in the new HBO series, "Lovecraft Country," which has been prompting discussions about so-called sundown towns in the U.S. (Mary Mathis for the Washington Post via Getty Images) In the mid-19th century, the The Gila River, near Duncan, which is east of Safford along the Arizona-New Mexico border, reached a major flood stage Monday morning. Duncan, AZ Map & Directions - MapQuest People called it the Bible of black travel and AAA for blacks, but it was so much more. Safford averages 1 inches of snow per year. The 15 Most Dangerous Cities In Arizona: 2022's Ultimate List NOW WE CAN TRAVEL WITHOUT EMBARRASSMENT.. Come and enjoy our town, whether for an evening or a lifetime. Acreage is also planted to kenaf, an alternative fiber for making paper, and vernonia, an oilseed. Remembering James W. Loewen Duncan Arizona Basic Information Type of Place Independent City or Town Metro Area Politics c. 1860? JAVASCRIPT IS DISABLED. They held their cross burnings inside. Duncan is a small farming town 5 miles west of the New Mexico border on Hwy 70 (Old West Highway). Lying five miles from the New Mexico border, in the deep southeastern corner of Greenlee County, Duncan seems a world away from the wild mountains surrounding it. Sundown towns weren't always all-white. Reply to this post. Arizona State Route 75 leads north from Duncan 28 miles (45km) to Clifton. One of the Green Books most unusual Route 66 sites was Murrays Dude Ranch. I live in Los Angeles, California and love camping. The US average is 38 inches of rain per year. Bank of Duncan - built in 1908 and located in 118 Main Street. Tempe Arizona was one as well, but has been integrated since the 60s. And although there were no formal segregation laws on the books in California, both Glendale and Culver City were sundown towns and the sun-kissed beaches of Santa Monica were segregated. [14] Also pictured is the antique town clock located in Spezia Square Park and the 1950 Chevrolet 6400 2-ton fire truck once used in Duncan. July 3, 1919: The Battle of Brewery Gulch - Zinn Education Project However, all that is changing. Lordsburg, New Mexico, to meet the Southern Pacific line. Duncan receded then into a quiet farming and ranching town for several decades, and its downtown slowly disintegrated. Many of the buildings along Route 66 are physical evidence of racial discrimination, providing a rich opportunity to reexamine Americas story of segregation, black migration, and the rise of the black leisure class. Guests include Jim Hunt, president of the National League of Cities . I only learned about the Green Book after being commissioned to write a Moon Series travel guide on Route 66. Today, the town continues to thrive as an agricultural community, especially noted wine tasting rooms and award-winning vineyards. His family quarried the native sandstone on their homestead land to build the filling station, which bordered their property at the intersection of Route 66 and Pottawatomie Road. DUNCAN, AZ Thursday marks one month since a storm flooded the town of Duncan, a small town on the Arizona-New Mexico border, forcing evacuations. Call 911 for emergencies, Greenlee County Sheriff's Department Cambridge University Press. South of Phoenix, in Chandler, the Gila River Indian Community invites visitors to learn about the two tribesthe Akimel Ootham and the Pee Poshwho make up the community at the HuHugam Heritage Center, a museum filled with historical artifacts, rotating exhibitions and classes that educate the public about the . He remembers Martinsville, Indiana as an unfriendly place. The original ownera white man, a Christian, and the son of missionariesClifford Clinton, had traveled with his parents to China, where he witnessed that countrys brutal and abject poverty firsthand. The site is on Gila River Indian Tribal land. Food and lodging were scattered over long distances, and there were also just fewer people living out West in general, and fewer black people in particular, which reduced the chances that black travelers could find trustworthy help in case they had car trouble or needed directions. One Green Book business that did survive over the decades is Cliftons, a quirky Depression-era cafeteria in downtown Los Angeles at the corner of 7th Street and South Broadwaythe original terminus of Route 66. It serves as an excellent base from which to explore the surrounding countryside for several days. United States President James K. Polk declared war against Mexico in what became known as the MexicanAmerican War. Published: Aug. 23, 2022 at 5:03 PM PDT. "Arizona is an ideal place for developing heat- and drought- tolerant varieties because of its high daily maximum temperature and low rainfall from late spring to early fall when rice can be planted.". In fact, for short period between 1949 and 1950 George H. W. Bush and Lil W lived in Compton. Unheard of by many, loved by everyone who calls it home. It was a powerful tool for blacks to persevere and literally move forward in the face of racism. These huge trees, the old houses I love it.. Between 1890 and 1954, thousands of independent communities across the United . Hover over the pictures in the slideshow above to see the captions. But, after a young black man was wrongfully accused of assaulting a white woman, an angry lynch mob broke out. The sundown town practices existed in Glendale until the 1990s, according to Peterson. Learn More >. Segregation was in full force throughout the country. The new highway re-directed traffic away from Duncan and businesses began leaving the area. They began to proliferate during the Great Migration, starting in about 1910, when large numbers of African Americans left the South to escape racism and poverty. Published Jul 25, 2022 8:52 pm Last updated Jul 25, 2022 8:52 pm. To accommodate the new "Arizona and New Mexico Railroad," the people of Purdy moved their settlement to the south bank of On day two, Martin Luther King led a march on Washington. James Loewen, a historian who spent years studying sundown towns, found them in the suburbs of Detroit, New York City and Chicago. Males had a median income of $32,232 versus $18,333 for females. No franchises. 151 miles to Atlanta, GA. 155 miles to Greensboro, NC. For every 100 females, there were 90.6 males. 8:00 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. The county seat is Globe. One in Alix, Arkansas, in the 1930s, for instance, read, N-r, Dont Let the Sun Go Down On You In Alix. Others stated, Whites Only After Dark. Many sundown towns used discriminatory housing covenants to ensure no non-white person would be allowed to purchase or rent a home. "A travel advisory has been issued to warn that any Black people in or traveling to San Antonio use increased caution when visiting the city due to the city's policing policies that put . The citrus industry in Arizona even predates statehood by decades. During World War II, Route 66 played a major role in military efforts, becoming a primary route for shuttling military supplies across the country. Clinton followed what he called the Cafeteria Golden Rule. His menu read, Pay What You Wish and Dine Free Unless Delighted.. Duncan (zip 85534)s population is 2,655 people. Other black travelers guides existedHackley and Harrisons Hotel and Apartment Guide for Colored Travelers (1930-1931), Travel Guide (1947-1963), and Graysons Guide: The Go Guide to Pleasant Motoring (1953-1959)but the Green Book was published for the longest period of time and had the widest readership. He found them outside Los Angeles, in midwestern farming villages . It is located behind the town's fire department and across the street from Minden Park. Photo Credits: Family Wagon Trip by Norman Adams Detail from "Greenlee" Mural by Hal Empie by Desert Lavender Design My friend Julie and I walk into Hildas Kitchen & Meat Market, where Hilda Goekings smile is as wide as a rainbow. The society's vision statement is the following: "PRIDE is committed to work with our town government, community leaders and all area residents to preserve and enhance our town's overall image and historic value". [4] U.S. Route 70 passes through downtown, leading west 39 miles (63km) to Safford, Arizona, and southeast 35 miles (56km) to Lordsburg, New Mexico, and Interstate 10. Some Detroit suburbs reckon with history as anti-Black 'sundown towns As of the 2020 census its population was 53,272. As of the 2010 census, the population of the town was 696. Cattle and calves and dairy are leading Arizona ag products, with cotton, lettuce and hay positioned as top-produced crops. Mexico became independent from Spain in 1821. That means places such as the Threatt Filling Station, a one-story sandstone bungalow with a slightly pitched and gabled roof, wide eaves, and a wooden door. Location of Duncan in Greenlee County, Arizona, List of historic properties in Duncan, Arizona. Still, the property sat empty for more than a decade after that purchase. A Brief History - Town of Duncan