Florence Location

Florence is located in Central Arizona at the junction of State Highway 70 and State Highway 287, just south of Phoenix. The town is part of Pinal County. Florence has held the title of Pinal County seat since 1875.

Although, Florence sits outside of Maricopa County Maricopa County, it is still considered part of the Valley of the Sun. The fast development of the East Valley has caused many cities and towns, such as Florence to become much closer and more a part of the metropolitan area.

The town is also situated inside Arizona's Golden Corridor. This corridor stretches from Tucson to Phoenix, spreading out on each side along Interstate 10. This strip of land is a growing and expanding area. It is believed that this corridor will eventually connect both big cities with smaller towns and cities in between.

Florence Properties

A variety of people have come to Florence to live. Properties can be found in any size, ranging from large ranches and farms to small ranch new homes. Retirees are also drawn to the town's ideal climate and clean air. Others come for the rural life and beautiful desert landscapes. Florence is continuing to grow. This growth and expansion has created new home master planned communities located on the fringes of town.

Florence offers its residents the convenience and lifestyle perfect for any lifestyle. It is a small western community which is located only minutes away from either Phoenix or Tucson. This town is an attractive and affordable alternative to the bustling crowds in nearby cities.

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Florence History

The residents of Florence are proud of their town's past. Rich in history, Florence is the fifth oldest town in Arizona. Just two years after Arizona was established as a territory, the community of Florence was created. In the town's early years, a post office and general store were all that existed.

Today, Florence is moving toward the future by preserving is rich heritage. It is an Arizona town that has many stories to tell.

Florence Entertainment

Florence is actively involved in restoring and preserving establishments to help reclaim its glory years. The downtown district is one of the largest historic districts, compared to any other Arizona towns. Florence's main street has continued to retain its original architecture and beauty. There are many territorial era new homes and businesses in Florence. It is said that the town has more buildings listed on the National Register than any other town in the state. Residents enjoy walking the sidewalk and passing by false storefronts, which give Florence its authentic Old West feel. Visitors always take part in the walking tour of the historic district.

One unique spot in town is the territorial courthouse. The McFarland Courthouse was constructed in 1890 and was named after Ernest W. McFarland. McFarland served in the United State Senate, governor of Arizona, and Chief Justice of the State Supreme Court. The courthouse was the only one built in town. Many historic trials took place in the McFarland Courthouse. Today, the courthouse still stands and it is a main feature of the town of Florence. Today, the McFarland State Park includes the courthouse and other historic features.

Florence can tell many famous stories of past gunfights, mining incidents, and political strategizing, which all took place in town long ago. A great story is told about how Florence received the nickname the "Cowboy Cradle of the Southwest."  During the Depression, Charlie Whittlow, a Florence rancher came up with an excellent idea. Because of the Depression, many ranchers had been forced to dump their milk rather than sell it for a loss. Whittlow suggested that instead of dumping the milk, he would give it to schoolchildren. Soon, other ranchers joined in the milk contributions. Not long afterward, the National Milk and Free Lunch Program was created. Due to Whittlow's creative idea, the town received its nickname. However, the name is a bit misleading; Whittlow was a rancher, not a cowboy.

Florence is located in Central Arizona . It is in Pinal County and has been the county seat since 1875. It is the fifth oldest white settlement in the state. Florence sits in the Sonoran desert surrounded by multicolored mountains. The town is located at the junction of State Highway 70 and State Highway 287, just south of Phoenix.

Florence is proud of its history and is currently involved in a restoration and preservation program to reclaim some the town's early glory years. It is said that Florence has more buildings listed on the National Register that any other town in Arizona . Today Florence's population is 7,500. The town sits at an elevation of feet 1,492 feet. The southwestern climate has a summer high Temperature of 100 degrees and a winter low Temperature of 40 degrees. The year round sunshine and ideal climate has made it a perfect place for the retired and those seeking warm, clean air for health purposes. Florence offers the convenience and the lifestyle available in a small western community, yet is only 45 minutes away from the Phoenix and Tucson metropolitan areas.

There are so many attractions to go visit when you are in Florence. The McFarland State Park is the first courthouse built in town. The courthouse held many historic trials. Today you can learn more about those trials and about the one of the largest POW camps that was located near town. The park was named after Ernest W. McFarland, who represented the state for many years. The Pinal County Historical Society Museum has lots of exhibits ranging from Indian artifacts to descriptions of life as a prisoner in Florence. There is also a display showcasing 100 varieties of barbed wire. The Historic District has a walking tour, which includes many of the new homes and businesses from the town's beginning. A map of the walk can be found at the Pinal County Visitor Center.

One terrific outdoor activity is the Pinal Pioneer parkway. This scenic drive is noted to be one of the best in the state. There is a portion of the drive just south of Florence that contains a natural garden. The garden has almost every species of flora found in Arizona 's deserts.

Events
Historic new homes Tour February
Founder's Day March
Cinco de Mayo May
World's Oldest Junior Rodeo November
Courthouse Christmas Lighting December

History
The community of Florence began just two years after Arizona was established as a Territory. It is the fifth oldest white settlement in Arizona . The community's first general store opened in 1868 and the post office was established in 1869.

But it wasn't until 1875 that the town started to grow. Levi Ruggles decided to transfer the title of his land claim to the town. Ruggles had come to this area in 1866 and had served at the first United States land office south of the Gila River. His piece of land became the main section of the town. He even laid out its pattern. It was in this same year that Florence became the Pinal County seat, which it continues to hold today.

As for the town's name, there are many opinions of how it came to be. Some say it was named after one of Ruggles daughters. Another is that it came from the sister of the Territorial Governor Richard McCorrick. Yet another says that it was named after Governor Anson Safford's sister.

Still another says that Florentines in the service of the United States Army were reminded of Italy by the hills and shadows of this mountain-rimmed valley. Who knows if the truth will ever be known?
In the early years, the town was a stagecoach hub and a center for freighting supplies to the mines located nearby. However, as the town began to grow agriculture became its focus. Then in 1921, when the Ashurst-Hayden Diversion Dam was completed farming really took off. Later in 1928, the Coolidge Dam was constructed and crops became a staple for the area.

The first courthouse was built in 1878 and later became a sheriff's office, jail, hospital and now a state park. The second courthouse was completed in 1891. It is still used today and is noted to be the oldest public building in use in Arizona . An unusual fact about this courthouse is its clock at the top of the building. The funds that were to be used to put in the clock workings where diverted to build a jail. The clock has a painted face on it and can still be seen today.

The town was chosen as the site for the building of the jail. The Territorial Prison in Yuma was closed in 1909 and these prisoners where transferred to Florence. Even now, Florence is known for its prisons. There are five such places in town. There are two private prisons that contract to import prisoners from other states, one Immigration and Naturalization Service detention center, one county prison and a state prison. The state prison is the largest one out of the five and has been in operation back to when the Yuma prison was closed in 1909.

One of Florence's distinguished residents was Ernest W. McFarland. McFarland held many offices in Arizona and represented the state for many years. He served in the United States Senate as the Senate majority Leader in the 1950's, governor of Arizona from the mid to late 50's and was Chief Justice of the State Supreme Court. The McFarland State Park is the first courthouse built in town and was named after this great man.

Charles D. Poston known as "The Father of Arizona " is another famous resident. Poston helped Arizona in many ways. The most influential act was when he secured the territorial government for Arizona while working in Washington, D.C. He later returned to Arizona and became Superintendent of Indian Affairs, the first delegate to Congress and then consular agent in Nogales. After Poston died in 1925, he was buried at Poston's Butte just outside of Florence at a grave marked with a large pyramidal rock monument.

One more notable resident was Charlie Whittlow, who was a rancher in the area. During the Depression when the milk market dropped, many ranchers decided they would rather dump their milk than to sell it at a loss. Whittlow came up with another idea, instead of dumping the milk he would give it to schoolchildren for free. Other ranchers joined Whittlow and soon the National Milk and Free Lunch Program was born. Due to Whittlow's idea, Florence received the nickname the "Cowboy Cradle of the Southwest". However, this name is misleading because Whittlow was not a cowboy but a rancher.

Florence was incorporated in 1908. Today Florence's business district is still on Main Street and aside from the obvious improvements; downtown remains much as it has been since the 1880's. In 1987, Florence was named to the Main Street Program sponsored by the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Florence is proud of its history and is currently involved in a restoration and preservation program to reclaim some the town's early glory years. It is said that Florence has more buildings listed on the National Register that any other town in Arizona .

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