Litchfield Park, Arizona
| Litchfield Park, Arizona | |||
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| Coordinates: 33°29′36″N 112°21′30″W / 33.49333°N 112.35833°WCoordinates: 33°29′36″N 112°21′30″W / 33.49333°N 112.35833°W | |||
| Country | United States | ||
| State | Arizona | ||
| County | Maricopa | ||
| Government | |||
| • Mayor | Thomas L. Schoaf | ||
| Area | |||
| • Total | 3.1 sq mi (8.1 km2) | ||
| • Land | 3.1 sq mi (8.1 km2) | ||
| • Water | 0.0 sq mi (0.0 km2) | ||
| Elevation | 1,030 ft (314 m) | ||
| Population (2007)[1] | |||
| • Total | 5,593 | ||
| • Density | 1,459.0/sq mi (558.4/km2) | ||
| Time zone | MST (no DST) (UTC-7) | ||
| ZIP code | 85340 | ||
| Area code(s) | 623 | ||
| FIPS code | 04-41330 | ||
| Website | http://www.litchfield-park.org/ | ||
Litchfield Park is a city in Maricopa County, Arizona, United States. In 2010 it had a population of 5,476.
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[edit] History
The town of Litchfield Park is named for its founder, Paul Weeks Litchfield (1875-1959). He was an executive of the Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company who came to the Phoenix area in 1916 in search of suitable land to farm a long-staple cotton that had previously been available only from the Sea Islands off the coast of Georgia and from Egypt. This cotton was needed to strengthen the rubber in the pneumatic tire, of which Goodyear was the world's largest producer. The east coast cotton supply had been decimated by the boll weevil and the African supply had been greatly reduced by World War I attacks from German U-boats. Litchfield went to the Phoenix area at the suggestion of the USDA, but he was not successful in motivating local farmers to grow his cotton. Instead he got Goodyear to form the Southwest Cotton Company in Phoenix, with Litchfield as its president, eventually purchasing some 36,000 acres in the general Salt River Valley area including 5,000 acres around the present site of Litchfield Park, then known as Litchfield Ranch. Much of the land was bought for as little as $25 per acre. The cotton was cultivated with a workforce of mostly Mexican and Native American men. The US Postal Service agreed to the name 'Litchfield Park' in 1926. In 1929, the Wigwam Resort was opened to the public. In 1926, Litchfield went on to become the president of the Goodyear-Zeppelin Corporation,[2] and then Chairman of the Board in 1930. He retired from the company in 1958, and spent the final months of his life as a resident of Litchfield Park at his home on Fairway Drive.[3]
A nearby town is named Goodyear, and the Goodyear Blimp often operates in the area.
[edit] Geography
Litchfield Park is located at 33°29′36″N 112°21′30″W / 33.49333°N 112.35833°W (33.493410, -112.358210).[4]
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 3.1 square miles (8.0 km2), all of it dry land.
[edit] Demographics
Litchfield Park had a population of 5,476 at the 2010 census. The racial and ethnic composition of the population was 74.3% non-Hispanic white, 3.5% black or African American, 1.0% Native American, 4.1% Asian, 0.1% non-Hispanic from some other race, 2.8% two or more races and 15.4% Hispanic or Latino.[5]
[edit] Government
The Mayor is Tom Schoaf.
The Vice Mayor is Paul Faith.
City Council members are: Peter Mahoney, Paul Stucky, Tim Blake, Diane Landis, and John Romack
[edit] Notable residents
- Ray King, Former MLB relief pitcher
- Warren A. Morton, Wyoming oilman and former Speaker of the Wyoming House of Representatives
[edit] References
- ^ "Annual Estimates of the Population for Incorporated Places in Arizona". United States Census Bureau. 2008-07-10. http://www.census.gov/popest/cities/tables/SUB-EST2007-04-04.csv. Retrieved 2008-07-14.
- ^ [http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,882039-2,00.html TIME Magazine Cover Story
- ^ A History of Litchfield Park
- ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2011-02-12. http://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/gazette.html. Retrieved 2011-04-23.
- ^ 2010 census chart for Litchfield Park
[edit] External links
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