About Us

Mission

  • To share Maricopa’s heritage and make Maricopa history fun for everyone. 

Purpose

  • To collect, identify, record, preserve, and share stories and items of Maricopa’s past and present with current and future generations.

Goal

  • Is to continue keeping Maricopa’s diverse history alive. We aim to inform and inspire others with our team of enthusiastic volunteers in our Museum and the Silver Horizon railcar.

Maricopa Historical Society incorporated as a non-profit corporation (501 C3) in 2010. Meetings are held at
the Library and Cultural Center, 18160 N. Maya Angelou Drive, in the Redwood Room, on the first Monday of each month at 5:00pm.

Anyone interested in Maricopa’s history and its preservation is welcome to be a part of our group.

The Society began meeting in 2005 as the Maricopa History Committee with the Friends of the Maricopa Library. Thanks to many generous donations from local individuals and businesses, they were able to publish a book by Patricia Brock, “Reflections of a Desert Town, Edition II.” These donors were honored with a “Benefactors of Maricopa’s Heritage” plaque. If you are interested in having your
family’s name added to the plaque, please email MaricopaHistory@gmail.com for more information.

Since 2010 the Maricopa Historical Society has provided for the public various exhibits: The History of Maricopa Wells, Maricopa Train Days, Cotton and Cattle, The Quadrille de Mujeres, Maricopa Schools Everyday Living, Maricopa Characters. A permanent exhibit at City Hall gives a brief history of Maricopa and why its name and location changed.

The society not only has a large collection of photos and artifacts, but numerous Arizona history books that include many that are out of print.

The Society also has a large collection of video-taped oral histories from its “Oral History Project” as well as numerous written histories from residents who are no longer with us.

It sponsors a series of events with speakers from the past who come and share their memories and stories of living in Maricopa during earlier days called “Keeping Maricopa’s History Alive” and guest speakers on a variety of local and state history.

The Maricopa Historical Society is looking for anyone who may have artifacts they are willing to lend or donate. For more information, contact:

Paul Shirk

909-260-3020

MaricopaHistory@gmail.com

Maricopa Historical Society meetings are held on the first Monday of each month at the Redwood room of the Maricopa Library 5pm.

The Maricopa Historical Society Museum and Visitor Center is now open and located at 44240 Maricopa-Casa Grande Hwy in the Maricopa Heritage district. The Museum is open Wed – Sat from 10am to 2pm. The Museum phone number is 520-483-4692.

For more information:
Paul Shirk
909-260-3020
Email: MaricopaHistory@gmail.com

Maricopa Historical Society Board of Directors

Paul Shirk- President
Denny Hoeh – Vice President
Richard Kane – Board Member
Brenda Campbell – Treasurer
Ron Angwood – Board Member
Chad Chadderton – Board Member
Dorothy Charles – Board Member
Nancy Paddack – Board Member
Oliver Anderson – Board Member

Please note that the Maricopa Historical Society is in the City of Maricopa in Pinal county, not to be confused with the County of Maricopa.