phoenix history news

The Roosevelt Dam drawn in Blue on a 1934 Map by T.A. Hayden

Map of the Month: October 2023

Salt River Valley, Arizona, 1934. Cartography by T.A. Hayden. In 1934, the Phoenix valley was mostly farmland thanks to the incredibly successful damming of the Salt River with the Roosevelt Dam via the Salt River Project i...

Compound 1 magnified to show several barracks, bathhouses, and officer housing

Map of the Month: February 2023

Our February Map of the Month is this 1945 map of the “Papago Park Prisoner of War Camp” that was used to hold German P.O.W.s during the Second World War. The map provides a detailed overview of the entire camp, including the various compounds, officer areas, guard towers, and even the canal that th...

Renee James

Welcome to the Greater Arizona Collection

Greater Arizona Collection Curator Renee James Hello, my name is Renee D. James, and I am the curator for the Greater Arizona Collection. I hold an M.A. in History and a Certificate in Archival Management and Historical Editing fr...