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Marana Christian Church Ground Breaking

The Marana Christian Church “Ground Breaking Ceremony” in 1953. The church congregation was mostly comprised of members of the farming community. Through their missionary efforts, they provided social...

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Old Marana Business District

Pima Mercantile. This building was torn down in the early 60s in order to construct Interstate 10. It was owned by Sydney McNeil.

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Old Town Hall at Marana & Sanders

The first Marana Town Hall was located in a small strip mall on the southwest corner of Sanders and Marana Roads. The property was owned by Mr. Sam Chu and included a neighborhood grocery store called...

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Town Growth Annex

These are maps to show Marana's official boundaries from incorporation in 1977 to 2009.

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Wynema Honea's Oral History

Wynema married Ray Honea in 1946 and moved to Marana in 1950. She talks about the Homemakers' Club, cotton farming, the former downtown, the Honea water system, the Cotton Blossoms, Honea Heights, and...

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Ora Mae Harn's Oral History

Ora Mae Harn recalls raising a family in Marana, Incorporation, Marana Health Center, Marana Food Bank, Council Member/Vice Mayor/Mayor, Marana School District, 1993 Annexation. Run time: 41:39.

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Bill Schisler Oral History

Bill Schisler moved his wife and four kids to Marana following time served in the army in 1969. He was a council member and briefly served as the mayor. Mr. Schisler recalls incorporation and a citizen...

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Bob Honea Oral History

Bob Honea served as the Postmaster and remembers the farming and ranching activities in the town. Bob attended the University of Arizona and played basketball. He married Pat in 1951 and started the...

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David and Tom Anway's Oral History

David Anway talks about his family settling in Avra Valley in the 1910s. David recalls farming, and watching German prisoners march down Marana road from the German prison camp, the Marana airbase, and...

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Eddy Honea's Oral History

Eddy Honea is a third generation Maranan. His grandparents moved here in the 1920s and he remembers farming, the community, the school district, and his time on council. He describes the incorporation...

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JD and Janie Henley Oral History

JD married Janie in 1946. He worked in Silverbell and bought property in Honea Heights. They recall starting the volunteer fire department and the Marana Food Bank. They also remember the 1981 citizen...

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Ray Honea's Oral History

Ray Honea was born on January 21, 1925 and came to Marana when he was 15 years old. He served in the military and went to the Philipines. Ray married Wynema in 1946 and raised three kids. He recalls...

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Mamie Kai's Oral History

Mamie Kai was married to Jon Kai and describes her family's start in cotton farming. She recalls the Trico Co-op, farming in Avra Valley and Cortaro Farms. Run time: 32:14.

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Grading the cotton

Grades of cotton were assigned depending on cleanliness, strength, and the length of the fiber. These men made a difference in the success of Marana's cotton industry with the grades they assigned a...

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Articles of Incorporation

Resolution No. 1977-20, Resolution of the Board of Supervisors of Pima County, Arizona, declaring the incorporation of the Town of Marana, pursuant to Section 9-101, Arizona Revised Statutes.

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Bales in Gin Yard Ready for Market

Cotton Bales in Cortaro. After picking the cotton, workers would feed the crop into a gin to take out the seeds and ultimately make large bales that weigh about 500 pounds. A semi-truck would carry...

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Citizen street paving

Marana citizens raised money through donations with the help of Jack Horton from NAPA Auto who gave batteries to recycle for money. The town borrowed Cortaro Water’s dump truck and borrowed the City of...

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Cortaro Farms Company Building

The Cortaro Headquarters was built in 1935. This building is the Producer’s Cotton Oil. It was built by a Yaqui Indian craftsman, and he did the block work. This building had a cooling unit that had a...

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Tom Clark, Sr. and Elinor Barnett Oral History

Tom Clark, Sr. and his sister, Elinor Barnett, talk about growing up in Marana. The Clark family moved to Marana because of the Post Project. They remember the cotton farming, the schools, the...

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Dorothy Honeycutt and Jo Rex (Frew) Oral History

Jo Rex talks about her father, Don Frew, who was the mayor of the first publicly elected Town Council. Dorothy Honeycutt was the Town Clerk. Together, they talk about incorporation, the construction of...

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2 Brothers - Water Boys - 11-29-46 - Cortaro Farms Experiment

When families worked the fields, they took the kids to help. These are two brothers, water boys.

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DC Warren

DC Warren was born in Huntsville, Texas, and moved to Rillito, Arizona in 1952. He worked as a cowboy at area ranches. He also played in a number of movies filmed in Old Tucson during the 1950s through...

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Ditch Blade

Marana farmers constantly worked to keep the irrigation ditches cleaned out so the water could flow evenly to all the fields.

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Early Police Department cruiser

The newly incorporated Town of Marana bought many used vehicles to build up its police vehicle fleet. This is the first new cruiser the Town bought.

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Cotton Estimators

Estimators deciding cotton grades.

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Group of Farmers during Post Project

This is a group of farmers and investors called the Cortaro Farms Investment Group. Edwin Post drove this effort. Marana was also called Postvale and Mr. Post and the investment group bought land and...

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Ed, Ray, Wayne Honea

Mayor Ed Honea, pictured far left, is 17 in this photo. His father, Ray Honea, is in the middle, and brother Wayne Honea is on the right. Wayne is wearing a Marana Future Farmers of America jacket. Ray...

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Board OKs Incorporation of Marana, Arizona Daily Star article

Arizona Daily Star newspaper article describing Marana community member efforts to successfully achieve incorporation status.

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Postmaster James Collins

James Collins was the second postmaster in Marana. The first was a lady named Mrs. Moss who was the postmistress in the 1930s. Mr. Collins started as the postmaster in the 40s.

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Post Office Dedication

Post Office Dedication - The speaker is Arizona Congressman Mo Udall. Lon Adams is on the left of Mr. Udall and Sam Chu is on the right. Postmaster Bob Honea is seated on the far right.

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Post Office Dedication - 1962

This is a post office dedication on Sanders and Marana Road. It was built by Sam Chu. The first postmaster was Bob Honea. Mayor Ed Honea (age 14) and his brother Wayne (age 11), are standing next to...

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Natural gas engine pumping water to farm fields

Natural Gas Engine, formerly located on Sandario Road and Moore Road. This was a natural gas engine that used to run 24 hours a day, pumping water for irrigation to nearby fields. Mayor Ed recalls the...

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Yaqui Labor Camp

This was called the Yaqui Camp and is currently the area known as Yoem Pueblo. The Yaquis settled here and put up shacks and tents in order to be close to the fields. CWUA owned the property and sold...

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Weighing Cotton

Weighing Cotton – people used to pick cotton by hand until the late 50s. They got approximately three cents a pound for the cotton. That bale probably weighed 100 pounds. The young man pictured...

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Marana High School

This is the first Marana High School. It was torn down to make way for the construction of Interstate 10.

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The First Post Office

Mrs. Moss, the first postmistress and her two sons. Mayor Honea's maternal grandmother, Ethel Steele, worked for Mrs. Moss. The building was mud adobe, built in 1933, and located on Highway 84. This...

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Mobil Oil Station

This was located on Marana Rd. and Sandario. The station was owned by Olin Waples.

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