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Litchfield Park, Arizona

Litchfield Park was selected by APRA

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The City of Litchfield Park is pleased to share that Arizona Parks & Recreation Association (APRA) selected our Centennial Celebration as this year’s Outstanding Community Special Event for populations under 25,000.
100 years

100 Year Celebration coming in 2017

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Litchfield Park has become known for its award winning special events, concerts, festivals, and celebrations that take place over the year. Of the more than twenty events annually the City has been honored for their 25th Anniversary of Incorporation event, Christmas in the Park,
feed-lot-aerial-1953

Litchfield Park Cattle

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The cattle were kept 100-200 per pen and there were so many pens if they were stretched end to end they would be six miles long. A railroad spur came right up to the pens for ease of delivery and pick up. Their automatic feed system could feed up to 600 cattle at one time.

Litchfield Park Early Churches

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The Southwest Cotton Company brought many farm laborers into the area to harvest cotton. Over 2,500 men were brought in from Mexico and the surrounding areas. This influx of new families created a need for many new services into the area.

Litchfield Elementary School History

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Mrs. Mabel Padgett, wife of John Padgett a surveyor for Goodyear, was the first teacher. Mr. Rayner arranged for seats, equipment and free textbooks. The school’s enrollment increased daily and by January 1, 1918 enrollment had reached 80 children. Plans were made to select a permanent school site.

The Development of Litchfield Park, AZ

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Cotton was planted in 1917 and by 1918 the downtown area of Litchfield Park was developed. Try to visualize Litchfield Park in 1918, when the town site was under development!

Paul Weeks Litchfield

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Mr. Litchfield’s job was to develop a superior pneumatic automobile tire and improve bicycle and carriage tire production. In 1901, he designed the straight side tire and by 1905, he had improved the tire enough that Goodyear was selling tires as original equipment for automobiles.

Arrival of GOODYEAR TIRE and RUBBER CO

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Mr. Paul Litchfield, the founder, worked for Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company headquartered in Akron, Ohio. Paul Litchfield a Chemical Engineer, who graduated from MIT, went to work for Goodyear in 1900