List of historic properties in Miami, Arizona explained

Settlement Type:	town
List of historic properties in Miami, Arizona

This is a list which includes a photographic gallery, of historic structures, some which are listed in the National Register of Historic Places, of significance in Miami, Arizona, a mining town. Miami was founded by Cleve W. Van Dyke in 1907 and is located on the northeastern slope of the Pinal Mountains, between the towns of Superior and Globe on U.S. Routes 60.

Brief history

The area surrounding the Pinal Mountains where the town of Miami is now located was inhabited by the Tonto Apache tribe. Silver mining spurred European settlement in the Miami region in the late 1860s. The Apaches would sometimes raid these settlements to steal livestock.

On January 27, 1864, a group of settlers under the leadership of King S. Woolsey decided to confront the Apaches to retrieve their live stock, with the help of Maricopa warriors. They went deep into Apache territory in the Pinal Mountains and soon found themselves surrounded by the hostile Native Americans. Twenty-four Apaches and one Anglo were killed in what became known as the "Bloody Tanks Massacre". The Bloody Tanks Wash was named for this event, since it was said that the red Apache blood filled stream in the wash. This is the stream that would bisect the future town of Miami.^[1]

Cleve W. Van Dyke, a local businessman and entrepreneur, purchased land from the Miami Land and Improvement Company with the intent of founding a town. Though the town was officially founded in 1907, it wasn't until after 1908 that miners, businessmen and entrepreneurs began to take an interest in settling there. The price of silver began to drop while the price of copper increased. The Miami Copper Company was established and the mining town flourished.^[2]

Van Dyke came up with the idea of celebrating “Miami Townsite Day” on October 11, 1909. With the help and support of real estate companies in Globe, Van Dyke organized several events to create enthusiasm among the public. Following this promotion, his land lots in the new town sold easily.^[3]

Eventually, the Phelps Dodge Corporation bought out the Miami Copper Company and took over the day-to-day operations of the mine. Freeport-McMoRan then bought Phelps Dodge and continued the daily operations of the mine.^[3]

Historic buildings pictured

Miami has various properties listed in the National Register of Historic Places. Among these properties are five Luten arch concrete bridges built by the Topeka Bridge & Iron Co. over the Bloody Tanks Wash. They are the Miami, Inspiration, Keystone, Cordova and Reppy Avenue bridges. All the bridges were built in 1918, with the exception of the Reppy Ave. bridge which was built in 1921.

• The Miami Ave. Bridge – Listed in the NRHP on March 31, 1989, Ref. #88001693.^[4]
• The Inspiration Ave. Bridge – Listed in the NRHP on March 7, 1989, Ref. #88001691.^[4]
• The Keystone Ave. Bridge – Listed in the NRHP on March 7, 1989, Ref. #88001692.^[4]
• The Cordova Ave. Bridge – Listed in the NRHP on March 7, 1989, Ref. #88001690.^[4]
• The Reppy Ave. Bridge – Listed in the NRHP on September 30, 1988, Ref. #88001689.^[4]
• The Keystone Stairs – Built in 1910 on Keystone Ave.
• The Unique Theatre – Built in 1915 and located at 522 Sullivan Street.
• The Gila Valley Bank and Trust Co. – Built in 1910 and located at 500 W, Gibson St.
• The Bullion Plaza School – The school was built in 1923 and is located at 150 Plaza Circle. It is historically important for its association with the history of Mexican Americans and school segregation in Arizona. The school was listed in the National Register of Historic Places on January 4, 2001, Ref. #00001591. The building now houses the Bullion Plaza Cultural Center & Museum.^[5]
• The Wilton's Paint and Wallpaper building – Built in 1912 and located at 123 N. Miami Avenue.
• The 'Gem Theatre' – Built in 1915 and located at 520 Sullivan Street.
• The Soderman Building – Built in 1917 and located on 198 Chrisholm Ave. The building was listed in the NRHP on May 11, 2000, Ref. #0000465.The Soderman building was originally constructed as a two-story frame building. It was converted to concrete construction and housed a bar on the ground floor and a rooming house for Scandinavian miners on the top floor.^[6]
• Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament Church – The church, which originally called "Our Lady of Mt. Carmel" was built in 1917 and is located at 844 Sullivan Street. It was listed in the National Register of Historic Places on January 8, 2008, Ref. #07001332.^[7]
• YMCA Building – built in 1917 and located at 155 North Miami Ave.^[8]
• Commercial Building – built in 1916 and located 143 N. Miami Ave.
• Miami Community Church – The structure was built in 1920 and is located at 305 Live Oak Street. It was listed in the National Register of Historic Places on March 15, 2005, Ref. #05000137. The building is now occupied by the Divine Grace Presbyterian Church.^[9]
• The Fritzpatrick Building – The structure was built in 1909 was the first building in Miami. It is located at 53 Keystone Ave. It was also, the first poured concrete building in Miami.^[10]
• Kelly's Photography Building – The structure was built in 1911 and is located at 517 Sullivan Street. Roy F. Kelley, his wife, Mary E. Mallarky and her brother, Andrew J opened their photography studio in 1914. It now houses the Joshua's Tree House Antique Store.^[11]
• Price Brothers Building – The structure was built in 1913 and is located at 508 Sullivan Street. Ray Price, the owner of the building had a meat market there.^[12]
• The Travelers Hotel – The hotel was built in 1918 and is located at 621 Sullivan Street. One of the first hotels to be built in Miami.^[12]
• Firehouse Building – The first firehouse of Miami was built in 1915 and is located 422 Gibson Street.^[12]
• First Baptist Church Building – The structure located at 534 Gibson Street was built in 1915 and is now in a total state of abandonment.^[12]
• Cleaning and Pressing Shop – The structure was in 1910 and is located at 420 Gibson Street. The dry cleaning business was established in 1911 and was owned by I.N. Fuller. It is adjacent to the firehouse.^[12]
• Abandoned Protestant Church – The structure was built in 1915 and is located at 534 Gibson Street.^[12]
• Bank of Miami – The structure was built in 1916 and is located on the corner of Keystone Ave. and Sullivan Street.^[13]
• Mobil Gas Station – The gas station was established in 1920 in 314 Live Oak Street.^[12]
• 416 West Sullivan Street building – built in 1915. It now houses the Cowgirl Antiques. Entrance to the store is through the Wild Horses Saloon. It was the first two-story building on Sullivan Street and today boasts of being the only antique store that has its own saloon.^[14]
• Miami Townsite building – Built in 1911, by one of the founding fathers of Miami, Cleve Van Dyke. Van Dyke had his office in the second floor of the building which is located on 505 W. Sullivan Street. The building housed Ne-Way Grocers and kater Nader's Emporium Clothing Store. In 1913, an addition was built which housed a Western Union office and confectioner. The building now houses Pop's Soda Fountain and Antiques.^{[15] [16]}
• Central Drug Co. – The structure where the drug store was established was built in 1920 and is located at 600 Sullivan Street. That same year Harold "Doc" Copp opened the Central Drug Company. It was a time that Miami was a thriving mining town.^[17]
• Virgin Mary Shrine – Located on Hwy 60. It was created in 1952 by a Korean War Veteran.^[18]

Historic structures

The following are the images of the historic structures in Miami and its surrounding areas.

Further reading

• Miami: A History of the Miami Area, Arizona; By: Gray Sain Wilma; Publisher: Aakenbaaken & Kent;
• Around Miami; By: Santos C. Vega; Publisher: Arcadia Publishing;
• Southeastern Arizona Mining Towns; By: William Ascarza; Publisher: Arcadia Publishing;

See also

• National Register of Historic Places listings in Pinal County, Arizona

Notes and References

1. http://www.prescottcorral.org/TT1/BloodyTanks.pdf The Battle of Bloody Tanks Revisited
2. https://silverbelt.com/article/the-story-of-cleve-van-dyke-founder-of-miami The Story of Cleve W. Van Dyke
3. http://raregoldnuggets.com/?p=3216 Copper Mining History of Miami, Arizona
4. https://npgallery.nps.gov/pdfhost/docs/NRHP/Text/88001689.pdf National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet
5. https://www.nps.gov/nr/feature/hispanic/2008/bullion_plaza_school.htm National Register of Historic Places
6. http://www.waymarking.com/waymarks/WMYGJ9_Soderman_Building_Miami_AZ Soderman Building – Miami, AZ – U.S. National Register of Historic Places
7. https://www.globemiamitimes.com/lady-blessed-sacrament-church-celebrates-100th-anniversary/ Our Lady of Blessed Sacrament celebrates 100th anniversary
8. http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.851.1679&rep=rep1&type=pdf A History of Miami, Arizona
9. http://www.waymarking.com/waymarks/WMYGJH_Miami_Community_Church_Miami_AZ Miami Community Church – Miami, AZ – U.S. National Register of Historic Places
10. https://www.globemiamitimes.com/examining-building-blocks-globe-miami/ Globe-Miami Times
11. https://www.globemiamitimes.com/our-history/your-guide-to-historic-buildings-in-globe/kelleys-photography-studio/ Kelley’s Photography Studio
12. http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.851.1679&rep=rep1&type=pdf History of Miami, Arizona
13. https://books.google.com/books?id=kxmegY9euDIC&q=Building+on+the+corner+of+Keystone+Ave.+and+Sullivan+Street+in+Miami%2C+Az%22Coast&pg=RA1-PA445 Banker, Volume 17"; Coast Banker Publishing Company, 1916; Page 445.
14. https://www.globemiamitimes.com/lets-go-antiquing-globe-miami-treasures/ Globe-Miami Treasures
15. http://www.theantiqueregister.com/restored-functioning-soda-fountain-opens-soda-pops-antiques-miami/ Restored Functioning Soda Fountain Opens at Soda Pop’s Antiques in Miami
16. https://www.globemiamitimes.com/our-history/your-guide-to-historic-buildings-in-globe/soda-pops-antiques/ Globe-Miami Times
17. http://www.waymarking.com/waymarks/WMYGH5_Central_Drug_Co_Miami_AZ Central Drug Co. – Miami, AZ
18. http://www.waymarking.com/waymarks/WMYFWA_Shrine_to_the_Virgin_Mary_Miami_AZ Shrine to the Virgin Mary