Florence AZ

We spent some time geocaching in Florence on Thursday. SD friends joined us for the day to learn more about our new pastime. The temperatures were more in line with what we expect this time of the year. The sun was in shining and the winds weren't as pesky as some days this week.

I have enjoyed several aspects related to geocaching. One of my favorites is the new places we see because of geocaching. Thursday was a great example of seeing new and different. We have been to Florence several times nearly every year for the past 8. The community is not that big, but okay, I am really surprised to learn:

Population in 2011: 25,689. Population change since 2000: +50.6%

Males: 21,078	(82.1%)
Females: 4,611	(17.9%)

Median resident age:	36.2 years
Arizona median age:	37.1 years

25,689???? That number HAS to count the prison population because the town is NOT as large as my home community and has mostly (99%) single family dwellings, not large apartment complexes. 

Florence is home to a total of 9 prisons from the county, state, federal and two private prisons. There are 3 state prisons located in Florence. 


"The History of The Pinal County Courthouse

The Courthouse is the oldest continuously used public building in the state of Arizona. This 112-year-old courthouse was built in 1891 for $29,000. Did you know that there's never been clocks in the clock tower and that the curtains in the clock tower are actually just painted there? There wasn't enough money, so the powers that be brought in clock facings, and these are made of pressed metal. The time in the clock tower is set at about a quarter to 12:00 so people coming into town would know they could come to the courthouse and get their business done before they shut it down at noontime.

This is American Victorian Architectural style is rich in architectural detail. Millwork abounds throughout, some of the original doorknobs are still in use today and it still has its magnificant split staircase.

The old courthouse in Florence has seen a lot of history over the decades. For example, the Trunk murderess Winnie Ruth Judd had a sanity hearing there and the last stagecoach robber in America, Pearl Hart, had her trial in it. Pearl had the misfortune of being caught by Sheriff W.E. Truman. She was placed in the Florence jail June 4th 1899 and went on trial in the courthouse in October 1899.

There's even talk of ghosts haunting the halls of the courthouse. Yes Ghosts! These Ghosts are rumored to be floating around in there because of the ones who were left behind in the cemetery. What Are You Saying? Well, this old building sits on what used to be the town cemetery. When they took all of the bodies out of the cemetary they missed a few naturally, mainly because a lot of the graves weren't marked. Some of those ghosts may just be floating around in the old Courthouse, but ghosts don't stop people from loving this old courthouse. This old courthouse is a treasure for the whole county and indeed for the state of Arizona. The citizens of Florence particularly love this old building because it's a part of their history and their lives."

The town was established in 1866 and became the Pinal 

county seat. This building is the courthouse.

By 1891, the town constructed an early fired red brick American Victorian courthouse to meet expanding needs.

 The building ran over budget and funds for the clock in the tower were diverted to build a new jail. The clock face is only painted on and always reads 11:44. This courthouse appears on the town seal and is a visible landmark as one enters the town from all directions.

Yep, the clock says 11:44. I had not noticed 

that on any of our previous Florence visits.

Checking the map of proposed geocache finds for the day.

Way at the north end of Main Street we found the

Silver King Hotel building.

Florence boomed in the 1870’s as wagonloads of ore from the Silver King Mine passed through town. Single men swarmed to work the mines and spend their money in Florence, while cowboys from local ranches celebrated payday here as well. Twenty-eight establishments such as the Nichols and Tunnel Saloons served these men who would quench their thirst, gamble and enjoy female companionship.

Colorful outdoor tables

The Silver King Hotel today

Florence is the County Seat as well as being one of the oldest towns in Arizona. Florence is proud of its history and the designation of the old town as a National Historic District. Over 100 buildings are listed on the National Register of Historic places and the town strives to strike a balance between preserving the past and preparing for the future so that an authentic sense of place is maintained and new growth and revitalization is encouraged.

The community has an excellent historic museum,

an amazing hardware store where you can find all kinds of things

you did not know you needed, and my favorite, the Greek restaurant.

After finding some caches in town, we headed

south of town to the Florence Cemetery to find

several caches. The cemetery was another surprise.

I was very surprised to see all the decorations

at many of the grave sites. Back home, flowers real 

or artificial must be removed for the purpose of mowing

and upkeep. 

This person must have loved the outdoors

as the head and foot of the grave displayed

all sorts of cowboy decor.

This was one of the older fenced plots in the cemetery.

Not all the family plots were fenced or 'marked off'

but many of them were.

In an area devoid of color, especially green, artificial

flowers provide quite a splash on many of the graves.

Many family plots had benches 

or chairs in the area or nearby. I got the impression

the cemetery was a gathering spot for surviving

family members. It was as if they left for the afternoon, 

but would be coming back later in the day or on

the weekend.

There were lots of personal effects on this plot.

My dad would have liked the boots and hat

planters on his plot.

But the unopened bottle of Bud Light was the 

most unusual item I saw that afternoon. 

It most certainly would have been stolen back home.

This cross is made of horseshoes.

All four pictures from the same grave.

The blue glass chips sparkled in the sun on the plot

next to the above cowboy.

This was the only green grass in the cemetery. It is artificial.

I am not sure if the family or friends stop by to drink and leave 

their empty cans or if the cans were full when placed there

and the caretaker takes a break now and then...

I just thought it interesting to share what this city

cemetery looks like as it is not like any I see back north.

This abandoned stone house was another stop that

afternoon. The upper half of the structure is long gone.

The house was divided down the middle and larger

than the one we saw off another trail a couple of weeks ago.

River rock was used in the foundation.

Almost smooth interior walls

Just like the other house, old bed springs litter the ground.

A few beer containers, but not as many as might be expected.

Some unexpected yellow flowers under the shade

of a tree along the bank of a sometimes running river.

Who knew Florence had a winery?

This was our final in town stop for the day.

We didn't stop for a taste, but the place looked

worry of a stop another time. I saw a horse drawn wagon

and large barn on the other side of the property.

And since we didn't find ALL the geocaches in Florence

we'll certainly go back for another look.