Tim Ehrhardt
Recent stories
- Closing the book on ILX Resorts
- March 18, 2010
- Sometime in April, Diamond Resorts will likely take over ILX Resorts, including their Kohl’s Ranch property. The company that has long been cursed by locals for a series of bonehead moves, most notably tearing down the old “Cowboy Bar” which was the original lodge, will be no more.
- Winter, Spring and other Rim stories
- March 4, 2010
- This winter reminds me of what the old-timers have consistently told me about winters here: It hasn’t been like it used to be. Yet to many, it’s obvious that this winter has been different. The totals from our earlier storm were on par with that of the 1967 snow and 1970 flood. The moisture, unlike many recent years, hasn’t stopped coming. In many ways, it’s an old-time winter. How was it back then? Here’s a clip from a conversation I had with longtime Mead Ranch local Royce O’Donnell a couple years ago.
- Arizona State Archives and Department of Mines
- February 17, 2010
- In Payson the big story when it comes to the state budget is the potential closing of the Tonto Natural Bridge, but for historians and genealogists the threat to history research centers like the state archives has been a point of concern. Recently I did a little research at the Arizona State Archives and at the Arizona Department of Mining and Mineral Resources. Here’s a sense of what is happening there.
- History in progress?
- February 3, 2010
- The storm that recently hit the state surely made an impact. Outside of Payson where I live, we had well over a couple feet of snow along with rain mixed in. We had power outages — power outages, which weigh a little heavier on everyone after the extended one in December. Commentators have called this a storm for the ages and I’ve read comparisons of it to the flood of 1970, so let’s take a look at where this might rank years from now.
- haunting new year tragedy
- January 15, 2010
- The year 1965 was less than a week old when tragedy struck Payson: four youths were killed in Payson’s jail. Even 45 years later, it’s an incident that still ranks amongst one of the most tragic in Rim Country.
- The Excursion Mine
- December 9, 2009
- Southwest of Payson, the land lies mostly still. Yet poking around into the history reveals far more than just a chunk of private land in the midst of Tonto National Forest. It reveals ties to a big local name and a big state name. This is the story of the Excursion Mine.
- Payson Commercial & Trust
- November 18, 2009
- Many say that the United States has its worst economy since the 1930s. It’s worth noting that even the little town of Payson was not immune to a key widespread problem during the 1930s: bank failures. Here’s the story of Payson’s first bank and how it collapsed during the Great Depression.
- Oral histories capture more than memories
- September 30, 2009
- There are a number of tools that historians use to help them piece together the past. Old newspapers, old documents and family records are often used. But oral histories sometimes get lost in the shuffle, even though they can be amongst the most valuable. Good oral histories provide a good basis for historians long after the interviewees are gone. This week we look at two major collections of oral histories that have been done locally.
- History near the water wheel site
- September 16, 2009
- The recent Water Wheel Fire was near three old homesteads, two of which have since been developed into subdivisions. This provides a perfect chance to take a glimpse at the past of this general area.
- The 1970 Labor Day Flood
- August 26, 2009
- There are two weather events that old timers like to talk to historians about. The first is the big snow of 1967; the second is the flood of 1970. This week we focus on the latter, presented with some great pictures from Hazel McBrayer and family.
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