Black Canyon City Community Library
This library has several items that can aid those who are doing research on area history. The library has an excellent collection of newspapers and newsletters printed in the area. It also has a complete record of the minutes of meetings of the Friends of the Library and the library's governing board. The library is located off Highway 17 (exit #242) on 34701 Old Black Canyon Highway. The phone number is 602-374-5866.
Books:
The following books in the Southwest collection are not always available at other libraries in the District.
Lewis, Alfred Henry. The Cowboy Humor of Alfred Henry Lewis. Myers, Richard D., Ed. Springfield, IL: The Lincoln-Herndon Press, Inc., 1988.
Miller, Nina Hull. Shutters West. Denver: Sage Books, 1962.
Sanford, Michael. Black Canyon City: a thimble of history. Black Canyon City: Strawberry Productions, 1998.
Young, John V., Kokopelli: Casanova of the Cliff Dwellers. Palmer Lake, CO: Filter Press, 1990.
Newspapers:
- Canyon Country News. This small, free local newspaper, published every two weeks varies in length from 16 to 24 pages. It contains advertisements as well as local information and news. Dates include 1995 (11 issues from Feb.-Dec., not all issues for the year), 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999.
- The Black Canyon Crier: "Voice of the Bradshaws!" Each issue contains 16-20 pages with ads and news of local interest. The library has February, March, and April issues from 1994.
- The Desert Advocate: "The Fastest Growing Publication in Northern Maricopa County (serving New River, Desert Hills, Anthem, Black Canyon City, Cave Creek & Carefree)." This is a free paper, generally about 20 pages. It contains ads as well as local news. It is published on the first and third Thursdays of each month. Judging from this collection, one would suppose this to have begun early in 1990. There are a few copies from 1990, but the collection is more thorough for the years between 1990 and the date of this report (late 1999).
- The Canyon Echo. A free Black Canyon City newspaper apparently published between February 1989 and June/July 1990, this newsprint publication is generally 16 pages long and contains local news and ads.
- Big Bug Journal. This free, newsprint publication was published in 1988 and 1989. It was probably a monthly publication, but the library does not have issues for each month during this period.
- Black Canyon Times. This is a free, newsprint publication probably published monthly during 1987 and 1988. They have approximately 15 issues. It was 16 pages and contained local ads and news.
- The Messenger was put out in 1974 and 1975. They have approximately ten copies of this homegrown newsletter containing local news and ads, available for a donation of ten cents. It had up to ten pages. In 1975 it evolved into a " newspaper." The library has about ten issues of the paper in this format, which generally contained eight pages.
- The Messenger: Black Canyon City. They have approximately twenty issues for this paper that was published in 1976, 1977 and 1978. It had between 16 and 20 pages of local news and ads; it was available for a donation of ten cents.
- The Prospector (free). Shopping news, four issues on file, from 1993 and 1994.
Vertical files
These are carefully indexed. We have listed only those items that might be considered to be of interest to those doing historical research.
File #1: There are over twenty magazines and newspapers as well as a few loose clippings. They date mostly from the 1980s and 1990s and are primarily from Phoenix and local newspapers. They contain secondary information on Arizona history as well as US history. There are a few primary sources; for example, one might find direct commentaries on the bombing of Pearl Harbor.
File #2: There are between fifteen and twenty clippings plus a few typed manuscripts of articles on Arizona history written in the 1980s and 1990s. There are also five copies of The Madisonian, a Montana paper from late 1800s. As in the first file, most articles contain secondary information on Arizona history.
Black Canyon Library, history of formation:
This file contains clippings on events, fliers, copies of official letters (e.g., letters to the Library Extension Service, 1964 -when Black Canyon City made its first efforts to found the library; letters from 1966 to City of Prescott about establishing a library). There are approximately 10 letters on the earliest phases of trying to establish a library and then congratulations in 1968 on founding a community library at Black Canyon City. There are ten to twenty other letters from the late 1960s containing information on the library and its beginnings. Several letters contain information on the property on which the first library was located; some discuss expansion in the 1980s. There are a few records from Black Canyon City Community Library Board meetings during the 1980s.
Additional File: Librarian's file on the library includes clippings from local sources about library founding, activities, and building. Someone has removed much information on the exterior
sculpture. There are several clippings (printed between the 1970s and the late 1990s) containing secondary information on Black Canyon Stage Station. There is a manuscript tribute to Lucy Ashton (active in founding the library in the 1960s and served 14 years as an employee), as well as approximately 15 clippings on Ashton (some are duplicates).
- Black Canyon City Incorporation file:
Official budget forms (Town of Queen Creek, fiscal year 1996-97); Canyon Country News: free home town newspaper March 1, 1997 covering the fact that Black Canyon City residents were scheduled to discuss incorporation.
- Black Canyon City Water Improvement District:
This file contains local newspaper clippings with general information on the Water Improvement District, a copy of "Black Canyon Water Improvement District, Yavapai County, AZ., Ordinance No. 96-1," a typed paper, "Questions and Answers special bond election Nov. 3, 1998," fact sheet.
There is also a copy of "Black Canyon Water Improvement District Yavapai County, AZ., rules and regulations for general operation for Black Canyon Improvement District," July 18, 1996.
- Black Canyon City Population Figures:
1990 census: from Arizona State Data Center, complete demographic information on the city.
Scrapbook on children's activities:
There are approximately 140 color snapshots from the 1990s of children participating in library activities. There are also approximately thirty shots of individual children and a few adults who are probably leaders in the children's activities.
Photos
(Loose)
- There are approximately 50 shots of the exterior sculpture and dedication (some of the shots are duplicates), late 1990s.
- Volunteer activities, perhaps 50 more, most are from the 1990s (no dates, no people or events are identified.).
- There are about twelve shots of vandalism done to the library in the mid 1990s.
