Glendale in Maricopa County, Arizona — The American Mountains (Southwest)
The Barnyard
at Sahuaro Ranch…
The barnyard was the center of activity as Sahuaro Ranch. Horses and mules were stabled, trained, and shoed here. Cattle were brought to the corrals for branding, treatment and shipment. Farm implements and wagons were stored and repaired here.
The oldest structures in the barnyard - all built under William Bartlett's ownership - are the horse stable, blacksmith shop, tack house and some of the corrals. Well into the 1920s, horses and mules provided most of the hauling and transport power used on the ranch.
After the Smith family acquired the ranch in 1927, they expanded its livestock holdings to include dairy cows, beef cattle, and eventually thoroughbred horses. The Smiths built the dairy barn, cow pens, and milk house, and they converted the stable into a granary. Later they installed a scale to weigh cattle, and erected a large shed to store hay cut from the ranch's alfalfa fields.
Other changes were made to support the transition from horse-drawn to mechanized equipment. The blacksmith shop was expanded to accommodate modern machine tools, a fuel storage shed was built, and later a vehicle maintenance shed (complete with grease pit) was added.
Buildings and Structures
[List follows - not transcribed, photographed]
[Photo captions follow]
[Top left] The L-shaped stable on the left is long gone, but this 1899 photograph shows the various uses of the Barnyard: a place to keep animals, grain and animal feed, and farm equipment. (Photo courtesy of the Arizona Historical Foundation, W.N. Campbell Photograph Album, DW-84-27).
[Left center] Here is a view of the east end of the Barnyard in the mid-1980s. The Implement Maintenance Shed is visible on the left. Behind it, the Original Corrals & Tack House can be seen. The Vehicle Maintenance Shed is on the right side of the photograph. A windstorm destroyed the Implement Maintenance Shed in 1996. (Photo courtesy of the Glendale, Arizona Historical Society).
Erected by Glendale Parks & Recreation.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Agriculture • Animals. A significant historical year for this entry is 1927.
Location. 33° 34.616′ N, 112° 11.348′ W. Marker is in Glendale, Arizona, in Maricopa County. Marker is about 200 feet northwest of the Foreman's House, at Sahuaro Ranch Park Historic Area. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 9802 North 59th Avenue, Glendale AZ 85302, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Blacksmith and Machine Shop (a few steps from this marker); Dairy Barn (a few steps from this marker); Stable / Granary (within shouting distance of this marker); Well House (within shouting distance of this marker); Corrals and Tack House (within shouting distance of this marker); Foreman's House (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Fruit Packing Shed (about 500 feet away); Water & Power (about 500 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Glendale.
Credits. This page was last revised on August 30, 2020. It was originally submitted on March 5, 2011, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania. This page has been viewed 928 times since then and 16 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. submitted on March 5, 2011, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania.