Florence, Arizona
| Florence, Arizona | |
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| Town | |
Main Street of the original town-site of Florence. The town-site was listed in the National Register of Historic Places on October 26, 1982, reference #82001623.
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 Location in Pinal County and the state of Arizona |
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 Florence, Arizona
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| Coordinates: 33°2′19″N 111°23′13″W / 33.03861°N 111.38694°WCoordinates: 33°2′19″N 111°23′13″W / 33.03861°N 111.38694°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Arizona |
| County | Pinal |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Tom Rankin |
| Area | |
| • Total | 8.3 sq mi (21.5 km2) |
| • Land | 8.3 sq mi (21.5 km2) |
| • Water | 0.0 sq mi (0.0 km2) |
| Elevation | 1,490 ft (454 m) |
| Population (2010) | |
| • Total | 25,536 |
| • Estimate (2015) | 31,110 |
| • Density | 2,054.6/sq mi (793.2/km2) |
| Time zone | MST (no DST) (UTC-7) |
| ZIP codes | 85132, 85128, 85179 |
| Area code(s) | 520 |
| FIPS code | 04-23760 |
| Website | http://www.florenceaz.gov/ |
Florence (O'odham: S-auppag) is a town, 61 miles (98 km) southeast of Phoenix, in Pinal County of Arizona, United States. Florence, which is the county seat of Pinal County, is one of the oldest towns in that county and is regarded as a National Historic District with over 25 buildings listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The population of Florence was 30,770 at the 2015 census.
The area where the current town of Florence is located was once inhabited by the members of the Athabascans, ancestors of the San Carlos Apache tribe. Prior to the establishment of the town, the Gila River served as a part of the border between the United States and Mexico. In 1853, the Gadsden Purchase extended American territory well south of the Gila.
Levi Ruggles, a veteran of the American Civil War, founded the town of Florence on the south bank of the Gila River. He came to Arizona Territory in 1866 as a U.S. Indian Agent. Recognizing the agricultural potential of the valley, he found an easily fordable crossing on the Gila River and surveyed a townsite there. With the aid of Governor R.C. McCormick, he secured a post office in August of the same year. Ruggles held numerous public offices including that of Territorial Legislator. Florence became the county seat in the newly formed Pinal County. Silver was discovered in 1875 in the nearby mountains which led to the creation of the famous Silver King Mine.
In 1870, Fred Adams founded a farming community two miles west of the original Florence townsite. The farming town had stores, homes, a post office, a flour mill, and water tanks, It was named Adamsville. In the 1900s (decade), the Gila River overflowed after a storm and ran over its banks. Most of the small town was wiped out and the residents moved to Florence. The area where the town was established is now a ghost town and is currently within the boundaries of Florence. At the junction of Highway 79 and 287 there is a historical marker about Adamsville.
A canal was built in the 1880s which enabled water from the Gila River to be diverted for irrigation. Farming and ranching then played a major role in Florence’s economy. All of the federal land transactions for Southern Arizona were conducted in Florence until 1881, when the Federal Land Office was moved to Tucson.
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Wikipedia