SignalsAZ.com Prescott News Podcast - Chino Valley Acquires Historic "Fred Harvey Farm"

Starting point is 00:00:00 Text to Speech Audio Articles made possible by Cast 11 Talking Glass Media. The town of Chino Valley, Arizona, in partnership with the Trust for Public Land, today announced the acquisition and protection of 23 acres within the boundaries of the future state park at the headwaters of the Verde River. The land, formerly privately owned, will now be owned and managed by the town of Chino Valley for all to enjoy. This area contains several historic buildings that will be preserved, and there are long-term plans to create an interpretive trail. The Verde River Headwaters region holds the best of Arizona, cultural and indigenous significance,

Starting point is 00:00:35 ecological diversity, and recreational opportunity, and TPL is proud to have worked alongside Chino Valley leaders to create this new state park and, now, to preserve this important historic property for all to enjoy, said Michael Patrick, senior project manager for trust for public land. Nearly 1,000 acres of land along the river's headwaters and surrounding Del Rio Springs sat relatively untouched for decades. Last year, TPL worked with Arizona State Parks and Trails, ASPT, Yavapai County, Nature Conservancy, Nina Mason-Pulium Charitable Trust, and the town of Chino Valley to protect 734 acres for the creation of the new state park. In addition to providing outdoor recreation and protecting the Verde River and the Del Rio Springs, the property offers opportunities to

Starting point is 00:01:19 protect and interpret early history of statewide importance. Following the establishment of the Arizona a territory in 1863, the first capital of the territory was located on the property for a short while, as part of the original Fort Whipple, before being moved to Prescott. Following the purchase of the land by a subsidiary of the Acheson, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railroad in 1913, the Fred Harvey Company partnered with the railroad to establish a farm to raise poultry and beef and produce ice, eggs, and other foods here to supply their premier chain of hotels along the rail line connecting Chicago to Los Angeles. Multiple historic buildings and barns the company occupied will be preserved within the state park to tell this important story of

Starting point is 00:01:58 American history. The acquisition of this land ensures not only the great history of the land but also the preservation of the waters in and around the Verbe River, said Tom Armstrong, mayor of the town of Chino Valley. The town is extremely proud to have partnered with trust for public land in this historic move for history and the environment. Through the assistance of TPL, the town was able to buy and preserve this latest property at a discount to the land's the praised value. This was made possible through a generous gift to TPL for the project by the Faber Family Fund in addition to a significant price discount offered by the sellers of the property, Bob O'Rear and Jim Brown, who were represented by brokerage firm land advisors' organization.

Starting point is 00:02:38 TPL also received financial support for the project from the Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust. According to town manager Terry Denhamy, we are told that this is the last remaining Fred Harvey farm in the country. Had our town leaders not stepped in to acquire this important part, not just of Chino Valley's history, but also of our nation's history, it all could have been lost. I applaud them for their vision. Because of their action, generations to come can see and learn from these historic buildings in the history they represent. As the first inhabitants of the Verde River and region, the Yavapai Prescott Indian tribe and Yavapai Apache Nation also recognize this area is culturally significant. The Verde River is an important cultural and spiritual resource for these

Starting point is 00:03:20 indigenous communities and Verbe River Headwater State Park will preserve sacred sites and acknowledge this important beginning. TPL is working to protect this ecosystem through its Verbe River program. In recent years, the rural cities and towns along the river's route have embraced the preservation of land for Riverside Parks and outdoor recreation, both for residents and for the economic benefits of tourism. The river is slowly becoming an increasingly popular destination for people to connect to the outdoors, from kayaking and birding to hiking and biking along Riverside Trails. About trust for public land. Trust for public land, TPL, is a national non-profit that works to connect everyone to the benefits and joys of the outdoors. As a leader in

Starting point is 00:04:01 equitable access to the outdoors, TPL works with communities to create parks and protect public land where they are needed most. Since 1972, TPL has protected more than four million acres of public land, created more than 5,5004 parks, trails, schoolyards, and iconic outdoor places. raised $110 billion in public funding for parks and public lands, and connected nearly 9.7 million people to the outdoors. To learn more, visit tpl.org. Catch up with more local news stories on signalsaz.com. Subscribe and be the F1 RSD2-No.

SignalsAZ.com Prescott News Podcast - Chino Valley Acquires Historic "Fred Harvey Farm"

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