A history of San Paso

[N106 10]

Wrightguy0: Okay, that nice building is yours

ironicepitome: YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT IT'S LIKE TO BE 14!!!!  Okay, if you're 15-year you die, maybe you do, but still...  And an airline sounds like a great idea.  Who wouldn't want to fly to Los Angeles!   However, with the way the economy is right now, I'd wait.  This whole depression will hopefully blow over by '34 or '35, I hope.

Muck308: Even if Hoover's approval ratings are a little down at the moment, I think a parade is a good idea.

DHNola: Meh, it's only 1931.  There aren't any cities with GLR right now... though I heard that Phoenix is planning a GLR system that'll be done by 2008.  Thank you

Update 51: University of San Paso

If you recall last update, there was a large overview picture of the University of SAn Paso, or U of SP.  Well, today, we're going to look at the campus up close.

Here is the entrance to U of SP as it stands.  A clock tower was planned, though the depression that started last year is really delaying things.  They'll hopefully have it done by 1935.

Okay, here we are at the original campus of about 25 years ago.

We'll show you buildings in order of time built between 1910 and now.

Original academic center: 1912

Practice sports fields: 1914

Original dorms: 1919

Main stadium: 1921

Library: 1923

Athletic center: 1926

New academic center: 1927

Liberal Arts building: 1928

East Campus Dorms: 1930

And that was a tour of the University of San Paso campus.  More buildings will be built on campus over time.  Next update: Oasis Resort.

Oh, and your money is in danger.  Go to the bank and get your money before it crashes.  Sell your stocks.  And go buy a nice farm in Oklahoma.  Avoid California.  And now would be a good time to stop buying stuff.  I mean, there is a depression going on.

Comments and questions welcome!

[Raysfan16 5]

I would like to buy the last skyscarper shown in the previous update.(detroit free press building in RL) It will be named the Ray's Sporting Goods Building. (If that's taken, I would like the tallest office building left for sale.)

Once the city rises to even more prominence, I will make one of those grand eastern baseball teams move west!

Nice work on USP, I've enjoyed seeing its growth.

And also, you would bring up Trixies in your CJ.

Nice updates though!

[ironicepitome 0]

We the students of USP would like to announce the invention of a novel new way of college life. We call it: THE TOGA PARTY

[TmiguelT 10]

Toga, Toga, Toga !! let the party start !!

[Evillions 552]

Nice updates! I hope I can do a CJ just similar to yours but with a more Sci-Fi twist, it gives me ideas that I've never done before!

[Muck308 55]

Great campus. I like those palm trees. Not the Maxis ones of course.

[lucky7 73]

Thank you very much for the building! I am still trying to think of a good name, though...

Fantastic updates and alternate timeline, this makes it really thrilling,

looking very much forward to more,

lucky7

[N106 10]

Raysfan16: Actually, someone else already bought it, though a few other buildings are still available.  And, baseball sounds like a good thing in the near future.  And yes, only I would bring up the Trixies in a CJ.

ironicepitome: Sounds interesting.

TmiguelT: Okay, but I'm not sponsoring the party.

Evillions: That sounds pretty good.  A sci-fi twist would be interesting.

Muck308: I got the trees off the STEX

lucky7: Okay, I'm glad you got the building.  Thank you for enjoying my CJ.

Update 52: Oasis Resort

A couple of updates ago, I mentioned the Oasis Resort.  Now, we're going to tour the resort that the insanely rich enjoy while people are stuck in poverty due to this very large depression.

Here is the entrance to the resort.

Here is the entrance plaza for the resort- a masterpiece of modern architecture.

This is the main resort, where most of the rooms are.

Next, we have the restaraunt, country club, lounge, and the largest few rooms.

Next up, we have the courtyard for the Oasis resort.

Here is the swimming pool.

Then we have the tennis court.

There is a great golf course in the resort.  Here's the practice green.

This is an image of the driving range.

This is an image of the golf course.

Here is an overview of the resort.

It is the finest resort in all Arizona.

Comments and questions welcome!

[Raysfan16 5]

What's the tallest building left?

[ironicepitome 0]

As one of the richest men in the nation i will stay at your resort and assess its food and drink

[TmiguelT 10]

That looks awesome but it is a bit small.... you might wanna make it bigger by buying those farm lands

[N106 10]

Raysfan16: Please rephrase the question.  I do not understand what you are trying to say.

ironicepitome: Sounds good.  I'll get you the deluxe room.

TmiguelT: Meh... the resort is the largest in Arizona.  Not too small.

Muck308: The barn is a landmark.  It really is a nice place to kick back... if you're super rich.

Update 53: Paved Roads

The PWA has been established by FDR.  And they're paving lots of roads.  They started with historic neighborhoods near downtown.

Now, roads as far as 3 miles away from town are being paved.

The roads of the first "suburb" of San Paso have been paved as the neighborhood reaches 40 years old.

Paved roads in what was once Farmville have allowed for the neighborhood to become the heart of automobile culture in San Paso.  Farmville hasn't been hit hard by the depression.

We leave with a copy of a newspaper a few months ago.

Comments and questions welcome!

[simcity4fan12 13]

LOL Wow, that Hitler and Stalin are a couple of communist characters aren't they? Man, curse the ups and downs on the site. I've missed so much! Great skline!

[Muck308 55]

Looks like a nice place to kick back and get in a few holes. I like the barn on the fringe.

EDIT: Since my post is in the future at this point, I'd like to see if the edit time will show.

EDIT: Perhaps another try here.

[Larks2242 251]

Yikes, a baby Hitler and Mario has become a commie, well at least the roads are paved right

[Wrightguy0 40]

*starts up liberal and conservative radio stations in the wright media building to build ratings and just to see how the newspaper will react*

Whistels innocently, no secret agenda to pit radiostations against eachother for ratings and money here

well, glad to see hoover go, New Deal all the way!

[ironicepitome 0]

pffffff... What's goin on in Europe, not our problem!

[N106 10]

simcity4fan12: Yeah, Stalin's communist.  But Hitler's actually a reactionary.  The site needs to be stabilized.  I'm glad you like the skyline.

Muck308: Your edits didn't work.  I replied to your post last update.

Larks2242: That's what fascism does.  I'm glad the roads are finally paved.  Now I just need to get a new car.  The Model T isn't that good anymore.

Wrightguy0: The radio stations are vicious.  I heard the republican radio station saying that negroes have way too many rights and want to sabatoge religion and America.  Yet, for some reason, the democrat radio stations refuse to say anything remotely offensive.

ironicepitome: True.  Europe will resolve itself.  Everything will be perfectly fine and peaceful by 1942.  Same with Asia.

Update 54: Canals and Palm Parkway

PWA has tackled two local projects recently.  Palm Parkway has been completed as planned, and a large irrigation system has been built.

We'll start with the irrigation system.

In 1932, the farmers in San Paso were worried after hearing about the droughts in the Plains.  Fearing that a drought could happen in Arizona (impossible) they petitioned city council to build an irrigation system in order to provide back-up moisture in the unlikely event of a drought.

PWA started the canals last year, and have finished them.

The source of the canals is the Rio San Paso.

Here is an image of a canal.

The canals are often very close to the city, with the intentions of keeping all farmland moist.  Here is an area 4 miles from downtown.

Okay, now for the second part of this update: Palm Parkway.

Palm Parkway already existed as an avenue starting in downtown and heading southeast when built in 1924.  There were plans to line the part in downtown with palm trees, though the wealthy business owners in the area protested, stating that they didn't want to relocate to a less profitable area.

However, 2 things happened that allowed for the palm-lined walkways of Palm Parkway to be built this year.  In 1930, the economy fell apart.  Over the next 3 years, most of the business owners in the area went bankrupt and lost their businesses.  The remaining owners couldn't do anything as the city bought them up for demolition.

Also, in 1933, FDR created the New Deal.  98 people were employed for 4 months building the Palm Parkway.  It was paid for by PWA.

Here is an overview of the parkway.

The parkway starts at Central Avenue, only 1 block away from Washington Boulevard.

The parkway, even though it has destroyed businesses lining the road itself, has proved prestigious for surrounding businesses.

The walkways end as downtown gives way to residential neighborhoods.

We leave with a current map of San Paso.

Comments and questions welcome!

[Muck308 55]

You are getting more and more realistic with each update. I think the map is especially realistic. It's coming along nicely. Keep it up!

[simcity4fan12 13]

That map's roads and everything has gotten so much more detailed. Soon, it might get completely covered in urbaness.

[Larks2242 251]

The parkway looks really nice, also i like the canals great update!

[TmiguelT 10]

I like everything !! Getting realistic every time

[N106 10]

Muck308: I'm glad you enjoy my attempts at realism.

simcity4fan12: Maybe after the depression, we might see some city growth.

Larks2242: The parkway was my first attempt at lining streets with palm trees.  And the canal system was my first ever canal system.

TmiguelT: Thank you.

Update 55: Hamilton, Arizona

19 miles to the east of San Paso, there is a small town.  Originally founded in 1879, Hamilton has its own story.

Hamilton was originally started as a farming town, but the soil proved too rocky to farm effectively.  Nevertheless, a few farms stayed on the edges of Hamilton for years.

Below is an 1890 image of downtown Hamilton.

In 1894, a dirt path was built to San Paso.  5 years later, a path was built to Casa Grande, about an hour to the east.  Casa Grande was located at a key spot between Tucson and Phoenix.  Hamilton soon became a trading area along the route to Phoenix.  In 1914, Main Street was paved, even though the roads outside of town remained dirt.

As San Paso found itself in an even worse economic crisis than the one now, Hamilton also began to struggle.  Fewer people traveled the route between San Paso and Casa Grande.  Even as San Paso recovered, Hamilton was still going through hard times.  Businesses abandoned, and the town threatened to become a ghost town.  Then, in 1920, Enone O'Siks became mayor.  He cleared the abandoned businesses and built a beautiful palm-lined avenue through the heart of town.  He also ordered the road to San Paso to be paved.

The growth of Hamilton afterwards devoured the small farms that surrounded the town.

Here is a view of Main Street today.

The small businesses you see lining the road were built in the late 1920s, facing the road for more commercial value.

Here is a view of downtown as it stands.

Here is a picture of city hall.

This is a picture of the local school.

Finally, a note about how building patterns are beginning to change.  In the early 1890s, I showed everyone a tutorial on how to build a new neighborhood.  It was very low density but gradually got denser over time.

Well, it's now 1935, and things have changed.  All lots are developed right to the edge of town.  Developers have decided that people want to live away from the hustle and bustle of the innermost urban areas, and are slowly shifting to a more "suburban" construction style.

Comments and questions welcome!

[De Ja Vu 117]

Nice looking town and nice history. I've been reading your past updates and they are all really interesting to read! And with the pictures it's very entertaining!

Keep up the good work!

[chrissc94 1]

Great job on the past couple updates. The boulevards remind me of the Grand Plan from your previous CJ's, and it'll be interesting to see how the canals will be integrated into the suburbs when San Paso grows. I am looking forward to seeing the resort and university grow, as well. I'm looking forward to your next update!

[Muck308 55]

Looks like Hamilton has made a turn for the better with their new mayor. Hamilton City Hall looks very nice.

[TmiguelT 10]

Great Update. a new city eh? Always looking forward to the next update

[N106 10]

De Ja Vu: I'm glad you enjoy this CJ.  I'll surely keep up the good work!

chrissc94: The canals were built when I thought a little bit about Phoenix, Arizona.  The resort probably won't grow, though the university will surely expand.  And, update 57 will be about the largest boulevard I'll ever build.

Muck308: The new mayor proved pivotal for Hamilton.  The city hall is pretty nice.

TmiguelT: Hamilton was one of the two towns I've decided to introduce.  It just wouldn't be realistic for San Paso to be the only city in the county.

Update 56: Riverton, Arizona

The other small satellite town of San Paso is Riverton.  Riverton was founded in 1893 as a farming town.  Surrounded by the best soil and the most water in the region, the farming town thrived. 

A train station was built in 1904.

Starting in the 1920s, it found itself on a lucrative road route between San Paso and California.  The town is about 10 miles away from San Paso.

Here is a 1936 map of Riverton.

Below is a view of downtown Riverton.  It has remained stagnant since 1930 due to the depression.  However, after this whole depression blows over, Riverton will likely grow.

The entertainment center of Riverton is the Fox Theatre.  The theatre offers picture shows for a nickle, and was constructed in 1928.

Before Riverton was built, the railroad was constructed.  The rail was constructed in 1880, and was the source of the pre-fire boom in San Paso.  At first, the train just made a stop in Riverton, and people exited onto a flimsy wooden platform.  There was no station.

But, in 1902, the mayor made a contract with the company that built the railroads.  The Santa Fe Station was completed in 1904, and caused the development of downtown.

Across the street from the Santa Fe Station is Depot Park.  Depot Park was built over a few abandoned warehouses by PWA just last year.

There is a K-8 school.  For those in Riverton and Hamilton who want a high school education, they have to move to San Paso, Phoenix, or Tucson.

The school was constructed in 1915.

About 1 mile to the southeast of Riverton is where the Rio Corduva and the Buckman River flow into and widen the Rio San Paso.

In 1934, PWA replaced an old wooden bridge over the Rio San Paso with the Riverton Viaduct.

Starting in 1921, Riverton has been hosting the county fair.  They were just able to provide nicer fairgrounds.

That's about it for this update.  Tomorrow's update will be about the most expensive city-planning project ever built in San Paso.

Comments and questions welcome!

[ironicepitome 0]

very nice mon ami! i think i might make my next buisinuess venture in one of the two smaller towns

[simcity4fan12 13]

Great, great work my friend! I like the atmosphere of Riverton. The Fox Theatre reminds me of the old Don Theatre in Alexandria.