PHOENIX — The Valley of the Sun continues to grow at an incredible pace. Thousands of people move to Phoenix and its surrounding cities every month and there doesn't appear to be any signs of slowing down.
Symbols and artifacts of the city's growth over the decades can be seen almost everywhere you look. Especially for Phoenix Historian Steve Schumacher.
The historian recently sat down with 12News to take a look back at some old photos of the Valley's past, and one in particular has a special significance.
In this photo, a line of people can be seen waiting to get into a neighborhood to see new model homes in what is now known as Maryvale. Schumacher said the black-and-white photo is from the 1950s.
Open farmland surrounds the small culdesac of seven buildings. According to Schumacher, these are some of the first homes put together by real-estate developer John F. Long. The community was named Maryvale after Long's wife, he added.
During the peak of the Maryvale community, Schumacher said Long was selling about 125 homes per week for $7,000 - $9,000.
"These model homes were representative of the suburban growth that started to happen in the mid-1950s," Schumacher explained. "And it's still in place today."
These particular homes were located at 47th Avenue and Indian School Road. Schumacher said you can still see these homes in the same neighborhood today.
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