Maricopa’s original developer joined city leaders and local historians this morning to dedicate the city’s new history walk at Heritage Park in his honor.
The walk, which features plaques showcasing different episodes in Maricopa’s colorful history, runs along the edge of the park now named for Mike Ingram, founder of Scottsdale-based El Dorado Holdings that developed Rancho El Dorado and other large Maricopa subdivisions.
Ingram donated $100,000 to the city with much of it going into improvements at Mike Ingram Heritage Park.
Many didn’t expect Maricopa to be as it is today, said City Councilmember Vincent Manfredi, who introduced Ingram this morning.
“There’s one person that expected it to be as big as it is and he’s sitting over here,” Manfredi said, pointing to Ingram.
“El Dorado Holdings was really started in Maricopa and the land that El Dorado had was here,” said City Manager Ben Bitter. “The 347 became a state route because of the work that Mike and his team did in the early 1990s and the late ’80s.”
An emotional Mike Ingram tips his hat to the city of Maricopa’s leadership at Heritage Park today, part of a ceremony opening the new history walk at the park named for the city’s first developer. [Bryan Mordt]Bitter said the highway hasn’t been expanded since Ingram helped establish it 25 years ago but it was Ingram’s work that established the East Valley connector originally.
“The best part about Mike is his commitment to the community,” Bitter said. “El Dorado Holdings has been a fantastic partner to us.”
Ingram recalled part of the history that went into establishing Maricopa Road, which later became the Maricopa-Casa Grande Highway.
He said Mary Lou and John Smith, who died this month at 96, were able to start Maricopa’s development with Maricopa Road, along with Jane Askew and her family, Alma Farrell, Delia Carlyle and Leona Kakar.
That group “led the charge in this community by putting together the Maricopa Road Association,” Ingram said.
Ingram credits Gila River Indian Community for donating the easement that would become State Route 347. He said it was enough land for a six-lane road passage connecting Phoenix to Maricopa, but the Bureau of Indian Affairs said the highway should be restricted to four lanes.
Ingram said Arizona Department of Transportation later agreed to design the highway two more lanes could be added in the median.
Ingram complimented city leaders for establishing the John Wayne Parkway overpass and local efforts to push for safety improvements to crossings on SR 347, like Riggs Road.
“My hats off to the city,” Ingram said. “It’s unbelievable what they’ve done to make the city what it is today.”
He recalled a time when his company was developing Rancho El Dorado and he was not looked up fondly by all locals.
“I got a lot of abuse,” he said. “People were talking about, ‘What are you trying to do?’ They didn’t realize this was a great community long before we ever incorporated.”
He rattled off the names of local farming families – Anderson, Dunn, Hartman and Smith – who helped raise money for the former municipal pool site where the new Ingram Park is located today on Plainview Street at Maricopa-Casa Grande Highway.
Ingram cited bumps in the road he hit trying to develop Rancho El Dorado, like when Cox Communications refused to bring in cable TV service, something Orbitel Communications did instead.
“The darkest day of my life was when Arizona Public Service called and they wouldn’t bring electricity unless they had a $50 million deposit,” he said, adding that’s when he went to California to form a partnership with Edison to found Electric District No. 3, a new power utility company.
Later, he said, Global Water Resources bought out the water and sewer company Ingram originally formed to serve that critical need.
Ingram was also key to bringing Amtrak to Maricopa over Casa Grande, and the California Zephyr railcar, which ran the rails here and is sitting at the park bearing his name today.
Since Maricopa was incorporated 20 years ago, Ingram said the leadership has made the big difference.
“The people who used to laugh at me, saying your building a road to nowhere, they realized nowhere has arrived today,” Ingram said. “It is a great tribute to each one of you guys.”
Mike Ingram and Maricopa Vice Mayor Amber Liermann cut the ribbon at the Heritage Park event today, opening the history walk. [Bryan Mordt]
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