Douglas C. Towne

1 week ago | phoenixmag.com | Douglas C. Towne

New theories have refocused attention on the 1956 tragic midair collision over the Grand Canyon that forever changed commercial aviation. The night of June 30, 1956, is one that Arizona state historian Marshall Trimble will never forget. “I had taken my girlfriend, Sharon, to a movie that night, and we were driving to Bob’s Big Boy on Central and Thomas to hang out with friends when the news of the missing airliners came on the radio,” the 86-year-old says.

1 week ago | phoenixmag.com | Douglas C. Towne

Crossing the threshold of a Valley resort during the analog era signified a clear transition from work to play. Sure, the stay might involve dodging the occasional call from the office, but even those were usually brief, since long-distance rates weren’t cheap. It was a time for unfolding lounge chairs, not laptops. Vintage marketing from these desert retreats depicts a carefree, giddy-up lifestyle, showcasing Western adventures paired with poolside lounging.

1 month ago | azcentral.com | Douglas C. Towne

Douglas C. TowneSpecial to The RepublicAlmost a century ago, the Green Parrot Auto Court opened at 2360 E. Van Buren St. in Phoenix. It was one of many accommodations on the road designated as U.S. Highways 60, 70, and 80, the main route for motorists heading to southern California. The Green Parrot featured 30 individual units separated by carports, which surrounded a central court. Six years later, in 1934, 1-year-old Bill Baker and his family moved in.

1 month ago | yahoo.com | Douglas C. Towne

Almost a century ago, the Green Parrot Auto Court opened at 2360 E. Van Buren St. in Phoenix. It was one of many accommodations on the road designated as U.S. Highways 60, 70, and 80, the main route for motorists heading to southern California. The Green Parrot featured 30 individual units separated by carports, which surrounded a central court. Six years later, in 1934, 1-year-old Bill Baker and his family moved in.

2 months ago | phoenixmag.com | Douglas C. Towne

Did George Jetson and Fred Flintstone relocate to Arizona to work as architects? It’s a question Phoenicians might have asked themselves when a distinctive high-rise debuted on McDowell Road in 1980. To social media commentators on a history page recalling its debut, the 12-story patient tower anchoring the hospital, then known as Good Samaritan, was a futuristic marvel straight out of The Jetsons, filled with Space Age medical technology operated via remote control.