FLORENCE, ARIZ (KGUN — We're packing the car one more time on this summer's One Tank Trips. This special series has taken you to fun places around southern Arizona on one full tank of gas.
Good Morning Tucson is heading north on Oracle Road and AZ State Route 79. In Florence, a museum team is preserving the Arizona Territory's first-ever courthouse. At the same time, they've also turned the space into a tribute for a major figure in the state's story.
We parked right on Ruggles Street in what's considered the city's historic downtown district.
McFarland State Historic Park can seem unassuming as a building, at first. However, once you walk in, it's like stepping into a time capsule.
"It was a courthouse for about 12 years," museum guide and docent Susan Jackman said. "Until Florence outgrew it and built the second courthouse. Then, this became the county hospital for about 50 years."
Jackman knows the property has had many lives. The gift shop up front used to be the county jail; the team, which also runs the visitor's center, still has a piece of the old jail bars. "It is heavy," Jackman said, as we lifted the sample.
"This was custom-made in Missouri and shipped out here to fit inside that room, so it was like a big cage."
Jackman was one of two guides on this trip. She and Sherri Butler walked the crew through each of the rooms filled with dioramas and artifacts of Florence's past. Butler said the town grew thanks to farming and mining. Over time, she said, the old buildings still standing have become a key part of Florence's fabric.
"We have over 100 buildings on the National Register of Historic Places," Butler said. "I think (that's) a big darn deal."
Still, this old courthouse could have been lost to the desert without the proper care. Enter Arizona statesman Ernest McFarland — he stepped up to buy the building in 1974.
McFarland, in his political career, was first a U.S. Senator, then governor of Arizona, and finally, chief justice of the Arizona Supreme Court. "He was, I would say, a renaissance man of his day," Butler said. But our guides are quick to point out that in life, McFarland liked to stay grounded so he preferred that people call him 'Mac.'
Mac donated the building and paid for renovations so it could become a state park in 1979. And over the years, his family's donated several precious heirlooms, including a now-antique but still functional wooden pipe organ. Inside the museum's glass cases, you'll also find the occasional medal, plaque, and even a gift watch from Pres. Lyndon B. Johnson.
In one corner of the museum, the staff set up an exhibit honoring McFarland for his vital work in writing, sponsoring and passing the G.I. Bill of 1944. "You can't overstate the impact the G.I. Bill has had on our country," Jackman said.
"That's part of what we do, just to keep his legacy alive," Butler said.
DRIVE TO MCFARLAND STATE HISTORIC PARK
The ride to the park is a little over 73 miles from the KGUN9 studio; about a 90 minute drive each way. Based on our gas averages, plan to fill your car tank with 6 gallons. Price averages may vary.
Getting into the state park is also affordable: $5 entry for adults, free for everyone 18 years old and younger.
