Just a little History because someone asked on another site.... some might find this interesting ?
This is Florence Arizona on the Gila River .......... the coke ovens you can see in one of my photos across the Gila river which runs under the neat bridge in the photos.... a little history on the ruins..... and the town of Cochran Arizona ........
Cochran's post office was established January 3, 1905 and discontinued January 15, 1915. Cochran was a mining camp but also served as a stop on the Sante Fe, Prescott, Phoenix railroad. The town supported about 100 people and had a general merchandise store, boardinghouse, and many other establishments. Today all that remains are the coke ovens across the river. The town was named for John. S. Cochran, the first postmaster.
Florence was founded in 1866 and became the Pinal County seat of government in 1875.
Just north of Florence during World War II was located a large prisoner of war camp for German and Italian prisoners of war, mainly captured during the North Africa campaign. McFarland State Historic Park in downtown Florence has a display and information on this period of Arizona history.
Florence is one of the oldest towns in the county, and is regarded as a National Historic District with over 25 buildings listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Ken
