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Visiting the Southwest Valley?
For more information, please contact the
Southwest Valley Chamber of Commerce
289 N. Litchfield Rd., Goodyear, AZ 85338
Phone: (623)932-2260 & Fax: (623)932-9057
Email:
Welcome to the City of Goodyear
Goodyear
Recently named an All American City, Goodyear was founded in 1942 within the Goodyear Farm’s cotton fields to provide housing for workers at the new Goodyear Aircraft Corporation and the Litchfield Naval Air facility.
In its early days there were two small communities – Casaba, which means melon in Spanish, had a railway station on the Chandler branch of the Arizona Eastern Railroad which ran through the Goodyear Farms property. Another community, the main town, was a mile and a half to the north. It was briefly called Egypt because of the long-stem Egyptian cotton grown there. The two eventually became Goodyear.
Goodyear thrived until the bottom dropped out of the cotton market but World War II brought a new prosperity to the community. In the early 1940s the Litchfield Naval Air Facility and Goodyear Aircraft Corporation opened at what is now the Phoenix-Goodyear Airport. They brought with them approximately 7,500 jobs.
Reductions were made at the facility in late 1945. From 1946 through 1968 the airport's primary purpose was to preserve and reactivate military aircraft as needed. At its peak over 5500 planes were parked on the surrounding 800 acres. During the Korean War many of those planes were sent back into service.
In 1946 the Chief of Naval Operations called for the creation of the elite Blue Angels Demonstration Team to showcase Naval aviation. The team used the Naval Air Facility as their winter training station, often doing demonstrations and holding open houses for the residents while they were there.
Goodyear incorporated in 1946. In 1949 Goodyear Aerospace Corporation replaced Goodyear Aircraft Corporation. The city’s association with aviation/aerospace has continued with Loral Defense System and later Lockheed Martin.
Today Goodyear is a fast growing city with the population of 55,954.
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City of Goodyear 190 N. Litchfield Rd. Goodyear, AZ 85338 Ph: (623) 932-3910 Goodyearaz.gov |
© 2008 Southwest Valley Chamber
289 N. Litchfield Rd., Goodyear, AZ 85338 Phone: (623)932-2260 & Fax: (623)932-9057 Email:
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