Chino Valley Acquires Historic “Fred Harvey Farm”: Partnership with Trust for Public Land makes it possible

The Town of Chino Valley, in partnership with the Trust for Public Land, announced the acquisition and protection of 23 acres within the boundaries of the future state park at the headwaters of the Verde River. The land, formerly privately-owned, will now be owned and managed by the Town of Chino Valley for all to enjoy. This area contains several historic buildings that will be preserved, and there are long term plans to create an interpretive trail.

“The Verde River Headwaters region holds the best of Arizona – cultural and indigenous significance, ecological diversity, and recreational opportunity – and TPL is proud to have worked alongside Chino Valley leaders to create this new state park and, now, to preserve this important historic property for all to enjoy,” said Michael Patrick, Senior Project Manager for Trust for Public Land.

Nearly 1,000 acres of land along the river’s headwaters and surrounding Del Rio Springs sat relatively untouched for decades. Last year, TPL worked with Arizona State Parks and Trails (ASPT), Yavapai County, Nature Conservancy, Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust, and Town of Chino Valley to protect 734 acres for creation of the new state park.

In addition to providing outdoor recreation and protecting the Verde River and the Del Rio Springs, the property offers opportunities to protect and interpret early history of statewide importance. Following the establishment of the Arizona territory in 1863, the first capital of the territory was located on the property for a short while, as part of the original Fort Whipple, before being moved to Prescott.

Following purchase of the land by a subsidiary of the Atchinson, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad in 1913, the Fred Harvey Company partnered with the railroad to establish a farm to raise poultry & beef and produce ice, eggs and other foods here to supply their premier chain of hotels along the rail line connecting Chicago to Los Angeles. Multiple historic buildings and barns the Company occupied will be preserved within the state park to tell this important story of American history.

“The acquisition of this land ensures not only the great history of the land, but also the preservation of the waters in and around the Verde River,” said Tom Armstrong, Mayor of Town of Chino Valley. “The Town is extremely proud to have partnered with Trust for Public Land in this historic move for history and the environment.”

Through the assistance of TPL, the Town was able to buy and preserve this latest property at a discount to the land’s appraised value. This was made possible through a generous gift to TPL for the project by The Faber Family Fund in addition to a significant price discount offered by the sellers of the property, Bob O’Rear and Jim Brown who were represented by brokerage firm Land Advisors Organization. TPL also received financial support for the project from the Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust.

According to Town Manager Terri Denemy, “We are told that this is the last remaining Fred Harvey Farm in the country. Had our town leaders not stepped in to acquire this important part, not just of Chino Valley’s history, but also of our nation’s history, it all could have been lost. I applaud them for their vision. Because of their action, generations to come can see and learn from these historic building and the history they represent.”

As the first inhabitants of the Verde River and region, the Yavapai-Prescott Indian Tribe and Yavapai-Apache Nation also recognize this area as culturally significant. The Verde River is an important cultural and spiritual resource for these Indigenous communities and Verde River Headwaters State Park will preserve sacred sites and acknowledge this important beginning.

TPL is working to protect this ecosystem through its Verde River Program. In recent years, the rural cities and towns along the river’s route have embraced the preservation of land for riverside parks and outdoor recreation, both for residents and for the economic benefits of tourism. The river is slowly becoming an increasingly popular destination for people to connect to the outdoors, from kayaking and birding to hiking and biking along riverside trails.

About Trust for Public Land 

Trust for Public Land (TPL) is a national nonprofit that works to connect everyone to the benefits and joys of the outdoors. As a leader in equitable access to the outdoors, TPL works with communities to create parks and protect public land where they are needed most. Since 1972, TPL has protected more than 4 million acres of public land, created more than 5,504 parks, trails, schoolyards, and iconic outdoor places, raised $110 billion in public funding for parks and public lands, and connected nearly 9.7 million people to the outdoors.