[Source: Stephanie Berger, East Valley Tribune] -- There’s history hidden within downtown Scottsdale’s posh hotels, swanky bars and eclectic Western shops, and the city wants residents and tourists to find it. As part of a trend to honor local history, officials on Monday began tacking up new posters in downtown kiosks showing the area’s historic buildings and other features (pictured). The posters continue a theme of the city touting its history for residents and tourists. Scottsdale recently designated two neighborhoods as historic, including a cluster of ’50s-era apartment buildings west of downtown. It also pushed to list the Hotel Valley Ho on city’s historic register. One of the goals is for visitors to enjoy the city’s history in addition to its sunny weather and Western charm. Scottsdale markets itself as a Western mecca with a distinctive past.“The historic angle really helps give Scottsdale a sense of place,” said Laura McMurchie, Scottsdale Convention and Visitors Bureau vice president of communications. “There are resorts and interesting shopping areas everywhere in the world, but history really grounds Scottsdale’s offering as being particularly unique.” In Old Town, at the entrance to Civic Center Mall at Main Street and Brown Avenue, visitors can pick up walking tour brochures that give them a guide to historic locations downtown. The spots include the “Little Red Schoolhouse,” the site of the current Scottsdale Historical Museum. “My parents went to school in the Little Red Schoolhouse,” said JoAnn Handley, the museum’s manager. “A lot of people go into a city and they like to know about the history when they visit,” she added.
That’s no surprise to John Dant, a retiree who volunteers at the Civic Center’s visitor cart and often offers brochures and history lessons. When asked for a “Southwestern lunch spot” on a recent afternoon, Dant told the tale of Los Olivos Mexican Patio, a Mexican restaurant established more than 50 years ago by the Corral family. “That’s exactly what I’m looking for,” said Shelly Murray, of Gaithersburg, Md. “Whenever I go somewhere, I want to find places that you’re not going to have back at home.” [Note: To read the full article, click here. Photo source: Paul O'Neill.]
