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Cover of Legend City

Legend City

by John Bueker

Book Details

Publisher:Arcadia Publishing
Published:2014
Pages:128
Format:BOOK
Language:en

Reading Info

About This Book

Conceived and built in the early 1960s by local artist and advertising man Louis E. Crandall, Legend City was an ambitious and star-crossed mid-century attempt to bring a world-class theme park to the Phoenix metropolitan area. Despite daunting financial challenges and an unforgiving Arizona sun, the park managed to survive for two full decades, entertaining countless Arizonans and forging an enduring place for itself in the hearts and minds of local residents. A sad tale of broken dreams and ec

Our Review

This book chronicles the ambitious rise and poignant fall of Legend City, a homegrown Arizona theme park that captured the imagination of Phoenix for two decades. Conceived by local artist Louis E. Crandall in the 1960s, the park's story is a classic, star-crossed tale of grand vision clashing with harsh financial and environmental realities, set against the unforgiving desert sun.

The narrative digs into the park's unique place in mid-century Western pop culture, exploring how it managed to forge an enduring legacy in the community despite its ultimate demise. Anyone fascinated by the hidden history of American roadside attractions, the bittersweet nature of regional nostalgia, and stories of ambitious ventures that almost made it will find this a compelling and surprisingly resonant read.

Themes

History

Subjects

History