The early history of Paradise Valley, long before its 1961 incorporation, is marked by the development of its many popular resorts.

In the mid-1930s, publicist and sportswriter Jack Stewart received financial backing from John C. Lincoln to build the Camelback Inn. Because dude ranch resorts were typical in the area, Stewart’s vision was to build an upscale, pueblo-style hotel more reflective of the unique Native American cultures of the Southwest.

The Camelback Inn opened on Dec. 15, 1936, with accommodations for 77 guests.

El Chorro shares its roots with the Camelback Inn. Long-time local Joe Miller explains in a 1999 interview that, while he’s not clear on the details, its original building supposedly “was owned by the Dell family that founded General Mills.”

According to El Chorro’s website, it was then bought by Lincoln, who wanted to create a school for his daughter Lillian to attend while he was building the Camelback Inn. Another version of the story holds that it was purchased by the Judsons directly from the Dells.

Miller recalls, “It was a girl’s school for three or four years. When they started Camelback Inn, there was no place for their daughters to go to school, and so they started this school for the local girls around here. I think there was only eight girls that went to the school. Then they borrowed the teachers from Judson School to teach the girls. Then they opened Brownmore School for Girls on Indian School Road and the Grubers bought the place in 1937.”

Another town landmark, the Paradise Valley Country Club, began with a meeting at the Camelback Inn in November of 1952. The group of about 50 businessmen in attendance agreed that developing a prominent golf course in the area would be a tremendous boon to local resorts and real estate development.

It officially opened less than two years later, on April 10, 1954.  In a 1997 interview, Phil Schneider recalls the club’s impact on the community:

“In the late 1940s and early 1950s there weren’t a lot of people around and a lot of the social activities were at the resorts. Barney Leonard at Royal Palms, Bob Evans, the Treadways at Casa Blanca and the Stewarts were all friends of my parents. As a young teenager, I began playing a lot of golf and my parents were original members of Paradise Valley Country Club. All of these people were members of the Country Club. They were kind enough, so as a teenager, I would sometimes be asked to play golf with Barney Leonard, Royal Treadway, or Jack Stewart and that’s how I got to know them.”

In honor of Paradise Valley’s rich history, please join the Historical Advisory Committee and Town Council at Camelback Inn’s Western Town on Sunday, Oct. 17 from 2 to 4 p.m. as we celebrate the 60th anniversary of incorporation and kick off the many wonderful decades to come!

Editor’s Note: This article was submitted on behalf of the Paradise Valley Historical Advisory Committee.