Ostriches are a lesser-known Arizona attraction, despite not being native to the area, and while they’re a rare sight across the Valley now, Tempe used to be a hub for the local ostrich industry.
Today in the Phoenix metro, ostriches are adored and celebrated at the annual Chandler Ostrich Festival, but these giant birds used to hold a stronger local presence locally with early 1900s fashion trends adorned by their feathers — anything from hat plumes to feather boas.
By 1912, Arizona was home to roughly 8,000 ostriches, with $350,000 of their raw feathers shipped to the New York market, according to Tempe History Museum documents.
