After 40 years of sitting next to a parking lot and going unnoticed by most passersby, the historical marker denoting the original site of downtown Marinette has been relocated to a more fitting home: the Del Webb Sun Cities Museum.

The Marinette chapter of the Arizona Questers dedicated the plaque in 1985 to mark the original location of Marinette, the farming community that once existed before Sun City was created in 1960. The plaque, attached to a large rock, was located next to a church on 105th Avenue, just south of Grand Avenue.

The marker was inconspicuous, and some might even say hidden. At times it was obstructed by overgrown bushes. Even after the bushes were removed it was easy to miss. There were no signs pointing out the marker or explaining what it represented.

The marker simply sat in plain sight, but seemingly invisible. The road adjacent to the monument experienced very little traffic. Even those who went looking for the Marinette marker would often pass by it several times before finally stumbling over it.

Earlier this year, the church sold the building to a medical company. The building has remained empty most of this year and plans for its future have yet to be determined.

In a move to protect and preserve the marker, museum officials reached out to both the building’s new owners and Maricopa County to inquire about obtaining the monument and relocating it approximately one mile away to the Del Webb Sun Cities Museum.

The original chapter of The Questers that purchased the monument had long since folded, but the museum did reach out to the state chapter to inform them of its intentions. The state organization expressed its support for the plan.

The new owners of the building were pleased with the museum’s interest in saving the marker, but as it turns out, the Marinette monument sat on county property. Past Museum Board of Trustee President Bret McKeand reached out to County Supervisor Debbie Lesko for assistance.

“Our concern was that one day the Marinette marker would simply disappear. It’s an important part of Sun City’s history and we wanted to do everything we could to protect and preserve the monument,” said McKeand. “Obviously, the museum is an ideal permanent home for the marker. The museum already celebrates the history of Marinette with exhibits inside our building, and having the monument located outside gives it the attention it rightfully deserves.”

Lesko stepped up and provided invaluable assistance. Not only did she provide permission for the museum to take ownership of the marker, but she also arranged for the county to move the monument to the museum at no charge.

On July 24, a Maricopa County Department of Transportation team of workers officially moved the marker to its new permanent home at the museum. The move went off without a hitch and the Marinette plaque is now prominently located in the museum’s front yard, next to the driveway.

“We are very excited that this piece of history was able to be saved and relocated to the Del Webb Sun Cities Museum,” said Andrew Kindler, president of the Sun Cities Area Historical Society Board of Trustees. The historical society owns and operates the museum.

“It allows us to continue to share the beginnings of the community that eventually became Sun City,” he added.

Plans are to create a permanent panel next to the marker to explain its history – and journey – and to encourage visitors to learn more about the history of Marinette at exhibits inside the museum and on its website.

The outdoor panel will be installed later this summer and unveiled at an official ceremony to celebrate the relocation of the Marinette Historical Monument.

“On behalf of the Sun Cities Area Historical Society, we are extremely appreciative and thankful to the crew from the Maricopa County Department of Transportation who relocated and placed the marker to its current location,” said Kindler.