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.
Detailed in a 2009 local media report, ostriches were first introduced to the state in 1888 by M.E. Clanton, who did not have much success with raising the large birds because of extreme heat and poor handling of his initial livestock purchase.
But other local ranchers persisted, as Arizona’s climate resembles the native environment of these hulking birds, resulting in a booming bird business that eventually declined as ostrich feathers fell out of public favor.
Tempe History Museum’s Curator of History Jared Smith said there were a couple big ostrich farms at the height of the animal’s popularity, with one of the largest situated exactly at what is currently The Lakes subdivision.
“There were a couple of different, big ostrich farms around back in those days,” Smith said. “There was at least one over in Mesa, but yeah, we had one of the big ones.”
Tempe Ostrich Co., which managed the farm at The Lakes, was located originally on the ranch of William S. Pickrell, as explained in documents provided by the museum.
The ranch was incorporated into the city in 1905 and by 1911, Tempe Ostrich Co., developed by Pickrell’s brother Watson Pickrell, owned the site, covering about 240 acres.
As pictured in a historical property owner map, the museum indicated where the Tempe Ostrich Farm would have been located in present-day Tempe.
Courtesy Tempe History Museum
(Courtesy Tempe History Museum)
In its entirety, the Tempe Ostrich ranch was on the south side of modern-day Baseline Road, bounded by Rural Road and Lakeshore Drive on the west, Southshore Drive to the south and McClintock Road to the east as shown on historical maps.
Watson Pickrell, according to a media report, was an ostrich care expert locally and nationally, having worked with the birds from as early as 1896 and contributing to the U.S. Department of Agriculture and other publications.
Explained in the 1905 “Book of Agriculture” by Watson Pickrell, he wrote the Salt River Valley was thought to be the best location in the U.S. for ostrich farming as, “climatic conditions are favorable to the health of the birds, yield and quality of feathers, and the production of alfalfa for green feed the year round.”
After purchasing 21 breeding birds in 1903 for a total of $16,800, Watson Pickrell made significant profits at his ranch just southeast of Tempe, selling $30,000 worth of ostriches in just two years following his initial investment.
By 1914, the Valley’s ostrich industry was valued at $2 million for just the birds and their corresponding plumage bringing in over $200,000 in sales.
But as ostrich wares fell out of fashion at the onset of World War I, the birds lost their value throughout the 1910s, and eventually Tempe and other Arizona cities no longer had a need for expansive ostrich ranches.
Reporter Caroline Yu can be reached at cyu@iniusa.org. To voice your opinion on this story, connect with us at AzOpinions@iniusa.org.
Meet Caroline Caroline Yu joined Independent Newsmedia, Inc., USA, in 2020 as a summer intern covering Scottsdale. As an intern, she continued her coverage of Scottsdale, Paradise Valley and Tempe. After graduating in 2022, Caroline became a full-time reporter for Scottsdale and Paradise Valley. She is currently reporting for the Tempe market.
Community: She is a supporter of the environment and tries to get involved with related community events.
Education: Arizona State University with a BA in Journalism and Mass Communications, with a minor in French.
Random Fact: She used to be a ballet dancer for 10 years.
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