Central is a
census-designated place
A census-designated place (CDP) is a concentration of population defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes only.
CDPs have been used in each decennial census since 1980 as the counterparts of incorporated places, such ...
in
Graham County,
Arizona
Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak ) is a state in the Southwestern United States. It is the 6th largest and the 14th most populous of the 50 states. Its capital and largest city is Phoenix. Arizona is part of the Fou ...
, United States. Its population was 758 as of the
2020 census. It is part of the
Safford micropolitan area
The Safford Micropolitan Statistical Area (Safford μSA), as defined by the United States Census Bureau, is a micropolitan statistical area (μSA) consisting of one county in eastern Arizona, anchored by the city of Safford.
As of 2010, the Un ...
.
Central is located between the towns of
Thatcher and
Pima
Pima or PIMA may refer to:
People
* Pima people, the Akimel O'odham, Indigenous peoples in Arizona (U.S.) and Sonora (Mexico)
Places
* Pima, Arizona, a town in Graham County
* Pima County, Arizona
* Pima Canyon, in the Santa Catalina Mountains ...
, all west of the Graham County seat,
Safford.
U.S. Route 70
U.S. Route 70 or U.S. Highway 70 (US 70) is an east–west United States highway that runs for from eastern North Carolina to east-central Arizona. It is a major east–west highway of the Southeastern United States, Southeastern, Southern Unite ...
is the main thoroughfare.
Central has a
ZIP Code of 85531; in 2000, the population of the 85531
ZIP Code Tabulation Area
ZIP Code Tabulation Areas (ZCTAs) are statistical entities developed by the United States Census Bureau for tabulating summary statistics. These were introduced with the Census 2000 and continued with the 2010 Census and 5 year American Community S ...
was 404.
Geography
Central is at , at an elevation of approximately 2900 feet above sea level.
From this location just south of the
Gila River
The Gila River (; O'odham ima Keli Akimel or simply Akimel, Quechan: Haa Siʼil, Maricopa language: Xiil) is a tributary of the Colorado River flowing through New Mexico and Arizona in the United States. The river drains an arid watershed of n ...
within the Upper Gila Valley,
Mount Graham
Mount Graham (called in Nnee biyati' (Western Apache) Dził Nchaa Sí'an - ′Big Seated Mountain′) is a mountain in Graham County, Arizona, United States, approximately northeast of Tucson. The mountain reaches in height. It is the highes ...
of the Pinaleño (
Pinaleno Mountains) range dominates the southern skyline.
Demographics
History
Central was first homesteaded by the Cluff family in 1880. The Cluffs extended the Central Canal to their lands on the eastern side of Central. Later settlers extended the canal west and north. In 1883 construction began on a one-room white rock building to be used as a church meeting house and school house. By 1884 twenty families, including Cluff, Norton, Shurtz, Bigler, and Webster households resided in Central. In 1978 the streets were named after these early Mormon pioneers. In December 1883 the Central
Ward
Ward may refer to:
Division or unit
* Hospital ward, a hospital division, floor, or room set aside for a particular class or group of patients, for example the psychiatric ward
* Prison ward, a division of a penal institution such as a pris ...
of
the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, informally known as the LDS Church or Mormon Church, is a Nontrinitarianism, nontrinitarian Christianity, Christian church that considers itself to be the Restorationism, restoration of the ...
was organized and Joseph Cluff was ordained the first bishop. A new red brick church was built in 1885. It was the first regular meeting house built in this part of Arizona and was also the first home of the LDS Academy from December 1890 to May 1891. A plaque east of Hwy 70 on Central Road commemorates the original home of the St. Joseph Stake Academy that later moved to Thatcher and became
Eastern Arizona College
Eastern Arizona College (EAC), is a community college in Graham County, Arizona. The main campus is in Thatcher, with satellite locations in Gila County, and Greenlee County. It is the oldest community college in Arizona and the only community ...
.
In 1894, LDS Church historian Andrew Jensen reported on the Central Ward: "Thirty-five families or 178 souls, constitute the Mormon population, and there are only two other families in the district. Central excels in point of large orchards, extensive alfalfa fields and good grain. The meeting house is the only public building in the settlement, in which there is also a small store and a post office. There are a number of fine and comfortable private residences, built mostly of brick and adobe."
A railroad through Central was completed in 1896. The head of the Central Canal washed out in 1905. Since then, the Smithville and Union Canals have been used exclusively.
Central's population was estimated as 100 in the 1960 census.
The
Gila Valley Arizona Temple
The Gila Valley Arizona Temple is a temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) in the town of Central between the communities of Pima and Thatcher in Arizona. The temple was dedicated on May 23, 2010, following an o ...
of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, opened in 2010, is located in Central. The temple is the third
LDS temple
In the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), a temple is a building dedicated to be a House of the Lord. Temples are considered by church members to be the most sacred structures on earth.
Upon completion, temples are usually ...
built in Arizona and the first temple announced by
Thomas S. Monson
Thomas Spencer Monson (August 21, 1927 – January 2, 2018) was an American religious leader, author, and the 16th President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). As president, he was considered by adherents of the rel ...
after being sustained as
President of the Church
In the Latter Day Saint movement, the President of the Church is generally considered to be the highest office of the church. It was the office held by Joseph Smith, founder of the movement, and the office assumed by many of Smith's claimed succe ...
in 2008. Monson dedicated the temple on May 23, 2010.
Notable people
*
James Martin Smith
James Martin Smith (December 12, 1892 – May 24, 1970) was an American civic, business, and religious leader in Arizona. The youngest Child of American frontiersman and Mormon Pioneer, Lot Smith, Smith was born in Tuba City, Arizona Territory, ...
1892–1970, local rancher, farmer, church leader, and politician, was a Democratic party candidate for Arizona governor and owner of the Arizona Journal newspaper.
*
Jack Elam
William Scott "Jack" Elam (November 13, 1920 – October 20, 2003) was an American film and television actor best known for his numerous roles as villains in Western films and, later in his career, comedies (sometimes spoofing his villainou ...
1920–2003, an actor in 119 movies and 260 television appearances was briefly a resident of Central as a child. He received a 1977 daytime Emmy nomination. Then in 1983 Jack received the Golden Boot Award and in 1994 he was inducted into the Cowboy Hall of Fame in Oklahoma City.
*
Dale Smith 1928–2017, grew up in Central. Dale is a 1995 inductee of the Rodeo Hall of Fame of the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum. He is a 1979 inductee of the ProRodeo Hall of Fame.
See also
*
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Arizona
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the second-largest religious denomination in Arizona, behind the Roman Catholic Church. In 2019, the church reported 436,521 members in Arizona, about 6% of the state's population. According to th ...
References
{{authority control
Census-designated places in Graham County, Arizona
Safford, Arizona micropolitan area