Randolph is a historically
black
Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white ...
populated place in
Pinal County
Pinal County is in the central part of the U.S. state of Arizona. According to the 2020 census, the population of the county was 425,264, making it Arizona's third-most populous county. The county seat is Florence. The county was founded in 187 ...
,
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, located approximately 15 miles north of
Picacho, and near
Casa Grande. The community was named after
Epes Randolph
Epes Randolph (August 16, 1856 – August 22, 1921) was an American civil engineer and businessman who constructed railroads in America's South, Ohio, Arizona, California, and Mexico. From 1905 to 1907 he led the successful effort to restore ...
, a vice-president and general manager of the
Southern Pacific Railroad, who founded the town in the early 1920s.
Randolph wanted to establish a successful city near Casa Grande.
On July 18, 1925, the Randolph Post Office opened, with Channing E. Babbitt as its postmaster.
With the increased need for agricultural workers which arose in the late 1920s, hundreds of farm workers migrated to the area in the 1930s. Many of those who settled in Randolph were black migrants from
Oklahoma. This influx created a community which was predominantly black.
The post office closed in 1983.
References
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African-American history of Arizona
Populated places in Pinal County, Arizona