Payson, Arizona

Payson () is a town in northern Gila County, Arizona, United States. Due to Payson's location being very near to the geographic center of Arizona, it has been called "The Heart of Arizona." Payson is also considered part of the colloquially defined Northern Arizona region, and the town serves as a gateway to the vast wilderness of the Colorado Plateau. The town is surrounded by the Tonto National Forest, the largest of the six national forests in Arizona—and the ninth largest national forest in the United States.

Payson boasts a lively festival calendar, including The World's Oldest Continuous Rodeo established in 1884, as well as the Arizona State Old Time Fiddlin' Championship, which celebrates the area's musical heritage.

As of the 2020 census, the population of Payson was 16,361.

History

Prior to the arrival of European-American settlers, the area was known as Te-go-suk—or Place of the Yellow Water—by the Dilzhe'e Apache. The area was also historically inhabited by the Yavapai and other Oasisamerican peoples, including the Hohokam, Mogollon, Salado, and Sinagua cultures.

thumb|left|Oasisamerican archaeological site west of Payson.

In 1882, considered to be the founding year of Payson, area settlers—led by Henry Sidles, John and Lucy Hise, and James Callaghan—established a logging, mining, and ranching hamlet called "Union Park." The settlement was also known as "Green Valley."

thumb|left|Payson as it appeared in the 1890s.

That same year, the Battle of Big Dry Wash—fought between troops of the United States Army's 3rd Cavalry Regiment, 6th Cavalry Regiment, and members of the White Mountain Apache Tribe—took place just north of town on the Mogollon Rim. The battle occurred within the greater context of the Apache Wars.

On March 3, 1884, a post office was built in Union Park with the help of Illinois Representative Levi Joseph Payson. In honor of the representative's help, the town's name was changed to "Payson".

Payson held its first rodeo in 1884. The town declares the competition to be the world's oldest and continuous rodeo as it has been held every year since.

In 1918, author Zane Grey made his first trip to the area surrounding Payson. He would visit with regularity through 1929, and he purchased two plots of land near Tonto Creek, including from Sampson Elam Boles under Myrtle Point. Grey wrote numerous books about the area, and he also filmed movies in the area, such as To the Last Man. A replica of his cabin is located in Green Valley park.

During Prohibition, the manufacture, sale, and distribution of liquor was plentiful in Payson. These transactions took place on historic Bootleg Alley. "Payson Dew", brewed across 30 to 40 stills in the Payson area, was coveted from as far away as Los Angeles. The drink helped to reinvigorate Payson's economy.

During the 1930s, an effort was initiated to better connect Payson to the outside world through the construction of roads and highways. At that time, the town was very isolated—with a trip from Phoenix to Payson taking eight to twelve hours. Throughout the 1950s, work progressed on a paved road from Phoenix to Payson, and the road was completed in 1958. The highway, State Route 87 (also known as the "Beeline Highway"), was later expanded to four lanes.

Payson was officially incorporated in 1973.

Ellison Creek and East Verde River flooding

On July 15, 2017, heavy rains from upstream of the creek and river caused the waterways to swell, subsequently leading to downstream flooding. This flash flood crucially affected the popular Water Wheel swimming hole where 10 people were killed and 4 others were injured.

Geography

Payson is located in northern Gila County—within the hilly and mountainous terrain of the Arizona transition zone. The town sits at an elevation of , and it has a total area of .

thumb|left|Town lake in snow

Spring weather in Payson is windy and highly variable—with warm, dry conditions intermixed with sporadic precipitation. Colorful wildflowers are common in the spring.

While average summer daytime temperatures climb above , the town's elevation keeps it protected from the extreme heat found in Arizona's lowland deserts. Early summer is characterized by hot and dry weather, with elevated wildfire risk, whereas mid-to-late summer is tempered by the North American Monsoon. The monsoon brings frequent, sometimes severe thunderstorms with heavy rain, strong winds, hail, and flash floods. On average, Payson receives of monsoonal moisture—approximately 35% of its annual precipitation—across the months of July, August, and September.

Autumn is characterized by stable weather and gradually cooling temperatures. Fall foliage peaks from mid-October through early November, and colors are most vibrant in the escarpment canyons of the Mogollon Rim and nearby riparian zones.

Diurnal temperature variation is large throughout the year.

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Demographics

Racial and ethnic composition

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"

|+Payson town, Arizona – Racial composition

!Race (NH = Non-Hispanic)

!2010

!2000

!1990

!1980

|White alone (NH)

|style='background: #ffffe6; |81% (13,247)

|85.8% (13,126)

|91.3% (12,438)

|96% (8,038)

|94.9% (4,809)

|Black alone (NH)

|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.4% (62)

|0.3% (50)

|0.2% (30)

|0.1% (7)

|0% (0)

|American Indian alone (NH)

|style='background: #ffffe6; |2.3% (375)

|2.2% (332)

|1.7% (235)

|0.5% (45)

|0.9% (48)

|Asian alone (NH)

|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.9% (145)

|0.6% (98)

|0.5% (72)

|<td rowspan="2"> |0.3% (27)

|<td rowspan="2"> |0% (0)

|Pacific Islander alone (NH)

|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.1% (17)

|0.1% (13)

|0.1% (7)

|Other race alone (NH)

|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.3% (56)

|0.1% (10)

|0.1% (8)

|0% (1)

|0% (0)

|Multiracial (NH)

|style='background: #ffffe6; |3.7% (611)

|1.2% (191)

|0.9% (122)

|—

|Hispanic/Latino (any race)

|style='background: #ffffe6; |11.2% (1,838)

|9.7% (1,481)

|5.2% (708)

|3.1% (259)

|4.2% (211)

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, Payson had a population of 16,351. The median age was 58.8 years. 14.9% of residents were under the age of 18 and 37.9% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 95.5 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 93.9 males age 18 and over.

95.0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 5.0% lived in rural areas.

There were 7,558 households in Payson, of which 16.8% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 47.9% were married-couple households, 18.8% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 27.1% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 32.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 20.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

English (20.7%)
German (17.7%)
Irish (15.1%)
Mexican (9.2%)
Italian (4.6%)
Scottish (3.4%)
French (2.9%)
Polish (1.8%)
Swedish (1.8%)
Norwegian (1.6%)

Demographic estimates

According to 2019 estimates, Payson was the 2,788th largest city in the United States. There were 4,070 families residing in the town. The population density was 791 people per square mile, which is 1275% higher than the Arizona average and 773% higher than the national average.

Rodeos

Payson hosts two rodeos. In May, the Multi-Purpose Event Center near the Tonto Apache Reservation hosts the Gary Hardt Memorial Rodeo. In August, Payson hosts the historic August Doin's Rodeo (1884), which makes Payson the "Home of the World's Oldest Continuous Rodeo". Prescott, Arizona, 100 miles to the northwest, is known for hosting the "World's Oldest Rodeo" (1888), but it took a hiatus during World War II.

Mogollon Monster

left|thumb|upright|Mogollon Monster Wood Carving

Forestlands surrounding Payson, and throughout central, northern, and eastern Arizona, serve as the backdrop to the legend of the Mogollon Monster—described as a large, bipedal, ape-like creature with a pungent smell, similar to Bigfoot. The legend came to local prominence in 1947 when a "big, hairy beast" raided a Boy Scout camp near Tonto Creek.

Public services

Education

The town is served by the Payson Unified School District.

A branch of Gila Community College is located in Payson.

Police department

The Payson Police Department serves both the Town of Payson and Town of Star Valley. , the department is authorized to staff 32 sworn officers which includes the chief, lieutenant, five sergeants, four detectives, two school resource officers, two specialty positions (GIITEM and Traffic), and patrol. In 2021, officers responded to more than 16,000 calls for service.

The police department also staffs a 24/7 dispatch center that is the primary public safety answering point (PSAP) for northern Gila County. In addition to dispatching for Payson PD, they also dispatch for the Town of Payson Fire Department, Hellsgate Fire District, Pine/Strawberry Fire District, Christopher Kohls Fire District, Waterwheel Fire District, and Gisela Valley Fire District.

Transportation

The Payson Senior Center operates the Beeline Bus, which provides local bus service to Payson, Star Valley, and Mesa del Caballo.

References

External links

Town of Payson official website
Payson Roundup, local newspaper
Payson visitors' site
Tonto Natural Bridge State Park
Tonto National Forest