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Lizard Acres, Arizona facts for kids

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Lizard Acres, Arizona
Cattle ranch, train stop
Lizard Acres, AZ.jpg
Lizard Acres sign in Surprise, Arizona
Lizard Acres, Arizona is located in Arizona
Lizard Acres, Arizona
Lizard Acres, Arizona
Location in Arizona
Lizard Acres, Arizona is located in the United States
Lizard Acres, Arizona
Lizard Acres, Arizona
Location in the United States
Country United States
State Arizona
County Maricopa
Area
 • Total 3 sq mi (8 km2)
Elevation
1,191 ft (363 m)
Time zone UTC-7 (Mountain (MST))
 • Summer (DST) UTC-7 (MST)
ZIP codes
85375
Area code(s) 480, 602, 623
FIPS code 04-41645
GNIS feature ID 24498

Lizard Acres was once a big cattle ranch, a place where trains stopped, and later, a housing area. It was located in Maricopa County, Arizona, close to the town of Surprise. The land is about 1,191 feet (363 m) above sea level. On old maps, it was sometimes just called "Lizard." It was a train stop north of Surprise, near where Grand Avenue and Bell Road are today.

History of Lizard Acres

Starting the Ranch

In the 1940s, two ranchers named R. S. Spurlock and J. C. Wetzler were looking for new land. They came from Holbrook, Arizona. They wanted to start a large ranch, about 1,900 acres big.

They found land about a mile east of where Grand Avenue and Bell Road meet today. It is said that Spurlock joked, "This country isn't fit for raising anything but lizards!" Because of this, the ranch got its nickname, "Lizard Acres." Its official name was the Circle One Livestock Company.

A Leading Cattle Operation

By the early 1960s, the ranch was very successful. It was home to about 13,000 cattle. The Circle One Livestock Company was one of the most important cattle ranches in the southwestern United States.

Selling Land for New Communities

From the 1960s into the early 1970s, the ranch started selling parts of its land. A developer named Del E. Webb bought the land. He used it to build Sun City West, Arizona, which is a community mainly for retired people.

Lizard Acres' Lasting Legacy

Even though the original Lizard Acres ranch is gone, its name lives on in a few ways.

The Lizard Acres Sign

A sign with the name "Lizard Acres" still stands today. You can see it along the BNSF railroad tracks. These tracks used to belong to the Santa Fe railroad. The sign is about half a mile north of Bell Road, next to Grand Avenue.

Local Tributes

There is a pub in Sun City West that is also named "Lizard Acres." This pub honors the cattle ranch that used to be on that very land.

An Art Installation

An art display in Scottsdale, Arizona, is also named after the old ranch. The artist, Joe Tyler, grew up remembering the ranch. His artwork features many sculptures of steel animals and plants.

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