Lizard Acres, Arizona facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Lizard Acres, Arizona
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Cattle ranch, train stop
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Lizard Acres sign in Surprise, Arizona
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 Lizard Acres, Arizona
Location in Arizona
Lizard Acres, Arizona
Location in the United States
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| 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
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| 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.
Contents
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.
