McFarland State Historic Park facts for kids

Quick facts for kids McFarland State Historic Park
First Pinal County Courthouse
McFarland State Historic Park Location in Arizona
Location	Pinal, Arizona, United States
Established	1974
Named for	Ernest McFarland
Governing body	Arizona State Parks

McFarland State Historic Park is a special place in downtown Florence, Arizona. It's a park that helps us remember history. The park has an old courthouse and other buildings. These buildings are from a time called the Arizona Territory period. This was before Arizona became a state.

The main building was first built in 1878. A jail was added in 1882. The courthouse part was finished in 1891. This courthouse is so important that it's listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This list includes places that are very special to American history.

The park was closed for a while. This was because of money cuts for Arizona State Parks. But after some repairs, it reopened in February 2011.

Remembering Ernest McFarland

McFarland Park is named after a very important person, Ernest McFarland (1894-1984). He was a leader in Arizona and the United States.

McFarland's Public Service

Ernest McFarland held many important jobs. He was a US Senator. This means he helped make laws for the whole country. Later, he became the Governor of Arizona. As governor, he was the top leader of the state. After that, he served as the Chief Justice of the Arizona Supreme Court. This is the highest court in Arizona.

Creating the Historic Park

Ernest McFarland bought the old courthouse building in 1974. He then gave it to the state of Arizona. He also paid for the building to be fixed up. McFarland State Historic Park officially opened on October 10, 1979. It was a way to honor his work and preserve history.

Explore the Old Courthouse

The park's main attraction is the historic courthouse. It shows what life was like long ago.