Lake Montezuma, Arizona facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Lake Montezuma, Arizona
CDP
The Rimrock Ranch airplane, around 1930. Rimrock Ranch was a dude ranch near Montezuma Well.
Location in Yavapai County and the state of Arizona
Lake Montezuma, Arizona Location in the United States
Country	United States
State	Arizona
County	Yavapai
Area
• Total	11.54 sq mi (29.89 km2)
• Land	11.53 sq mi (29.86 km2)
• Water	0.01 sq mi (0.03 km2)
Elevation	3,460 ft (1,055 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	5,111
• Density	443.28/sq mi (171.15/km2)
Time zone	UTC-7 (MST)
ZIP code	86342
Area code(s)	928
FIPS code	04-39720
GNIS feature ID	30844

Lake Montezuma is a special kind of community in Yavapai County, Arizona. It's called a census-designated place (CDP). This means it's an area that looks like a town but isn't officially governed as one. In 2020, about 5,111 people lived here.

The Lake Montezuma area includes smaller communities like Rimrock and McGuireville. It's located right next to Interstate 17. You can find it about 20 miles (32 km) south of Sedona and 8 miles (13 km) north of Camp Verde. It's in the middle of Arizona's Verde Valley.

History of Lake Montezuma

This area was first known as Beaver Creek. Early ranchers and farmers settled along the creek. They named it Beaver Creek because there were so many beavers living there!

Early Settlers and Schools

The first settler along Beaver Creek was Wales Arnold. He arrived in 1870 and lived at a place called The Montezuma Well Ranch. Wales Arnold had been a soldier during the Civil War. After leaving the army, he became a merchant who sold supplies to soldiers at Camp Lincoln (later called Fort Verde).

Arnold was one of the first to grow alfalfa in the Verde Valley. His ranch also served as a stop for mail riders. They would change horses there when carrying mail between Fort Whipple and Fort Wingate. By 1879, enough children lived along Beaver Creek that a school was started. Ed Mulholland was the first teacher.

How McGuireville Got Its Name

The part of the community known as McGuireville started in 1910. That's when Eugene McGuire settled near where Dry Beaver Creek and Wet Beaver Creek meet. This spot was also important because it was where an old road from Stoneman Lake split. One path went to Cornville, Cottonwood, and Jerome, and the other went south to Camp Verde and Prescott.

Eugene McGuire and his son, Gene, built their home and started a small store and gas station there. Later, in 1931, Midge Montgomery opened another store called Beaver Creek Store in the same area.

The Story of Rimrock

The wider area became known as Rimrock in 1928. This happened when Virginia Finnie married Romaine Lowdermilk. Virginia was the daughter of a well-known local rancher. She, her husband, and a partner started a dude ranch. A dude ranch is a ranch where guests can stay and experience ranch life. They first called it Rimrock Lodge, then Rimrock Dude Ranch.

They named it Rimrock because of the tall limestone cliffs, or "rimrocks," that you can see from the ranch. Virginia's guests needed to communicate with the outside world. So, she helped set up a post office right on the ranch. Romaine's mother, Ella Loudermilk, became the first postmistress in 1928. People from all around, even from far-off ranches, would pick up their mail at the Rimrock Post Office. Because of this, the old Beaver Creek School district area became known as Rimrock.

One of Arizona's oldest continuously used landing strips, the Rimrock Airport, is also located here. Guests used to fly right into the ranch!

The Naming of Lake Montezuma

Around 1957, a large ranch in Rimrock was turned into a new housing area called Lake Montezuma. This happened shortly after a major highway, the Black Canyon Highway, was built north from Phoenix. The people developing the area wanted an attractive name to sell properties, especially to buyers from other states.

They dug a pond below the original ranch house and named it Lake Montezuma. They chose this name after Montezuma Well National Monument, a very important local landmark. Most of the new residents who moved into this growing area lived in this new subdivision. They identified themselves as being from Lake Montezuma, often not realizing they were also part of Rimrock or Beaver Creek. This is why the area's name can sometimes be confusing!

Near the Lawrence Crossing of the Wet Beaver Creek, you can find old artifacts. These belonged to the ancient Sinagua people. They even built special water systems for their farms.

Geography and Climate

Lake Montezuma is located at 34°38′25″N 111°47′0″W / 34.64028°N 111.78333°W / 34.64028; -111.78333.

Area of Lake Montezuma

The United States Census Bureau says that Lake Montezuma covers about 12.0 square miles (31.1 km2). Most of this area, about 11.9 square miles (30.8 km2), is land. Only a tiny part, 0.08%, is water.

Local Climate

Lake Montezuma has a "Mediterranean Climate." This means it usually has hot, dry summers and mild, wet winters.

Population Information

In 2000, there were 3,344 people living in Lake Montezuma. These people lived in 1,471 households. About 20.6% of these households had children under 18 living there. The average household had 2.27 people.

The population was spread out by age. About 19.6% of the people were under 18 years old. About 21.1% were 65 years or older. The average age in Lake Montezuma was 45 years.

Notable Person

• Eulalia "Sister" Bourne was a famous Arizona schoolteacher and author. She started her teaching career at Beaver Creek School around 1910.

See also

In Spanish: Lake Montezuma para niños