| Weedville, Arizona |
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Rev. Ora Rush Weed and his family in front of their home in 1912.
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Weedville, Arizona was a small community founded in 1911, in an area which at the time was outside the city limits of Peoria. The area is located within the pockets of unincorporated land under the jurisdiction of Maricopa County. All of the census and demographic data for the residents of Weedville are part of the information reported for the City of Peoria since Weedville is located within the limits of that city.
History
Reverend Ora Rush Weed (1868–1942) was a Methodist minister from Kansas. It is unknown why Weed decided to leave his hometown and with his wife Phoebe and family. They moved and settled in Arizona. Some of the members of his Kansas ministry followed him and together they homesteaded the area north of Thunderbird Road and 75th Ave, outside of what at the time were the city limits of Peoria.
By 1916, Weed established the Path Church (now known as the "Old Path Church") and a boarding school. The name "Paths"comes from a Bible verse:
"Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls."
A small religious community flourished around the development of Weedville, which Weed named after himself. By 1921, the community established a cemetery which was named the Old Paths Cemetery.
Besides running a small general store, Weed ran a farm which produced broomcorn. He then established a broom factory using the broom grass and stalks of the broomcorn. He employed many ex-convicts who had gained experience as broom makers in prison. As such the factory helped support the small community economically.
Later years
Weed donated land and buildings for the establishment of the Southwest Indian School. Today the site is home to the Southwest Indian School Ministries. The Old Path Church is still standing and is located with the grounds of the ministry. Rev. Ora Weed died on May 4, 1942. He and many of his descendants are buried in the Old Paths Cemetery which is located on the Old Paths Cemetery Road. The original bell of the Old Path Church is located within the grounds of the Old Paths Cemetery. The bell is rung every Veterans Day
Weedville is located in the area within 71st. and 75th Aves. between Thunderbird Blvd. and Acoma Drive. The latitude is 33.614 and the longitude −112.215. The elevation of Weedville is 1,197 feet above mean sea level.
Transportation
Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport is the nearest major commercial airport to Weedville, with a large number of domestic and limited international service. Mesa Gateway Airport is another alternative nearby, albeit one with comparatively limited commercial airline service.
Historic structures of Weedville
Historic Weedville
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Side view of the Old Path Church .
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Original Old Path Church Bell.
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Old 1918 house in Weedville
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Early 1920's Weedville house .
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Another early 1920's Weedville house .
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1920–1930 farm equipment used in Weedville.
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Early Weedville Boarding House.
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Old Paths Cemetery, established in 1921.
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Entrance of the Old Paths Cemetery
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Graves of Erza Beeson Weed (1900-1968) (front) and his wife Elizabeth Weed (Feb. 22, 1903 – Feb. 22, 1924). Erza was the son of the founders of Weedville Ora Rush Weed and Phoebe Pomeroy Weed.
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Weedville Water Well sign
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In pop culture
Arizona Republic writer Jim Cook had a chapter on Weedville in his 2002 book, "Arizona Liars Journal", published by Cowboy Miner Productions; ISBN 978-1931725033.
