From Cotton Bolls to Golf Balls
Social Science/History | Available (Membership Required)
"From Cotton Bolls to Golf Balls," provides a brief history of the Northwest Valley over the past 100 years. Early settlers first arrived in the area looking for gold, but by mid-century, corporate entities had taken over and owned vast tracts of land for farming, primarily cotton. That all changed in 1960 when Del Webb opened Sun City, and soon the Northwest Valley became home to a thriving active-adult retirement industry. The story is told through photographs from the archives of the Del Webb Sun Cities Museum. Bret McKeand is a former newspaper publisher and past president of the Sun Cities Area Historical Society.
Bret McKeand
McKeand, Bret - is a retired journalist and current Sun Cities Area Historical Society President. As a reporter, editor, and publisher, Bret spent his entire journalism career with Independent Newspapers in Arizona. He retired in 2020 as president of the company’s Arizona operations. He is president of the Sun Cities Area Historical Society Board of Trustees, which owns and operates the Del Webb Sun Cities Museum. In 2010, he authored a book on the history of Sun City to benefit the society and the Del Webb Sun Cities Museum.