How some US 60 cross streets got their names

US 60 has a storied history in the Valley. In the 1970s, it became the very first freeway that wasn't an interstate. And until its completion in 1991, it was known as State Route 360. The Superstition Freeway portion of the highway (which, in totality, stretches from the California state line all the way to the Atlantic Ocean in Virginia Beach) gets you from Tempe to Apache Junction in one glorious straight path.

But have you ever wondered about the story behind the streets you pass every day? Who was Dobson? And why are there so many things named after them? McClintock must've been quite a powerful figure as well, right? And was Priest the name of a person or is the road named after an actual priest?

Here we hope to delve a little into the history of these names and why they are so prominent in our modern times.

We will start on the west side of the freeway in Tempe and travel east.

As you transition off Interstate 10, near the Arizona Mills Mall, the first exit you see is for Priest Drive.

Priest Drive: Priest Drive is named after James T. Priest, a pioneer rancher from Canada who moved into the Tempe area in the early 1870s. He served five terms on the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors in the 1870's and '80s and was a Tempe School District trustee.

Mill Ave:If you've spent any time in Tempe, you probably know why this particular road is named as such. At the north end of Downtown Tempe, just before the bridge takes you across Tempe Town Lake and Mill Ave transitions into Van Buren Street, sits the old Hayden Flour Mill. Now, the mill that stands today is not the original built in 1874. A fire tore through that one in 1917. The Hayden family (another well known Valley name) quickly rebuilt the mill and the new one opened in 1918 and still stands today. Though operations ceased in 1981, The Hayden Flour Mill remains a destination for locals and visitors alike, along with numerous discussions of revitalization.

Rural Road:Rural Road was named after a schoolhouse known as the Rural School which was located on the northeast corner of Rural and Southern. The Rural School was an independent school district until 1953, when it joined with Tempe District's No. 3.

McClintock Drive:McClintock Drive is named after James H. McClintock who was the state's official historian for many years and was the first teacher at the original Kyrene School. He was very popular in the Tempe area and also worked on the Tempe Daily News and was on Teddy Roosevelt's Rough Riders.

Price:Price Road is named after Arthur Ernest Price who was Chandler's first City Attorney. His wife, Louise, was the niece of A.J. Chandler, the city's founder.

Dobson:Named after Cliff Dobsonwho co-ownedthe Baseline Cattle Company and Sheep Springs Sheep Company that started in the early 1900s.

Alma School:Named after an old schoolhouselocated on the east side of the road and north of old railroad tracks. The first school was a little red schoolhouse that opened in 1885 before a new building opened in 1896.

County Club:The streetwent through many names, including Crismon Street and Mesa Blvd, before the Mesa Country Club opened in 1948.

Mesa Drive: Named after the city, of course!

Stapley:Stapley Drive is named after businessman and community leader O.S. Stapley. He was a hardware and farm supply business owner and nine stores by the early 1960's.

Gilbert:Named after William "Bobby" Gilbert,who sold a right-of-way through his land to the Phoenix and Eastern Railroad Company in 1902.

Val Vista:Before 1959, this street was called "Reebes." After that, it was likely named after the nearby Val Vista Citrus Groves.

Higley: The road is named after Stephen Weaver Higley who is credited with building the Santa Fe Railroad line between Arizona and California. He also purchased theArizona Republicanin 1909 which later became the Arizona Republic.

Power: Named after James and Sarah Power who raised cattle and crops in Higley. Their main ranch was near the former Williams Air Force Base. A road was named Power Road in the 1920s that went through the ranch.

Sossaman:This road is named after theSossaman familywho had a farm with over 1,000 acres.

Ellsworth: Leo Ellsworth was a businessman who helped build many of Queen Creek's roads in the 1920s and '30s. He also built the first packing shed in the area.

Crismon: Named after the Crismons, who were the first settlers of what was then called Lehi in 1878.

Note: We want to thank the Mesa Historical Museumfor helping confirm some of the harder-to-find information.

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