Fun facts about Carefree

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A Christmas tree across from the post office on Easy Street in Carefree, Arizona.

There’s a little town near us where I do my grocery shopping, visit the farmer’s market and enjoy my favorite coffee shop. It’s called Carefree. I mentioned it in Friday’s post HERE.

I was interested in the history of Carefree when I wrote about Easy Street. Who named the street? Who came up with the idea of a town? I discovered the answers on several websites:

In 1946, Tom Darlington and K.T. Palmer met at a Kiwanis luncheon in the Adams Hotel in Phoenix, where the seminal idea of Carefree was born. Years later, both men found themselves working in a Scottsdale real estate office and their previously monumental dream was rekindled. Despite their differences, they both lived by the ideals of thrift, industry, honesty and loyalty. They carried out many expensive joint ventures on a simple handshake. 

In 1955, a 400-acre goat farm north of Scottsdale was found with an abundant well, and 2,200 surrounding acres were secured.  K.T. named their joint business venture the Carefree Development Corp., and the name “Carefree” was regularly used to describe their vision of the Town they proposed. In 1958, the Darlington-Palmer building was finished in the downtown area (that building is now Town Hall) and in 1959, the iconic Sundial was completed. 

https://www.carefree.org/page/history

This is one of the largest sundials in the world and can be found in the city center of Carefree. It stands 35 feet tall.

  • Back in the late 1960’s and early 1970’s, Carefree was home to the 160 acre Southwestern Studios, a TV production and filming facility. The Dick Van Dyke show was one of the most popular shows filmed there.
  • Carefree has some of the most entertaining street names in any town in the United States. You will see names like “Long Rifle,” “Tranquil Trail,” “Stagecoach Pass,” “Lazy Lane”, “Nonchalant Avenue,” “Rocking Chair Road,” “Bloody Basin” and my personal favorites “Ho” and “Hum.”
  • Carefree has a charming downtown with a large number of galleries, Southwestern Art and Jewelry, specialty crafts stores and more.

https://www.livebetterinscottsdale.com/2011/09/the-town-of-carefree-arizona-some-facts-and-a-carefree-lifestyle

The whimsical street names came from a dinner party. KT and Tom mentioned they hadn’t come up with names. The guests began throwing out their ideas and the main street was named Easy Street. It intersects with Wampum Way. One street that I find peculiar is Tranquil Trail, which turns into Bloody Basin.

This is a sculpture in the heart of Carefree. The tents behind it are from the Farmer’s Market.

Home to around 3,000 people, Carefree is a friendly, beautiful spot. I’m glad we ended up next door. When we moved, I hadn’t been to the town. I asked a neighbor where the closest grocery store was and that was when I discovered the town.

“Canadian singer-songwriter Gordon Lightfoot pens the song “Carefree Highway”, the second single released from his album, Sundown. In October 1974, it peaks at #10 on the Billboard Hot 100 and spends one week at #1 on the Easy Listening chart.” https://www.carefree.org/page/history

What fun facts have you discovered about where you live?

47 thoughts on “Fun facts about Carefree”

  3. Imagine the looks people get when they have to give their address to someone who has no idea about Carefree! Gordon is still a fave of mine.

    I remember when I found this apartment in Sumner I spent time looking through some of the history. Most interesting to me was to find that just across the street, and encompassing an entire city block, was a college that later moved to eastern WA and became what now still functions as Whitworth College.

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      • It was surprising given that Puyallup always shined in the valley because of famous Ezra Meeker and his hops. Apparently Presbyterian minister Whitworth settled here (don’t remember why) and formed the college (or religious school). It was easy history to track after seeing historical docs and images of the original “campus” across the street!

      • I had never heard of Ezra Meeker, so you gave me something to look up. His wife’s maiden name was Sumner. Is that why your town is named Sumner? I grew up as a Presbyterian and a pastor friend was involved with Whitworth College. So I knew a lot about it, but didn’t choose to go to school there.

      • Great question EA, but I don’t find anything conclusive of a relationship. Story is that Sumner was first named Stuck Junction (based on railroad formation) then changed to Franklin (which caused confusion for mail) so a lottery was held and Sumner won- named after a Senator Charles Sumner

      • So many of the rivers in western WA at least are based on Indigenous names, westernized somewhat so that people who settled here could pronounce them. I wonder if Stuck was shortened in some way from a tribal language or word? Lots of interesting history to complete living in a state with strong Indigenous cultural ties…just like you in AZ with southwestern tribes and even the cultural Spanish/Mexican influence. I think people often forget just how non-European Caucasian the US history really is.

      • So true. I grew up in Snohomish, which means “by the river.” I always laughed at the Snohomish River, which is “by the river river.”

  4. Love this post…and pics. And a little Gordon Lightfoot to start my day? So good! Most of the street names around us reflect early settlers. A lot of German and Irish families and some ancestral farms that still remain. Love the learning about the history of street naming in Carefree. Thanks, Elizabeth! 🥰

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  5. Sigh. Days gone past. “Easy” and “Carefree” have been replaced by “EBT” and “Section 8”. Sorry for going political. Bleuwater, but this is the first thing that popped into my head.

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    • It’s a great little town. We’re on the border but have a Scottsdale address. Carefree is where I spend most my time if I’m out of the house. I was curious about who came up with the name and Easy Street. I got a PO Box there for the address: 100 Easy Street, Carefree, Arizona.

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    • Thanks. East Street is a circle and very tiny. I thought Palm Springs downtown was small until we moved here. I absolutely love it. We’re close 30 minutes from Scottsdale and Phoenix with millions of people if we need more. I like it here better!

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  13. A very entertaining way to name the town and its streets/ roads.
    I live in Lahore- a historic city with a heritage going centuries back. A really beautiful place but it’s more a mega city with millions of people living here.

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