Actually the name has changed again. It is now Cript-Town Spectrum Mall.
The glory days of Chris-Town Mall. Retro.
The Phoenix area of the 1960s was a vastly smaller and more intimate community than the sprawling and ungainly megalopolis that now overruns the Valley of the Sun.
Up until Park Central, then Chris-Town all shopping was Down-Town.
Del Webb Corporation built Chris-Town on eighty acres of farm land east of 19th Ave. and south of Bethany Home Rd. The first indoor air-conditioned mall in Arizona.
Chris Harri, was the Swiss born farmer who sold Del Webb the land for Chris-Town in 1955 and for whom the mall was named. He died in 1971 at the age of 94.
Chris-Town opened its doors for the first time at 10:00am on August 24, 1961. An estimated 130,000 visitors arrived in the 11 hours between opening and closing that day.
KUPD did a three day broadcast from Bill's Records. El Rancho grocers opened up and gave away S & H Green Stamps. The Broadway. Korricks. Montgomery Wards. Guggy's Coffee Shop. Penney's. Piccadilly Cafeteria. Miracle Mile Deli. Are but a few business I went in.
Robert Kennedy made an appearance and spoke on March 30, 1968. "We Want Bobby" My Mom was GOP Ha!
The Fountain Court in the center of the mall was the scene of many special events over the years, and was frequented in the '60s and early '70s by a very popular organ grinder and his monkey. I gave money to that monkey.
Orange Julius and Pizza D'Amore. MMM 5*'s baby~