Goodyear was part of the 16,000 acres purchased in 1917 for the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company by executive Paul Litchfield. Cotton used to make rubber tires for airplanes in World War I was in short supply because foreign sources were in war torn countries or disease ridden.
One of the oldest images in our collection. Don’t confuse this with the City of Goodyear’s Fire Department. This was the Goodyear Tire Company’s own fire crew. The city’s official Fire Department wouldn’t be established until years later.
Litchfield Navy Air Facility (now Phoenix goodyear Airport) on August 18, 1945.
Town of Goodyear was incorporated on Nov. 19, 1946. At that time, the town had 151 homes, 250 apartments, a grocery store, drug store, barber shop, beauty shop and service station.
Bill Lynn became the first full-time Goodyear Police Chief in 1947. In addition to running the police department, he was responsible for the landscaping/gardening at the town hall.
Goodyear Kindergarten was founded in 1947 by Eleanore Stanton.
The Goodyear fire department was established in 1948 with 12 volunteers.
Local celebrity Jacque Mercer was crowned Miss America in 1949. The Mercer family once lived in Goodyear.
Once World War II ended, the Goodyear Aircraft plant closed. On January 20, 1949, the Department of Defense auctioned off the plant, with 107 acres of manufacturing space and $283,000 worth of assets. The Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company, who managed the former federally owned plant, purchased it for a bargain of $475,000.
