As I have been piecing together the stories of my hometown, I ran across three stories of three men who shared a name but were unrelated.
Maynard Dixon. Maynard Pike. Harry Maynard.
Mr. Dixon is a famous creator of southwestern art who made Tucson his home late in life. A gallery of his art resides here. His art is another piece of the visuals we associate with the Sonoran Desert. His style is iconic.
Mr. Pike was an early manager of the landmark Arizona Inn. He and others established this icon under the watchful eye of founder Isabella Greenway. He helped her shape society and hospitality in this former railroad outpost town.
Mr. Maynard was a pharmacist who typified the post-war migration from colder climes to Tucson in the early 1950s. He took a risk like many of his fellow returning GIs and established a home for his family and future generations. He was also my father.
Each in their own way contributed to this place called Tucson: Art, hospitality, health. Each has a story and a tie to a specific era of our town.
I never met the first two, but knew the third and will be telling more of his story. It’s a story that, like the other two, helped define Tucson.
Relentless