Estrada Park
McClintock Dr. & Palomino Dr.
8 acres
Estrada Park in south Tempe is
named after one of Tempe’s true pioneers, Pete Estrada.
The son of Raphael and Raphaela Estrada was born May 13,
1891 in Tempe in the area of what now is Sun Devil
Stadium. Pete, his parents and the Estrada children
operated a grocery store, barbershop, restaurant and
pool hall in downtown Tempe at 4th and Mill
and also operated a 40-acre farm in what is now south
Tempe.
Pete gradually shifted his
attention from the family’s various businesses to
politics in 1923 at the age of 32. On January 1, 1923
Pete was hired as a court interpreter for the Maricopa
County Superior Court where he remained for 30 years.
In 1953, Pete was promoted to county law librarian where
he served for 15 years before retiring at the young age
of 77.
While he dedicated himself to
service, Pete and his family never drifted from Tempe.
An active member of the community, Pete was a remarkable
man whose name and legacy has been forever immortalized
in the naming of Estrada Park.