Daley Park

Encanto Dr. & College Ave.

17 acres
Park Layout

 

Daley Park is one of Tempe’s oldest parks.  Located at the intersection of College and Encanto in central Tempe, Daley Park is a 17 acre gem that has served the residents of Tempe since the 1950’s.  The land for the park was purchased from Mr. & Mrs. E. W. Hudson for the grand sum on $10,600 in December of 1950. 
 

At the time of purchase, the City Manager happened to be a gentleman named Ed Daley. Daley became City Manager shortly after the Depression and served until his death on Nov. 17, 1953.  Upon his death, the City Council bestowed the honor of naming the recently acquired park in his name to honor his years of service to his community. 

Ed Daley was born in Mesa where he attended school.  After graduation, he moved to California where he worked for a construction company owned by the Toohey Brothers that was in the business of building highways.  The company eventually moved their offices to "Old Mexico" but Ed did not want to relocate his family there.

Ed also worked for the Christmas Copper Company in the town of Christmas, Arizona, near the town of Payson. He was responsible for the mining and food supplies needed for this underground mine.  Although the mine was advertised as a copper mine, they were actually more interested in gold that was located there.  Like most mining towns, all of the property and businesses in the town were owned by the mining company.  The mine was closed during the Great Depression.

Ed eventually moved his family to Tempe where he served as City Manager.  Ed served for nearly 20 years, one of the longest tenures for a City Manager in Tempe’s history.  His son, Bud, was also a City employee serving in Fleet Maintenance until his retirement.

We have a lot to be thankful for from the Daley’s and their service to Tempe.  Let one of Tempe’s finest parks continue to recognize their contributions for many generations to come.