Trip to Egypt inspired Hunt to build Papago pyramid

Today’s question:

What is the story behind the pyramid that is in Papago Park?

How did George W.P. Hunt, the first governor of the state of Arizona, come to be buried in what was then the middle of the desert, between the cities of Phoenix and Tempe?

Why a pyramid and why there?

Did you know the state used to operate a fish hatchery at Papago Park? It was shut down in 1958.

I didn’t know that before, but it does remind us Papago Park was not just out in the middle of desert, as the question suggestions, but had for many years been a public area, either as an Indian reservation, national monument, state facility, POW camp and city park.

Anyway, George Wylie Paul Hunt served as governor seven times between 1912 and 1933. He was a man of many accomplishments whose life story deserves a lot more space than can be offered here.

He was a populist who pushed for restricting child labor, lobbying, and usury, creation of workers compensation and old age pensions and championed women’s rights and Arizona’s rights to Colorado River water.

And he did the family grocery shopping.

Part of Hunt’s colorful career led him to a stint as the United States ambassador to Siam (today’s Thailand) for 18 months starting to 1918.

He and his wife, Helen, took the long way home, visiting, among other spots, Egypt where he was so impressed by the ancient pyramids that he decided he wouldn’t mind being buried in one himself.

In his will, Hunt said he wanted to be buried overlooking the “splendid valley” of the Salt River.

When his wife died in 1931, Hunt had the white pyramid mausoleum built at the top of the hill to bury her and family members.

He joined them in 1934.

Have a question for Clay? Reach him at 602-444-8612 or clay.thompson@arizonarepublic.com.