Riggs Road

About 57 years ago Lyle and Willetta Riggs settled an area of south Chandler which was about 420 acres of dusty desert dirt. Using his knowledge of farmland and the major demand for crop farming, Lyle started a family farm that has lasted through the many urban developments that now threaten its existence.

Originally, Riggs Road was named Superstition Road because of the imposing mountain range nearly thirty miles to the northeast. Soon, residents fought the name of the road because they thought the mountain range was too far away for it to be named Superstition. Years later the Arizona Farm Bureau asked the county to rename the road Riggs after the legendary family that farmed the area. Maricopa County agreed and decided to name it Riggs Road.

Because of the population boom the area where the farm used to be is now being rapidly developed. Currently, the Riggs family now owns just 38 acres of farmland. As Willetta Riggs said in the Arizona Republic, “All the farmland has been turned into growing homes instead of crops.” The major focus around the area is an attraction called R Country Store which consists of a petting zoo and an actual tour of what it’s like to actually live and work on a farm.

By Brandon Cooley