Willcox, Arizona

Route: I-10 south past Tucson (CLICK HERE FOR MORE ROUTE INFO)

Time: 3+ Hours

Distance: 195 Miles (from Phoenix)

Originally known as 'Maley,' the town was founded in 1880 as a whistlestop on the Southern Pacific Railroad. It was renamed in honor of a visit by General Orlando B. Willcox in 1889. In the early 20th century, Willcox had the distinction of being a national leader in cattle production. Agriculture remains important to the local economy, but Interstate 10 has replaced the railroad as the major transportation link, and much of the economy is now tied to Interstate 10, which runs immediately north of the town.*

Willcox is also known as the birthplace of Rex Allen, known as "The Arizona Cowboy," who wrote and recorded many songs, starred in several westerns during the early 1950s and in the syndicated television series Frontier Doctor (1958-1959). Willcox was among the locations of another syndicated western series 26 Men (1957-1959), true stories of the Arizona Rangers starring Tristram Coffin and Kelo Henderson. In 26 Men, the town is spelled "Wilcox".