Classic “Saguaro falls on car” postcard
Updated 22april2016: the photographer Nathan Stodghill, has commented below and said the big cactus fell as a result of a storm! I’ve edited the original text to reflect this new (to me) info!
Looked all over the place for this classic old card, when our saguaro fell over crushing plants and shelves. Today, I finally tracked it down, still in print, sold in our local Walgreens drugstore. I don’t know why, but somehow it seems significant that the car’s plate is Oregon. You know the old “We don’t take kindly to strangers in these parts…” line from a classic western movie.
Dang it, but if you look closely, the base of the saguaro, visible to the left of the car at the very edge of the photo, looks like it might have been chain-sawed. I suppose this is just an early example of staged traumas such as are now so common on You-Tube and TV shows like America’s Funniest Home Videos… Per photographer, not staged a bit, but knocked over in a storm!
Still, I bet it made a big crunchy thump!
I am trying to find this postcard! Do you know of a place online to purchase it?
Brian — Unfortunately, I don’t know where to find this card for sale, reliably. I live in Scottsdale, so I occasionally see it in the tackier, umm, I mean more devotedly western-themed tourist stores from time to time, sometimes even in the local drug stores. I’ve also seen plastic keychains with the photo in highway truckstops. If I see any, I’ll let you know. Keep looking when you’re out and about the state. Good hunting!
I grew up in Mesa, AZ and actually remember that picture from the Mesa Tribune when it happened.
The location was the corner of 60th Place and University Drive. There’s an empty lot facing University that abuts to the driveway of the corner house. The occupants would park there instead of on the street.
The scar where the saguaro stood is still visible today.
Tom, thanks for sharing your memory of this. Do you happen to recall if it was a genuine “saguaro plunge”, or a staged photo op?
Allison,
It’s probably impossible to ever know the whole story now, but my gut feeling is that it was probably real.
60th Place is just east of Recker Road. The name of the development is Sunland Village or something like that and these were retirement homes built by Farnsworth Construction.
There was a minimum age requirement to buy a home in this development, (I think it was 55 and up) so the occupants tended to be elderly and many of them were “Snowbirds” who only spent their winters here. (That’s likely the reason for the Oregon plates)
We have just received this wonderfull postcard from our son and his girlfriend, who live in Scotttsdale, – but here in Copenhagen we wonder how old the cactus is – perhaps more than 100 years?
Does anyone know how old a cactus like this one is?
Hanne Sommermark, Copenhagen
Hanne, yes, experts say that saguaros can live to be 150-200 years old. I don’t know how old the cactus in the postcard is, but it’s said that the giant cactus don’t grow their first arm until they’re about 70 years old!. Here is a link to some facts about saguaros (it’s meant for kids, but is still good info): http://www.desertmuseum.org/kids/oz/long-fact-sheets/Saguaro%20Cactus.php
I am the person that took this picture and no, it was not staged. The picture fell after a large thunderstorm during the night.
Corrction.. the cactus fell after a thunderstorm!!
Nathan — I’m happy to be corrected about this, and thanks for commenting. By the way, I’m hoping it wasn’t your car?
Nathan,
I’m curious, do you remember the date this happened? If not exactly, maybe the month and year or even just the year you took this picture?
This card is sold in Barnes and Noble in Yuma.
I know it has been almost 6 years since these posts but wanted to confirm it was not a staged photo. I was at the Recker Rd and University stop light in the very early morning hours in 1985 or 1986, there was a huge storm going on, very high winds and a lot of rain. I had someone in the car with me and actually saw this happen. The wind felt like it would pick up my Ford Escort and blow us away when we heard the incredibly loud crash when the cactus came down. The car bounced one and that was when the tires all blew out of it. It was a surreal scene and we couldn’t believe that it happened. I saw this postcard years later, and just laughed about it.
We had a very rainy winter the year that this cactus fell. My dental office was across the street. If you look carefully you can see my brown wooden sign between the post of the office to the left of the cactus. I went over to see the felled cactus when the photographer stopped by took a few shots and then left. One week later my new sign “Adult Dentistry” was attached to the front of the office in large letters. Had this happened after that I would be remembered forever. The office address was 6059 E University Dr. Mesa, AZ 85205. This happened just east of the intersection of University Dr. at Recker Road on the north side of the street. These cards are often available at Walmart stores in AZ around where they have the local maps etc. near the checkout registers. I also have a few refrigerator magnets.