The Tom Mix Memorial near Florence, Arizona
Located on Arizona state highway 79 three quarters of the way between Tucson and Florence is a historical marker of a black metal horse on top of a column of cemented stones. This marker is a memorial to the legendary Hollywood actor Tom Mix. Mix is considered to be the quintessential cowboy of the American West, having not only lived west on the ranch but also made over 300 silent cowboy films. While this marker may appear to be located in a rather unusual out of the way place, it is there for a reason: the marker designates the location of where Mix died on October 12 in 1940 when he had a fatal car accident on AZ 79. This quiet highway road runs through a scenic part of the Arizona desert which is considered an alternative route to Phoenix from Tucson. This stretch between Tucson and Florence is a vast desert area with only a few farms in the area but no roadside services.
I first saw the marker while I was on a trip to Florence to Poston’s Pyramid back in 2005. I noticed a road sign saying Historical Marker nearby and casually glanced to my left to see the black metal marker. While the name Tom Mix was not unfamiliar to me, I did not know a lot about his personal life or where or how he died almost seven decades ago. I did know he was a silent film actor who had a horse named Tony who appeared in many films with Mix. In addition to acting, Mix also directed over a hundred silent films, wrote 85 of them, and produced almost 50 of them. While the bulk of his films were silents, he did make a few early sound films. Mix was highly prolific in silent western films and he remains best associated with the wild American west in popular culture.
Tom Mix was born on January 6, 1880 in Mix Run, Pennsylvania. He spent some time living in Oklahoma and Colorado working at various jobs. Mix eventually made his way to Hollywood and made his first film in 1909 for the Selig Polyscope Company, later making films for Universal, Fox, and Mascot Pictures. With his classically handsome looks and six foot tall frame, Mix soon became a favorite of western film fans and ladies. In many ways Mix set the path for future cowboy stars such as John Wayne. Outisde of his film career, Mix loved weaving stories for his public, and while a number of them may or may not be true, they have in a way helped establish the cowboy legend he has become.
It was in 1940 when the 1937 Cord Phaeton he was driving on AZ 79 crashed into a wash when he tried to avoid going through a road construction block. Even though he managed to escape from the crashed car, Mix sustained head injuries caused by luggage that was in the back seat and hit his head upon the car’s impact and died on the spot. Not long after his death, the memorial marker was built by Pinal County, and his body was buried at Forest Lawn Cemetery in Los Angeles, California.
On the marker’s plaque is the following inscription:
“Whole spirit left his body on this spot and whole characterization and portrayals in life served to better fix memories of the old west in the minds of living men”
Since his death, Tom Mix has been immortalized through books, comic books, art, biographies, songs, and films. Bruce Willis portrayed Mix in the 1988 movie “Sunset.” Right behind the memorial marker on AZ 79 is a picnic area built in the early 2000’s.
If you happen to be located or visiting in the southwest part of Arizona, the Mix Historical Marker is located 55 miles north of Tuscon on state route 79.
Directions: Head north on Oracle Road (Route 77) past Catalina and Oro Valley until you reach 79. Take north 79 towards Florence. The marker will be on the left hand side of the road. Parking and picnic facilities are available.
Image Credit: Philcomanforterie, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
