SURPRISE, AZ — When Flora Mae Statler sold the first piece of land in what would become Surprise, she famously remarked she'd "be surprised if the town ever amounted to something.” Well, all these years later—surprise!
"Good morning," George Bradbury said to his longtime neighbor, James Truman.
"Oh, you're delivering the paper," Truman responded with a chuckle.
For decades, Bradbury and Truman have shared a little slice of heaven in Surprise, a place rich with history and memories.
"The dairy, hay barns, and calf barns were all built in 1953. I was six years old then, so everything here is from my youth," Truman recalled.
“When we moved out here, everyone accused us of moving to East L.A. There was nothing but farms around us,” Bradbury added.
Both admit a lot has changed since those days. Truman’s childhood memories of milking cows and harvesting fruit now stand in stark contrast to the rapid development encircling their land.
“It’s hard to envision the intensity of development. In your mind, you know there will be houses, but my gosh, it’s so different now,” Truman said.
Surprise, founded in 1938 with a “z" in its name according to land documents, was once dominated by agriculture, where hard-working families enjoyed a slower pace of life.
This story is part of ABC15's Voice of the Voter series, where we're highlighting voter perspectives from communities all across Arizona. To see more Voice of the Voter coverage, click here.
"I mean, this is in your blood, so to speak," Bradbury said.
For 24 years, Bradbury has raised horses and managed a U-pick orchard that draws thousands of visitors annually.
"After it's all done, we still get about 80,000 to 100,000 pounds of fruit out of here. Every bit of it goes to the food bank," Bradbury shared.
Since 2020, Surprise has ranked among the fastest-growing cities in the nation, with land sales fueling the development of homes, retail, and restaurants. While Bradbury and Truman miss the peace and quiet of earlier days, they also acknowledge the benefits.
“As we age, shopping and medical care are much closer now, so there are some advantages,” Truman noted.
“It has gone in directions that nobody could’ve predicted—like the warehouse boom. Who could’ve seen that coming?”
Thanks to Loop 303, the area has become a hub for warehouse distribution, sparking an unexpected industry boom.
“That whole 303 corridor is becoming a warehouse distribution mega center,” said Raoul Sada of the Northwest Valley Chamber of Commerce.
Sada noted that businesses fleeing California’s high costs and taxes are settling in Surprise, where employees can thrive with more affordable housing, rents, and access to transportation and tourist attractions.
As fewer children take over family farms, a new tide of prosperity is transforming the area. While it’s bittersweet for long-time residents like Bradbury and Truman, they remain proud to call it home.
“The jobs are here, so the city has a bright future economically, for sure,” Bradbury said.
VOTV Surprise Political Demographic Breakdown
