Somerton still seeks photos for book about city's history

SOMERTON — Somewhere there may be photographs of Somerton from its earliest days.

Maybe they're tucked away in family photo albums, or maybe they're sandwiched between stacks of other pictures people have in their possession. Or maybe they're hanging in frames on the walls of homes.

If they're out there, Somerton City Administrator Bill Lee wants to borrow them long enough to incorporate them in a book of the Somerton's history that the city plans to publish.

City officials kicked off the book project more than a month ago, asking area residents to loan any photos they have of Somerton from days or years gone by.

So far, the public has brought in about 30 photos — a start but not nearly enough to portray the entire history of Somerton, from its founding in 1898, to its incorporation as a municipality in 1918, to today, says Lee.

“We would like more photos from the first years of the 1900 to the ‘20s,” he said. “The majority of the ones we have are from the later years. I know there are people who may have more photos that can be part of the graphic history of Somerton, and we know that there has to be many photos that deserve to be part of this book.”

But it's not just photos that the city is looking for. Old newspapers, letters, birth certificates and any other documents that reflect some historical aspect of Somerton will be included in the book.

Once all materials are compiled, the book will be printed by Arcadia Publishing, a South Carolina-based publishing house that has turned out similar history books for other cities in Arizona and around the country.

Lee stressed the city will return all photos and documents that the public contributes to the project.

The Somerton book will be made available for sale in the area, Lee said, and the city also plans to make copies photographs and other donated articles for a small museum likewise dedicated to the city's history.

“We believe the book can be of interest to many people, above all for those with roots in Somerton.”

People who have photos or other items to contribute for the book should call Somerton City Hall at 722-7400, or e-mail Lee at BillLee@CityOfSomerton.com.