Payson, Arizona

2 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 3, ISSUE 3 TOWN OF Payson, T H E S E C R E T I S OU T N estled in the heart of Arizona is the historic Town of Payson. Completely surrounded by the ruggedly beautiful Tonto National Forest, Payson was originally named ‘Green Valley’ after being founded in 1882. When Illinois Representative Lewis Edwin Payson helped set-up the first post office in 1884, grateful residents changed the town’s name to ‘Payson’ to thank him. It was also during that year the first rodeo was held and now has the impressive reputation as being the “World’s Oldest Continuous Rodeo.” It’s just one of many community-wide events hosted each year to bring residents together. In Payson, there’s always excitement around the corner! “Payson is beautiful, especially being centrally located in Arizona, only 90 miles north of Phoenix,” states Joe Klein, Founder of Axis Culture Group, Payson’s marketing agency. “As far as being a business owner here, it’s a community that is loyal to hardworking and honest business owners. That’s what we’ve seen. The impact small businesses have on our community is huge in this town; people just show up and get involved. They step up to help our businesses grow, which in turn impacts the community Arizon