County Gila Time zone MST (no DST) (UTC-7) Area 12.4 km² | Elevation 4,760 ft (1,450 m) Area code(s) 928 Population 487 (2010) | |
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Round Valley is a census-designated place (CDP) in Gila County, Arizona, United States. The population was 487 at the 2010 census.
Contents
Geography
The CDP is located in northern Gila County, just south of the town of Payson. Arizona State Route 87, the Beeline Highway, forms the western edge of the CDP and runs north 3 miles (5 km) to the center of Payson. According to the United States Census Bureau, the Round Valley CDP has a total area of 4.8 square miles (12.4 km2), all of it land.
History
Round Valley was the site of the Gibson Ranch in the late 19th Century into the 20th Century:
In 1881, Joseph Gibson moved to what is now Round Valley and established a ranch there. He worked as a freighter, mail carrier, and of course, rancher. He was instrumental in establishing a mail service to Gisela and was the first mail carrier to that area. In 1892, Joseph died in Globe due to a crushed leg. His wife, Ruth, sold the ranch at Round Valley to Bill and Harvey Colcord in 1904. Her son, Wash Gibson, later bought it back. Then even later on, Wash's son, Randall Gibson, owned the ranch. Randall branded U Lazy Y.