Casa Grande Ride

Event date: 
Sat, 11/08/2025 - 10:00am

Casa Grande was founded in 1879 during the Arizona mining boom due to the presence of the Southern Pacific Railroad. In January 1880, the community of Terminus, meaning "end-of-the-line," was established with just five residents and three buildings.  In September 1880, railroad executives renamed the settlement Casa Grande after nearby Hohokam ruins with the same name. Casa Grande grew slowly and suffered several setbacks both in 1886 and 1893 when fires ravaged the town, destroying all wooden housing structures within.  When the mining boom slowed in the 1890s, the town was nearly abandoned, but, with the advent of agriculture, the town survived and was incorporated in 1915.

Casa Grande is home to the Francisco Grande Hotel & Golf Resort, a former spring training location for the San Francisco Giants. The Giants' then owner, Horace Stoneham, began developing the property in 1959. The first exhibition game was played in Casa Grande in 1961 with Willie Mays hitting a 375-foot (114 m) home run. The Giants no longer play at Francisco Grande, but the baseball bat and ball shaped pool remains in memory of the past ballgames.[11]

During the Cold War, Casa Grande was the location of the Casa Grande Photogrammetric Test Range. These targets consisted of concrete arrows located in and to the south of the city which calibrated aerial cartographic cameras.

Casa Grande has also played a prominent role in semi-professional and collegiate baseball. The Casa Grande Cotton Kings, founded in 1948, qualified to play in the National Baseball Congress World Series ten straight times by winning Arizona state championships in the 1940s and 1950s and were reactivated in the 2000s. They are now members of the Pacific Southwest Baseball League.

Join EVHOG for a back road ride down to Casa Grande.  If agreed by the group, there will be a lunch stop.

KSU:  10:00 AM from Desert Wind Harley-Davidson

Road Captain:  Tom White

Event location:

Casa Grande AZ

Closed Event: Chapter activities are conducted primarily for the benefit of H.O.G. Chapter members. Closed Events are those events open to Chapter members and one guest per member.  All guests must sign an event release. Be aware, all rides and events are subject to change or cancellation due to weather or other circumstances beyond our control.

Impairment Policy: The consumption and use of alcohol is a serious personal responsibility involving the safety of family, riding friends and the individual HOG member. Alcohol consumption before or during a motorcycling activity is not safe, responsible behavior. East Valley Chapter #4507 does not allow the use of alcohol or drugs before or during a riding event* and does not furnish alcohol at Chapter rides. Riders whose skills are observed or suspected to be impaired by alcohol or drugs before riding cannot join the ride. Riders using alcohol or drugs while riding will be asked to leave the ride. It is the responsibility of each Template Chapter member to support the consistent enforcement of this policy

Photography Policy: Photographing, filming, recording and videotaping of activities and events will be occurring East Valley Chapter events. By entering the H.O.G.® event area, you irrevocably grant permission to the Harley-Davidson Motor Company® and its agents to photograph, film, record and/or videotape you and use (and authorize the use of) your name, image, likeness, voice, and/or biographical or other information in any and all media now known or hereinafter developed in perpetuity for any and all purposes.

Event Coordinator: 
Tom W
Membership Officer

[email protected]