Amado

History

Amado straddles Pima and Santa Cruz counties and serves as a gateway on AZ Interstate-19 to points south in Santa Cruz County; north in Pima County; west to Arivaca; and east into the Santa Rita Mountains.

Like all land in the heritage area, it was originally home to successive groups of Indigenous Peoples and their descendants, the O’odham and the Yaqui (Yoemem), who traveled freely between water sources, food cultivation, and important landmarks, such as sacred mountains, streams, and the sea. These tribal nations continue to thrive on this land, and without their knowledge and wisdom, the communities would not be the culturally diverse places they are today. 

The town takes its name after Manuel Amado who began ranching the land in 1852. Various members of the Amado family continued the ranching tradition and continue to reside in the Amado area and the larger Santa Cruz Valley.

In Spanish, Amado means “beloved,” and for a time, from 1950 through 1980s, the blink-and-you’ll-miss-it town attracted the likes of celebrities and movie producers—from John Wayne and Martin Scorcese to Paul McCartney and Linda Rondstadt.

Though the tiny town seems to attract celebrity, Amado’s population has been slowly declining from 275 residents in 2000 to 198 in 2020.

Distinctions

Popular Culture: For a town its size, Amado has attracted some big names.

• Paul McCartney – For his 1986 album Press to Play, British musician Paul McCartney filmed his music video “Stranglehold” in the Halfway Station restaurant in Amado. It was the first and only concert at this restaurant. The building still exists, though in disrepair.

• McRae, Ronstadt, Loew, Taylor and Kelly – The opening scene for Oklahoma! (1955) was filmed in the cornfields of Agua Linda Farm in Amado. Agua Linda Farm was built by the Ronstadt family in the 1940s and its adobe buildings were designed by prolific, regional architect Josias Joesler. In the ’50s, Hollywood movie producer, Arthur Loew, Jr. bought the farm where he entertained celebrity guests like Elizabeth Taylor and Gene Kelly.

• Martin Scorcese, Ellen Burstyn, and John Wayne – Nearly 20 years later, Martin Scorcese filmed a scene for Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore (1974) which featured the entrance of the Longhorn Bar & Grill (now the Longhorn Grill & Saloon which still serves guests. Across the street was The Cow Palace restaurant, a local favorite where John Wayne was known drop in. The Cow Palace was demolished in 2020 after a devastating flood damaged the property five years earlier. All that remains is its icononic sign.