Sun City's Liberty Bell

The year before the Bicentennial was an exciting one; the idea for Sun City's Liberty Bell was born September 1975.  The Bell was chosen because it would have permanence and significance long after the bicentennial.  DEVCO offered to underwrite the cost but local residents wanted to be part of it too.  On January 15, 1976 an estimated 1,500 residents contributed literally a mountain of family treasures, personal mementos, old horns, jewelry, bric-a-brac, etc., totaling some 7,000 pounds of metal.

The metal was processed by a Philadelphia foundry and then sent to Arsten, Holland where the bell was cast.  The Liberty Bell arrived in Sun City on July 5, 1976 and was unveiled at the Sun Bowl on July 8th.  It was officially dedicated and the time capsule in its base officially sealed on November 11, 1976.  A letter on file with the Rec Centers instructs them to open the capsule in the year 2026.

The following inscription, which appears on a plaque below the Liberty Bell, was written by Myrtle Toutges. It reads:

We, the people of Sun City, Arizona

in 1976

the Bicentennial Anniversary

of the birth of our nation,

dedicate this bell to the future.

May we with the wisdom of those

who wrote the Constitution,

with the faith of those

who pressed westward in covered wagons

with the courage of those

who gave their lives for our freedom, be vigilant

that we may preserve our heritage.

May our Liberty Bell ring out

for freedom in all time to come.

Although the Liberty Bell is not a tradition in itself, it led to a tradition, Ring That Bell, which has become an annual 4th of July celebration at Bell Center where the Bell is located.