Learn About The History Of Phoenix AZ
The history of Phoenix AZ is as amazing as the ancient settlers, immigrants, and peoples who brought it to life. If you are a history buff, no trip to Arizona is complete without visiting some of the city's best museums dedicated to telling its history - places such as Heard Museum and the Pueblo Grande Archaeological Park. For now, though, the following is a breakdown of the history of Phoenix AZ:
Early Life of Phoenix AZ
Hundreds of years ago, a well-established, civilized community inhabited the land we know today as Phoenix AZ, before the existence of any city in the eastern United States. The ruins of Pueblo Grande, which were inhabited between 700AD and 1400AD, testify to the city's ancient roots.The Salt River flowed through the Sun Valley, but there were less rain and insufficient melting snow to wet the brown land from mountain range to the river on either side.
However, the residents were imaginative, industrious and enterprising. They designed an irrigation system, comprising of about 140 miles of canals to moisture the land and make it productive. The eventual fate of this early community is, however, a mystery. Historians believe it was wiped out by a prolonged famine.
The city's modern history starts in midway in the nineteenth century.
In 1866, Jack Swirling of Wickenburge stopped at the foot of the northern slopes of White Tank Mountains to rest his horse. He looked across and down the expansive valley of Salt River and became amused by the rich glow of the brown soil turned up by the hooves of his horse. He saw a great farmland, without rocks, and in an area far away from heavy snow or frost. All it required was water.
On returning to Wickenburge, he organized an irrigation canal firm and occupied the Valley. That same year, the irrigation firm began creating a canal to direct some of Salt River's water onto the Valley of the Sun lands. By March 1869, the canal was fully operational, and a few of the firm's members cultivated meager crops that year.
AZ is born
By 1870, a small colony had started approximately five miles east of the modern-day city. The area was named Swirling's Mill. It was later changed to Hilling Mill, and then named Mill City, and decades later, East AZ. Having been a soldier of the confederate, Swirling wanted to call the new settlement Stonewall in honor of Stonewall Jackson. Others recommended the name Salina, however, neither name went well with the inhabitants. Darrell Duppa was the one who came up with the name Phoenix AZ, in as much as the town would thrive from former civilization ruins.
Phoenix AZ was officially recognized in 1868, when the supervisory board of Yavapa County, the county of which AZ was then a part of, formed precinct for elections here. That same year, AZ established its first post office, with Jack Swirling as postmaster.
Town site selection
The rapid inflow of pioneers went on, and by 1871, it was quite clear that a town site had to be selected. On October 20, 1871, a meeting was held at John Moore's (a well-known farmer) home to pick a site.The farmer offered forty acres to the cause, however, 325 were bought by a popular contribution that raised fifty dollars. The official designation of the townsite was the Range 3 East, Township 1 North, and North-Half of Section 8. Today, it would cover the city's downtown business section that is bounded by Van Buren Street on the north, Jackson Street on the south, Seventh Street on the east and by Seventh Ave. on the west
Today, it would cover the city's downtown business section that is bounded by Van Buren Street on the north, Jackson Street on the south, Seventh Street on the east and by Seventh Ave. on the west.