Phoenix

PHOENIX

PHOENIX. In 1867, pioneers entered the Salt River valley in central Arizona and admired the remains of the ancient canal system of the Hohokam, a people who had lived in the area prior to 1400. Homesteading the land, clearing out old irrigation ditches, planting crops, and negotiating supply contracts with nearby military posts and mining camps, the pioneers created an economic base for their community. Realizing that they were revitalizing the land of an ancient people, the settlers in 1870 named the town site Phoenix, a fitting symbol of life rising anew from the remains of the past. Growth was slow but steady, and by 1900, the valley center contained a population of 5,444 and offered an impressive array of urban goods, services, and amenities. By then it was a railroad hub, the seat of Maricopa County, and the territorial capital.

Phoenix leaders, taking advantage of the National Reclamation Act of 1902, supported the federal government in the construction of Roosevelt Dam, completed in 1911. Water management projects brought vital stability to the area, allowed irrigation control, and assured agricultural prosperity. Local promoters also encouraged campaigns to attract new residents and visitors to the Valley of the Sun, emphasizing the opportunities and the amenities available, especially the mild winter climate. By 1930, the city had become a regional urban center of 48,118. The Great Depression retarded progress, but the central Arizona oasis recorded a population of 65,414 in 1940.

During the 1930s, the federal government helped to alleviate distress in the city and the valley through New Deal programs, and during and after World War II, the relationship between Washington and the Phoenix area grew stronger as the Arizona capital became a major military and manufacturing center. By 1955, manufacturing had become the city's number-one source of income, with farming and tourism in second and third places. Major firms in the 1950s included Motorola, General Electric,

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Goodyear Aircraft, Kaiser Aircraft and Electronics, Ai-Research, and Sperry Rand.

Business initiative, sunny days, and modern technology prevailed in the popular desert hub. Especially appealing were new attractions such as air conditioning. As in other Sun Belt cities, the mass production of air conditioners in the 1950s and the consequent age of refrigeration attracted not only manufacturers but also more residents and tourists. Throughout the years, the winning combination of opportunities and amenities continued to attract newcomers; occasional downturns occurred, but overall, Phoenix boomed. Economic enterprise and the Phoenix life style drew more people to the area. By 2000, more than a million people lived in Phoenix, and it had become the sixth largest city in the nation.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Luckingham, Bradford. The Urban Southwest: A Profile History of Albuquerque, El Paso, Phoenix, and Tucson. El Paso: Texas Western, 1982.

———. Phoenix: The History of a Southwestern Metropolis. Tucson: University of Arizona Press, 1989.

———. Minorities in Phoenix: A Profile of Mexican American, Chinese American, and African American Communities, 1860–1992. Tucson: University of Arizona Press, 1994.

Bradford Luckingham

See also Arizona ; Sun Belt .