Maricopa County's Century of Growth

By Carol Osman Brown Maricopa County's Century of Growth

For centuries she lay still like a great sleeping princess. . . waiting . . . waiting for that special touch which would allow her to awaken and reveal her hidden beauty and treasures. Only a faint promise of the magic-like potential was etched across her sandy countenance, yet it would be enough to attract those who could transform her barren acres into flourishing farmland. The hills echoed with the sounds of hoofbeats and squeaky wagon wheels as goldseekers and settlers pursued their dreams farther West. Hundreds hurried past the seemingly barren land. They did not see the promise of this sleeping princess which would soon be known as Maricopa County. But there were those who did stop long enough to look and listen. Traveling beneath ever-sunny skies, they saw fertile soil and the tracings of once impressive irrigation ditches created by the prehistoric Hohokam. They heard the promise of the land whispered by the desert breeze and echoed by the gurgles of the six rivers (Agua Fria, New, Hassayampa, Verde, Salt and Gila) which flowed there.

It was near the banks of the Salt River that the activities of two hardy pioneers brought forth the first historic stirrings in the unborn county's richest area, the Salt River Valley. In 1865 (two years after Arizona was established as a U.S. Territory) John Y. T. Smith started a small hay camp, harvested the tall Galleta grass which grew on acres now occupied by Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, and hauled it some 30 miles northeast to feed the U.S. Cavalry horses at Fort McDowell.

Riding shotgun to protect Smith's wagons from marauding bands of Apache Indians was Jack Swilling. He recognized the potential of irrigating the Valley as an ancient civilization had once done. Securing manpower and supplies from the prosperous mining camp of Wickenburg (oldest town in Maricopa County), he formed the Swilling Ditch Company and enlarged one of the old Indian ditches on the north side of the river. By Spring of 1868 the Salt River Valley Canal extended several miles west of the river (between 48th and 52nd streets in Phoenix). Water flowed to nourish desert crops . . . and the princess began to awaken. That was also the year that the first efforts to create the county of Maricopa from parts of Yavapai and Pima ended in failure. The bill, presented to the 5th Territorial Legislature by John Smith (probably John Y. T. Smith) of Yavapai County, passed the House but was defeated in the Council (later known as the Senate). Records show that opposition was lodged by delegates from Pima County owing to the fact that a large slice of fertile land, including the settlements of Phoenix and McDowell, would be removed from that county if the bill was successful. But as more settlers came to the prospering area the need for a new county became obvious. Thus, on February 12, 1871, the 6th Territorial Legislature established Maricopa County, named after a local tribe of Indians. Boasting a population of 400, Maricopa County was originally carved from that portion of Yavapai County bordering along and lying to the North of the Gila River. She annexed a part of Pima County in 1873 and acquired another strip from that county via a court decision in 1928.

In 1879. The Salt River Herald reported a lot of excitement as “leading officials of Maricopa County gathered to discuss the setting apart of the Salt River Valley for an Indian Reservation and to adopt measures to endeavor to have the order of the government rescinded. Amidst the ensuing furor, a letter to Governor Fremont charged the June 14, 1879 order by President Rutherford B. Hayes was a “crushing calamity.” In addition to placing Phoenix in the center of a Pima Indian Reservation, the executive order meant that the entire population of the Salt River Valley was disfranchised under federal laws governing Indian reservations. There was a fine of $5,000 or imprisonment for selling spirituous liquids within the reservation boundaries and merchants were restricted from continuing trade without a license as Indian agent. County residents heaved a sigh of relief in July of that year when the Salt River Reservation order was revoked by President Hayes.

The isolation of the territory challenged man's ingenuity and self-reliance. It should be remembered that at the time Maricopa County was born there was no railroad within a thousand miles of the Territory; settlers and supplies all arrived by wagon train from St. Louis or Yuma. For many years freighters with mule teams hauled supplies to the towns, and stage coach travel was provided by the Butterfield Mail Contract Co. which operated a string of 100 Concord coaches, 1,000 horses and 500 mules.

When the Southern Pacific Railroad's main route entered Arizona at Yuma and moved across the state in 1877 it provided the county's first railroad distribution point at Maricopa, 35 miles south of Phoenix. However, the progress of Maricopa County was still retarded by the lack of adequate transportation facilities. It was not until July 4, 1887 that the Maricopa and Phoenix Railroad Company completed a branch line to Maricopa, thereby placing the Salt River Valley communities in direct rail communication with the outside world. Phoenix, Tempe and Mesa were joined by rail in 1895 and a transcontinental link with the North was also acquired that year when the Santa Fe Railroad built a line by way of Ash Fork, Prescott and Wickenburg. Cattle feeding and other major county industries emerged with the coming of the “iron horse,” a vital force in the growth of county agriculture, tourism and commerce. Increased rail activity plus an early harvest season enabled farmers to secure premium prices for crops which reached their market ahead of California and Florida competitors. As the princess began to awaken, word of her beauty spread. The boasts of prospering residents (such as “You need but tickle the soil with a hoe for all manner of fruit and growing things to sprout forth.”) attracted newcomers from all parts of the nation. Near the turn of the century those arriving found Maricopa County, surrounded by hills rich in minerals, the garden spot of Arizona, and its chief source of agricultural products, harvested from the once barren desert.The largest body of irrigated land in the Territory was covered with a carpet of green acres yielding grain, hay, vegetables, citrus and other fruit. Range cattle grazed on rich alfalfa fields while ostrich farms and beekeeping thrived nearby.

A prosperous level of trade was regained and the county flourished with crops as farmers went into full scale production of food for the nation's workers and service men.Arizona's pioneer congressman, Senator Carl Hayden, was successful in persuading Washington officials to establish six training stations in our state. As a result the Salt River Valley became the home of five military air bases: Luke Air Force Base near Glendale, Williams Air Force Base near Chandler, Litchfield Naval Air Facility, the smaller Thunderbird Field at Glendale, and Falcon Field at Mesa.

But the most precious commodity in the history of the county is its water, which has reclaimed countless desert acres through the miracle of irrigation. However, water was also the chief source of problems for her pioneers.

Annual spring floods frequently damaged the crude dams of rock and brush used to divert river water to canals; the menace of drought loomed as a constant threat. Progress slowed to a standstill in the 1890's as the forces of nature ravaged the land. During the big flood in the spring of 1891, the Salt River rose 27 feet above its normal level. Stretching 8 miles wide in some places, it wiped out the Tempe railroad bridge along with diversion dams, crops, livestock and hundreds of homes. Maricopa County had barely recovered from this tragedy when her land began to shrivel with drought in 1897. The withering torture lingered for two years while the population dropped at an alarming rate. Those who chose to stay and stick it out were rewarded with water in 1900. But it came in a flash flood that again destroyed diversion dams and all hope of spring crops. This was the crisis which caused farmers and the people of the Valley's cities and towns to unite in a determined effort to develop the adequate water storage system so necessary.

The need for cooperation and long range planning led to the formation of the Salt River Valley Water Users' Association in 1903, first multi-purpose reclamation project authorized by the historic Federal Reclamation Act of 1902. Scores of dedicated men toiled for nearly five years prior to March 18, 1911 when Roosevelt Dam was completed and dedicated by President Theodore Roosevelt. A county landmark, the magnificent masonry weapon against drought and flood created what was then the world's largest storage reservoir Roosevelt Lake. Construction had included five hydro-electric generating units which would supply power to pump additional irrigation water in the Valley.

Maricopa farmers figured one acre in an irrigated district equalled at least four acres in northern counties where rain was the only source of irrigation water. The growing season was shorter. Thus the value of land increased with the expansion of irrigated area. In the following decades several other small irrigation districts were formed within the county, each serving around 35,000 acres. But the greatest agricultural activity prevailed in the Valley where the Salt River Project serves nearly 250,000 acres with water carried via 1,200 miles of canals, laterals and ditches. Through its chain of six storage reservoirs, the Project has provided the county with the popular water recreation areas of Roosevelt, Saguaro, Canyon, Apache, Bartlett and Horseshoe lakes.

Reservoir water released to serve the area is harnessed by hydroelectric generating equipment on SRP dams, providing electricity to numerous cities and towns within the Valley.

Thus the taming of the Salt River gave the princess a lifegiving force force which enabled her to blossom with industrialization, agriculture, tourism, commerce and urban development.

In 1900 Maricopa County had a population of 20,457; it jumped to 89,576 by 1920 and reached 150,970 by 1930. Significant agricultural changes came with World War I and cotton, particularly the long-staple variety, became a vital cash crop. But a bleak period was heralded by the "cotton bust" and curtailment of mining operations in 1921. Though a significant tourism element had developed in the mid-1920's, all progress ceased during the depression-ridden 1930's when land and farm prices dropped drastically. Then World War II erupted and the nation moved into a war economy. Fanned into life by war, these facilities ignited more than two decades of explosive growth which made Maricopa the most populous county in the state. Major war industries boosted the economy and brought new residents to the county. Thousands who had followed the war-years trail to the area chose to stay even when the conflict ended and war plants closed down. Having fallen in love with this sunny land while stationed here, service men returned with families from all parts of the nation. They boasted of the scenic beauty, mild reasons, rich soil, and warm hospitality they had discovered more came and the county shuddered with a phenomenal population boom.

As strength surged to her limbs, the princess experienced sharp growing pains. In the past two decades she has stretched and scrambled in an attempt to keep pace with her population which numbered 331,770 in 1950. Many newcomers pre ferred urban to rural life and the cities soon bulged at their seams. Phoenix and the surrounding towns stretched out; suburbs were absorbed by cities and new communities sprang forth on the outskirts of the mushrooming metropolis. One by one industrial plants and housing subdivisions took the place of hay fields and citrus orchards.

By 1970 Maricopa County's 9,253 square miles of land was inhabited by 963,132 people. Today she boasts 18 incor porated cities and towns with a population of 1,000 or more, and has a net assessed valuation of $1,249,152,000. The value of her mineral production (lime, mercury, mica, stone, sand and gravel) was $8,403,000 in 1969, at which time she had 472,255 acres under cultivation. Though Mari copa has become one of the most productive agricultural counties in the nation, farming has dropped to second place and manu facturing is now her number one source of income. Industry, centered in the elite electronic and aero space component field, came to the Valley in the form of big employers such as AiResearch, Motorola, Goodyear Tire Co., Sperry Phoenix, and General Electric in addition to numerous smaller firms of every description. Personal income in this metropolitan county rose to $1,118,500,000 in 1969 and retail sales amounted to $2,126,026,000 that year. A multitude of shopping centers dot the sprawling area whose residents rely on mobility for progress. A giant trans portation industry, with colonies of planes, trains, trucks, buses and automobiles, has criss-crossed the county, closing gaps and melting communities into one another. More than 250 million tourist dollars ride into the Valley annually on the wheels and wings of this transportation system.

Twenty-five years ago the Camelback Arcadia area was orange groves and a mountain view. Today it is fast developing into one of the world's most attractive busi-ness and residential areas with Camelback Road as the main thoroughfare.

Tourism third largest income producer in the county has become a year 'round industry since the advent of refrigeration. More than eight million visitors enjoy the beauty of this vibrant princess each year. In 1969 conventions, an allied "industry without a smokestack," boosted her economy by an estimated $17 million.

Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (serving 2,822,200 passengers in 1969) is the visitor's bustling gateway to Maricopa County. The arriving airborne tourist is greeted with a view of the same Salt River Valley which has, for a century, lured newcomers with its sunshine, hospitality and prosperity. But now it is impossible to discern where Phoenix, the county's largest city with a population of 580,275, ends and her satellite communities begin.

Today the traveler's eyes gaze upon a vast metropolis sprawling over the desert and edging into the foothills of nearby mountains an incongruous patchwork of shopping centers, alfalfa fields, church spires, citrus orchards, high rise buildings, canals and swimming pools.

Though Phoenix seems to overshadow many of the county's major towns and cities, her assets have mingled with theirs and dependence upon one another has grown throughout Maricopa's century of progress.

As the tourist visits these Valley satellite cities and major communities throughout the county he realizes that each, while working with its neighbors toward common goals, has maintained an individuality painstakingly molded by its pioneers. The second oldest city in the Salt River Valley is Tempe, founded in 1871 by Judge Charles Trumbull Hayden, who envisioned a community developed around a ferry and a flour mill. The result was the thriving settlement of Hayden's Ferry. Two years after Hayden's son, Carl, was born (Oct. 2, 1877) the community was renamed Tempe for its similar appearance to the famed Vale of Tempe in Greece.

In 1902 one of the community's leading citizens, Carl Hayden, was elected to the Tempe Town Council; two years later he served as Maricopa County treasurer and in 1906 began a six-year term in the office of sheriff. Becoming a U.S. Senator at the age of 35, he did much for county and state progress during his 57 years in Congress.

The town's major landmark, Arizona State University, was established in 1885. Originally known as the Territorial Normal School, it opened its one classroom to 31 students the following year. Today more than 27,000 students are enrolled for academic year classes on the 300-acre campus which is continually growing. The facility has grown to encompass eight colleges: Liberal Arts, Architecture, Business Administration, Education, Engineering Sciences, Nursing, Law and the Graduate College which administers more than 50 different academic departments as well as a bureau of research and services.

Two of the most widely acclaimed campus structures are the Charles Trumbull Hayden Library and Grady Gammage Memorial Auditorium. The latter (Frank Lloyd Wright's last major architectural design) opened in 1964 and has since become one of the nation's leading cultural centers, hosting a variety of noted musicians, vocalists, ballet companies and touring theater groups.

Located in the center of a rich agricultural area, Tempe was incorporated in 1895. Its growth was gradual until the 1950's when the "sleepy little college town" awoke with a population explosion. For several years she led other Arizona towns in per-centage increase of population while maintaining her “small town” community atmosphere. By 1970 she had grown to accommodate more than 125 manufacturing plants (primarily electronic-space oriented) and 63,030 residents.

Here the tourist can watch a variety of athletic competition at ASU's 40,000-seat Sun Devil Stadium and view Cactus League baseball at the spring training camp of the Milwaukee Brewers.

Tempe is also the home of Big Surf, a $2 million surfing facility featuring sandy beaches and mechanically produced waves. Its proximity to Legend City (a family fun park), the Phoenix Zoo and varied recreational activities of Papago Park has contributed to the city's new tourist image.

Nestled a scant mile from the ASU campus is Cook Christian Training School, established in 1965. The only school of its type in the nation, this institution is making giant strides in the field of Indian education and related self-help programs. Students representing some 65 different tribes from all parts of the nation have studied here.

It is fitting that Maricopa County acquired such a unique facility, for she boasts five Indian reservations within her boundaries. The Fort McDowell Apache Reservation encompasses 24,680 acres; the Salt River Pima Indians have 46,591 acres, while the Maricopa Reservation covers 21,840 acres. The Gila River Indian Reservation is the largest in the county with 371,929 acres of land and the smallest parcel of 10,297 acres forms the Gila Bend Reservation.

Located a few miles east of Tempe is the city of Mesa, founded in 1878 on a square mile tract by a group of Mormons. For a time the community was known as Hayden and later as Zenos after a prophet in the Book of Mormon. Incorporated in 1883, it did not acquire its present name (reflecting the broad tableland of its location) until 1888. Well laid out with city streets geared for future growth, the original tract was enlarged by annexation in 1931. Major landmark of the area is The Arizona Mormon Temple, completed in 1927 on 20 landscaped acres at the eastern edge of the city.

Agriculture has been the primary stimulus to Mesa economy since its earliest days. Chief crops exported to all parts of the country include citrus, cotton, melons, lettuce, sugar beets and other vegetables, as well as grains and feed crops which help supplement large cattle and sheep feeding operations. It is the home of one of the University of Arizona's Agricultural experimental farms.

The city's population of 62,499 also relies on principal industry payrolls stemming from electronic component manufacturing, metal fabrication, auto proving grounds, machine tool and propulsion escape systems manufacturing, aircraft, citrus packing and food processing.

Mesa boasts several large retirement communities and enjoys a high rate of tourism. Known to baseball fans as the winter home of the Oakland Athletics, she continually draws visitors with additional attractions including mineral baths, golf courses, the famed olympic diving tower, aerial shows at FalconField Municipal Airport; recreational activities at both Ren-

Rendezvous and Pioneer parks.

Mesa Community College is part of the widely acclaimed Maricopa County Junior College System which also includes Phoenix College, Glendale Community College, Maricopa Technical College, and Scottsdale Community College. In addition to those previously mentioned, institutions of higher learning within the county are: Grand Canyon College, Thunderbird Graduate School of International Management, Arizona Bible College and Southwestern College, various specialized schools including Pepsi-Cola Management Institute. The numerous elementary schools of the cities and towns in Maricopa County served 162,995 students during the 1969-70 school year, while high schools had an attendance of 62,554.

Chandler, incorporated in 1921, forms the third keystone of this tri-city area in the southeast metropolitan section of the county. One of the earliest "planned" cities, it was founded by Dr. A. J. Chandler who, in the late 1880's, purchased 18,000 acres of arid desert land and made it amazingly productive through use of irrigation and underground wells. In 1911 he dedicated property for a townsite and employed landscape architects who planned the town around a park. The following year he built the San Marcos Hotel which has remained one of the most noted resorts in the Southwest. (Though this made Chandler a pioneer in the resort business, it is reported that the first hotel in the county catering to winter tourists was established in 1896 at Castle Hot Springs.) Agriculture has remained the primary source of income for the 13,551 residents of Chandler and the 1,951 inhabitants of its suburb, Gilbert. Ranches rich with all manner of livestock also provide principal crops of cotton, small grains, citrus, potatoes, lettuce, safflower and sugar beets. The latter is processed by the massive Spreckels sugar plant located here. An electronic plant, a mineral firm which cuts raw diamonds and three mobile home manufacturers constitute Chandler's major industrial assets. The new Pima-Chandler Industrial Park, situated on the Salt River Indian Reservation just outside of Chandler, promises added prosperity.

Another important asset to the Chandler economy is the nation's first jet air school, Williams Air Force Base, located eight miles east of the city.

The county's other major military installation is famed Luke Air Force Base, ten miles west of Glendale.

Settled in the 1890's by New Englanders, this city began to stir in 1894 with the completion of the Santa Fe, Prescott and Phoenix RR, but made little progress until the completion of Roosevelt Dam assured the surrounding rich agricultural area of water. Glendale has grown to accommodate a population of 35,711 and has become a major U.S. packing and shipping center for fruits and vegetables. It is the home of the U.S. South-west Poultry Experimental Station.

Glendale and the neighboring towns of Peoria (population of 4,753) and Tolleson (3,825 residents) lie in a vast agricultural area which yields cantaloupe and other melons, citrus, cotton, alfalfa, grains, lettuce and a variety of other vegetables. Dairy and livestock operations are prevalent throughout the area; Swift & Company maintains stockyards and a major meat packing plant in the vicinity of Tolleson.