An Overview Of Phoenix, Arizona History For The Curious Tourist

The Phoenix, Arizona area has long been a popular destination for sun lovers of all ages. Nestled deep in the heart of the desert southwest and guarded by its famous saguaro cacti, the city has a rich and ancient history as well as a bright and prosperous future. If you are planning to visit soon, here is an overview of this charming metropolis.

When first viewing its shining swimming pools, palm-tree lined avenues, acres of golf courses and fragrant citrus trees, it may be hard for tourists to imagine that the Phoenix area was once a wild and desolate place, inhabited by ancient peoples who struggled to raise their families in Arizona's rough and arid climate.

But take a drive out to the Sonoran desert at dusk, stop the car, and listen to the sounds of silence. Then you may catch a glimpse of what the Hohokam Native Americans saw when they arrived in the area around 300 AD.

These ingenious agrarian people soon saw the possibilities of farming through irrigation by diverting the water from the Salt River. They built over 135 miles of canals to water their crops, their animals, and themselves. The people died off or moved elsewhere under unknown circumstances, and it took centuries for civilization to flourish in the area again.

A farmer named Jack Swilling traveled through the ancient Hohokam lands in 1867 and saw the potential for the area, much as they did. The remnants of the canal system were still intact and Swilling was able to make out many of the former water ways. Swilling's irrigation canal company began digging on the original sites and as waterways flowed again, more settlers began to arrive.

The new homesteaders were appreciative of the desert's former ancient inhabitants and valued the area's rich history. A resident by the name of Darrell Duppa suggested that the new settlement be given the romantic name of "Phoenix," after the mythological bird.

According to the Egyptian myth, the Phoenix was burned in its nest; but rather than dying away, from its ashes rose a new and even more beautiful bird. With the evidence of the Hohokam's successful society before them, the new pioneers felt that their town was rising from the ashes of what came before, and would become even more prosperous and beautiful.

Although Phoenix remained a relatively small agrarian community during its first sixty years of existence, tourists and new residents began to flock to the town after the Great Depression. These new arrivals came for a variety of reasons, but the main attractions were the mild year-round temperatures and healthy environment. Today, Phoenix is the 7th largest city in the United States. Visitors from all over the world come year-round to enjoy golf, world class resorts, outdoor activities, shopping, and the beauties of the desert.

Through all of the changes, the majestic Saguaro cacti remain constant: the ancient sentinels guarding the Sonoran Desert that has witnessed both the ancient civilizations and the new.

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