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Scottsdale History, Arizona

The history of Scottsdale, AZ begins all the way back in 300 BC. The Hohokam farmed the Scottsdale area irrigating the area with an advanced irrigation system. The civilization suddenly disappeared, thus the name Hohokam which means vanished.

Before European inhabitants civilized the area now known as Scottsdale, the Pima Indian tribe exclusively lived in Scottsdale. Pima village was named Vasai Svasoni. Pima remained in the Scottsdale area within traditional homes until the 20th century. The remaining traditional homes were all evacuated in the early 21st century and now all Pima Indians live in either South Scottsdale or on the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community.

When the Hohokam disappeared, they left behind more than 120 miles of irrigation systems meant to feed water to the farm lands. In the late 1800s, the first European settlers updated the canal system for current irrigation usage.

In 1888, Winfield Scott purchased a 640 acre plot of land for $2.50 an acre. This land would soon be called Orangedale. The name of the lands would eventually be changed to Scottsdale in 1894.

The history of Scottsdale remains very quiet until the 1930s when an accomplished architect chose the McDowell Mountains as the destination for his winter camp. The architect, Frank Lloyd Wright is famous for his eclectic home designs which can still be seen today throughout Scottsdale.

Business boomed in Scottsdale from the 1950s up until the 1970s. Several large companies moved into the area to set up factories or manufacturing sites. One company, utilized a chemical that may be harmful to humans when consumed. The EPA was called into action and in 2006, a cleanup effort was established to remove the chemical from the drinking water supplies by the year 2036.

The history of Scottsdale is laced with trials and tribulations. A canal system set up to flood only once every 99 years, overflowed on a regular basis. The flooding caused the government to act and rebuild certain parts of the city and the canal system. During the rebuilding process and immediately after, certain parts of Scottsdale were left to the elements of nature.

Over time, however, the city rebuilt the homes, businesses and established a hearty population. The first ever population listed for Scottsdale was 2000 residents in the year 1950. Today, the area has grown to house more than 240,000 residents in 2007. The close proximity to the Phoenix metropolitan area offers the residents of Scottsdale all the amenities of a larger city with the comforts of a smaller town.

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