How did Phoenix become the capital/most populated area of Arizona?

[Renegade007]

I have no idea. Prescott (the territorial capital of Arizona) would seem to be a more logical choice. It's cooler, there are lakes nearby, and it has greenery and scenery. Guess Prescott never quite caught on.

[goolsbyjazz]

Originally Posted by ShampooBanana

The earliest settlers came by and saw the ancient irrigation canals left by the Hohokam people. They decided they could be rebuilt and improved to sustain viable farmland thanks to the Salt River. Once there were enough settlers, there was some political maneuvering but it made sense due to geography for Phoenix to become what was then the territorial capital. That again brought more people, roads were built, and in the very early 1900s a major works project (Salt River Project, i.e. SRP) funded by the government was built (Roosevelt Dam, and others) to control the Salt River watershed and supply reliable water to the Valley for farming, people, and businesses to use.


More people came, more roads were built linking Phoenix to LA and other parts of the southwest and the country. Phoenix was touted as an ideal place for people suffering from certain ailments, like tuberculosis, due to the dryness and year-round warm temperatures. By the time WW2 happened, Phoenix was already identified as an ideal place for flight training thanks to clear skies and good weather (and general flatness to build multiple runways and landing strips). The military presence exploded during WW2 and many pilots were trained at places like Luke AFB and Williams Field (now Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport). A lot of them liked and remembered Phoenix and either came back or stayed. It also became a popular place for harsh weather heat testing for automakers and heavy equipment manufacturers so many test tracks were built (some still remain).


By the 1950's air conditioning was becoming a thing, and REALLY made living in Phoenix a year-round viable option for many. The population exploded as Phoenix commerce people touted it as an ideal winter resort and retirement destination. Resorts sprouted up all over town, many located in and around Scottsdale/Camelback areas. The Biltmore being one of the oldest and most celebrated. The retirement destination concept really got into full swing by the 1960s, and Del Webb created the original Sun City which attracted thousands upon thousands from all over the country to live in a planned community where you could play golf everyday and engage in social activities with other seniors close to your age, all in once single affordable place.


By the 1970s there was enough critical mass and enough word was out that as the population of the country shifted to the Sun Belt, Phoenix was high on the list for many seeking to escape declining manufacturing areas in the Midwest and East in the hopes of finding better opportunities in a place with sunny weather and still affordable housing. A burgeoning tech industry and the growth of Phoenix as a place for many regional headquarters helped fuel this growth. The real estate/construction industry took over from there and massive growth in suburbia occurred from the 1970s on through the present day. While Phoenix is still valued as a retirement destination, many move here for the same reasons as before - jobs, a new start, the weather - but also because people seek these things in a place that is still relatively affordable as compared to whence they came (Californians).

Was this something you read or are you a historian? It was very good.

[ShampooBanana]

Originally Posted by goolsbyjazz

Was this something you read or are you a historian? It was very good.

I'm simply very interested in local and Arizona history. I've read a lot about it and have checked out many books, websites and historical photos of Phoenix and surroundings. My previous career was as an Urban Planner with an interest in historic preservation and growth patterns, as well, so that might have something to do with it.

[Valley Native]

Originally Posted by Renegade007

I have no idea. Prescott (the territorial capital of Arizona) would seem to be a more logical choice. It's cooler, there are lakes nearby, and it has greenery and scenery. Guess Prescott never quite caught on.

Water is one of the main reasons why the more scenic & cooler areas in northern AZ didn't become populated like Phoenix. As it was pointed out before, the Phoenix valley had (and still continues to have) easier access to water, despite being in a desert region. Another reason places like Prescott & Flagstaff didn't grow as big as Phoenix is many people never wanted big city type of development there. I personally enjoy the green forests & nature in northern AZ without a lot of the citification. Flagstaff & Prescott are fairly good size already, but most people there want to keep things fairly tranquil & don't want a Phoenix sized city/metro area with millions of people, freeways, traffic, sprawl, crime, and pollution issues. I really can't blame them.

[pbenjamin]

Phoenix was, historically, an oasis. It was all about water and farming.

Rogue Columnist: Phoenix 101: The oasis

[WilmaWildcat]

To my mind it's a simple equation; Phoenix is the only place that has both:

(1) a central location
(2) regular supply of surface water

The Salt River at that location was a huge draw to people already a thousand years ago (ca. 450 BC - 1450 AD). We visited the following site (right by Sky Harbor) about this time last year, and it was fascinating. Highly recommend it:

https://www.phoenix.gov/parks/arts-c.../pueblo-grande

Plus, once the territory geography was delineated, neither Tucson nor Flagstaff (or Prescott) for example had a real chance of becoming hubs, because one is south and one is north. Tucson even had the railroad in 1880, when Phoenix had none. Did not matter.

Arizona is a huge state, area-wise; I live in Illinois now, and it is about twice the area of Illinois. A central location for the seat of government and commerce was a real necessity, IMO. I'm from Tucson, and the U of Arizona yearbook is full of people from Phoenix by 1920.

[Valley Native]

Originally Posted by WilmaWildcat

Plus, once the territory geography was delineated, neither Tucson nor Flagstaff (or Prescott) for example had a real chance of becoming hubs, because one is south and one is north.

Tucson is a hub, but it's not a major hub like Phoenix is. It didn't start out that way ... in fact, Tucson had a larger population than Phoenix in the early 20th Century. I think Tucson has the potential to be a major hub and have a higher growth rate, but it lacks in so many things, such as transportation & jobs. Phoenix is where the growth has been, and will continue to be the chief metro area in the state. As for Flagstaff & Prescott, they will continue to grow as well, but they'll likely never become big cities, and I think most people would prefer it that way.

[WilmaWildcat]

Tucson is not a hub like Phoenix; and it's not going to be for the reasons I gave. Those are the reasons it doesn't have the items you mentioned. It can carve a niche for itself, which it has and does. In fact, there is no reason at all for it to have been successful other than the desire and tradition to be. It has quite a bit going for it, but location and water are not two of the things.

Tucson can make more of its location as the rail "Port of Tucson" if trade with Mexico ever really takes off through Arizona. (In 2013, the Port of Tucson was designated as a dry seaport, allowing ocean containers to travel via rail directly to and from the ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles.) It has a good start, and they have done well. Unfortunately, the dynamite fellow who really helped the Port of Tucson take off has recently moved on, and I hope his successor keeps it going.

Business development leader moving on from Port of Tucson | Tucson Business News | tucson.com

I think we all pretty much know that Tucson is the oldest city in the state and that it is considerably older than Phoenix. There has been a community living continually at the base of Sentinel Peak downtown for thousands of years (the name Tucson comes from Chuk-son, Tohono O'Odham for "black base," the base of volcanic Sentinel Peak aka "A" Mountain); and there were people living there when Irish mercenary Hugo O'Conor founded the Spanish Tucson presidio there in 1775, the founding date of the city. The Catholic church's Padre Eusabio Kino had started Mission San Xavier del Bac in 1692. There are censuses and records in Spanish long before the first Tucson (Pima county) US territorial census in 1860, when Tucson was still part of New Mexico territory.

So yes, Tucson has a rich history and culture; it's one of the reasons UNESCO named it the first "City of Gastronomy" in the US this past year. And not to be confused with location, its setting is gorgeous and unique. And we have fantastic weather. But it only has enough water to support the small population that lived there ages ago; and the CAP is a lifeline so far, but the Colorado River is not the answer, as everyone is finding out.