About Phoenix Az
Phoenix is the capital and the most populous city of the state of Arizona and the county seat of Maricopa County. It is the most populous capital city in the United States. Its physical location is along the banks of the normally dry Salt River. It was incorporated as a city on February 25, 1881. Residents of Phoenix are known as Phoenicians.
Phoenix had an estimated 2006 population of 1,512,986, making it the fifth largest city in the United States, as well as the largest state capital. Phoenix has expansive city limits (515 square miles), and it has the 10th highest land area for a city in the United States. As of 2006, the Phoenix Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) was the 13th largest in the United States, with an estimated population of 4,039,182.
History
American Indian inhabitants of the Area
As early as 700 AD, the Hohokam civilization occupied the land that would become Phoenix. The Hohokam created roughly 135 miles (217 km) of irrigation canals, making the land arable. Paths of these canals would later become used for the modern Arizona Canal, Central Arizona Project Canal, and the Hayden-Rhodes Aqueduct.
It is believed that between AD 1300 and AD 1450 periods of drought and severe floods led to the Hohokams disappearance.
Although Spanish and Mexican explorers knew of the area, only southern Arizona fell under their influence. The Salt River Valley remained mostly abandoned. Local Akimel Oodham settlements, thought to be the descendents of the formerly urbanized Hohokam, concentrated on the Gila River alongside those of the Tohono Oodham and Maricopa peoples.
Pre-incorporation history of Phoenix Arizona
Passing through the area in 1867, Jack Swilling of Wickenburg, Arizona stopped to rest at the foot of the White Tank Mountains and observed land that had great potential for farming. The terrain and climate were optimal, except for a lack of precipitation and suitable irrigation. Swilling remedied the situation by having a series of canals built, which followed the paths of the preexisting Hohokam canals. A small community formed about four miles (6 km) east of the present city and a few miles northwest of another community at Haydens Ferry, which would become Tempe.
The farming community was named Swillings Mill in his honor, though later renamed to Helling Mill, Mill City, and finally, East Phoenix. Swilling, a former Confederate soldier, wanted to name the city "Stonewall," after Gen. Stonewall Jackson. Others suggested the name of "Salina." However, neither name was suitable to the community. Finally, Lord Darrell Duppa suggested the name "Phoenix," as it described a city born from the ruins of a former civilization.
The Yavapai County Board of Supervisors, which, at the time, encompassed Phoenix, officially recognized the town of Phoenix on May 4, 1868 and formed an election precinct. The first post office was established on June 15, 1868, with Jack Swilling serving as the postmaster. With the population growing, a townsite needed to be selected. On October 20, 1870, the residents held a meeting to decide where to locate it. A 320 acre (1.3 km²) plot of land was purchased in what is now the downtown business section. On February 12, 1871, the territorial legislature created Maricopa County, the sixth in the state, by dividing Yavapai County. The first county election in Maricopa County was held in 1871, when Tom Barnum was elected the first sheriff. Barnum ran unopposed as the other two candidates, John A. Chenowth and Jim Favorite, had a shootout that ended in Favorites death and Chenowth withdrawing from the race.
Several lots of land were sold in 1870 at an average price of $48. The first church opened in 1871, as did the first store. Public school had its first class on September 5, 1872, in the courtroom of the county building. By October 1873, a small school was completed on Center Street (now Central Avenue).[6] Land entry was recorded by the Florence Land Office on November 19, 1873 and a declaratory statement filed in the Prescott Land Office February 15, 1872. President Ulysses S. Grant issued a land patent for the present site of Phoenix on April 10, 1874. The total value of the Phoenix Townsite was $550, with downtown lots selling for between $7 and $11 each. A short time later, a telegraph office, 16 saloons, four dance halls and two banks were open.
Incorporation of Phoenix Arizona
By 1881, Phoenix had outgrown its original townsite-commissioner form of government. The 11th Territorial Legislature passed "The Phoenix Charter Bill", incorporating Phoenix and providing for a mayor-council government. The bill was signed by Governor John C. Fremont on February 25, 1881. Phoenix was incorporated with a population of approximately 2,500, and on May 3, 1881, Phoenix held its first city election. Judge John T. Alsap defeated James D. Monihon, 127 to 107, to become the citys first mayor.[8] In early 1888, the city offices were moved into the new City Hall, built where the downtown bus terminal now stands. This building also provided temporary offices for the territorial government when it moved to Phoenix from Prescott in 1889.[9]
The coming of the railroad in the 1880s was the first of several important events that revolutionized the economy of Phoenix. Merchandise now flowed into the city by rail instead of wagon. Phoenix became a trade center with its products reaching eastern and western markets. In response, the Phoenix Chamber of Commerce was organized on November 4, 1888.
Phoenix also inaugurated an electric streetcar system, built off earlier stagecoach lines, in 1893.
20th Century Phoenix Arizona
In 1902, President Theodore Roosevelt signed the National Reclamation Act allowing for dams to be built on western streams for reclamation purposes. Residents were quick to enhance this by organizing the Salt River Valley Water Users Association on February 7, 1903, to manage the water and power supply. The agency still exists today as part of the Salt River Project.[10] On February 14, 1912, under President William Howard Taft, Phoenix became the capital of the newly formed state of Arizona.
In 1913, Phoenix adopted a new form of government from mayor-council to council-manager, making it one of the first cities in the United States with this form of city government.
During World War II Phoenixs economy shifted to that of a distribution center, rapidly turning into an embryonic industrial city with mass production of military supplies. Luke Field, Williams Field, and Falcon Field, coupled with the giant ground-training center at Hyder, west of Phoenix, brought thousands of men into Phoenix.
A fire in October 1947 destroyed most of the streetcar fleet, giving the city a difficult choice between implementing a new street railway system or using buses. The latter were chosen and the metropolitan areas development has been oriented toward cars ever since. This is expected to change, however, with the December 2008 implementation of the Phoenix light rail system.
By 1950, over 100,000 people lived within the city and thousands more in surrounding communities. There were 148 miles (238 km) of paved streets and 163 miles (262 km) of unpaved streets.
Phoenixs populations in the north and west, as well as that of surrounding cities, are expanding greatly, as they have been since the 1960s.
Climate
Phoenix has an arid climate, and its average annual maximum temperature is the highest of any major US city. In fact, out of the worlds large urban areas, only some cities around the Persian Gulf, such as Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and Baghdad, Iraq, and India such as Jaipur have higher average summer temperatures. The temperature reaches or exceeds 100 °F (38 °C) on an average of 89 days during the year, including most days from early June through early September. On June 26, 1990, the temperature reached an all-time high of 122 °F (50 °C). Overnight lows greater than 80 °F occur frequently each summer, with the average July low being 81 °F and the average August low being 80 °F. The all-time highest low temperature was 96 °F (36 °C), which occurred on July 15, 2003.
The dry desert air makes the hot temperatures more tolerable early in the season, but the influx of monsoonal moisture, which generally begins in early July and lasts until mid-September, raises humidity levels and discomfort due to mugginess. For the most part, the winter months are mild.
Phoenix averages 85% of possible sunshine and receives scant rainfall, the average annual total at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport being 8.3 inches (210 mm). March is the wettest month of the year (1.07 inches or 27 mm) with June being the driest (0.09 inches or 2 mm). Although thunderstorms are possible at any time of the year, they are most common during the monsoon from July to mid-September as humid air surges in from the Gulf of California. These can bring strong winds, large hail, or rarely, tornadoes. Winter storms moving inland from the Pacific Ocean occasionally produce significant rains but occur infrequently. Fog is observed from time to time during the winter months.
On average, Phoenix has only 5 days per year where the temperature drops to or below freezing. The long-term mean date of the first frost is December 15 and the last is February 1; however, these dates do not represent the city as a whole because the frequency of freezes varies considerably among terrain types and elevations. Frequently, outlying areas of Phoenix will see frost, however, the airport does not. The earliest frost on record occurred on November 3, 1946, and the latest occurred on April 4, 1945. The all-time lowest temperature in Phoenix was recorded at 16 °F (-8.8 °C) on January 7, 1913.
Snow is extremely rare in the area. Snowfall was first officially recorded in 1896, and since then, accumulations of 0.1 inches (0.25 cm) or greater have occurred only seven times. The heaviest snowstorm on record dates to January 20-21 1937, when 1 to 4 inches fell (2 to 10 cm) in parts of the city and did not melt entirely for four days. Prior to that, 1 inch (2.5 cm) had fallen on January 20, 1933. On February 2, 1939, 0.5 inches (1 cm) fell. Most recently, 0.4 inches (1 cm) fell on December 21-22 1990. Snow also fell on March 12, 1917 November 28, 1919, and December 11, 1985. However, on January 21, 2007 snowfall occurred throughout much of the city and covered the ground completely in the East Valley cities of Mesa and Tempe. This followed a very rare cold spell which caused temperatures to tumble into the 20s.
Source: U.S. National Climatic Data Center, Asheville, N.C.; a division of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Economy
Downtown Phoenix south of Jefferson Street
The early economy of Phoenix was primarily agricultural, dependent mainly on cotton and citrus farming. In the last two decades, the economy has diversified as rapidly as the population has grown. As the state capital of Arizona, many residents in the area are employed by the government. Arizona State University has also enhanced the areas population through education and its growing research capabilities. Numerous high-tech and telecommunications companies have also recently relocated to the area. Due to the warm climate in winter, Phoenix benefits greatly from seasonal tourism and recreation, and has a particularly vibrant golf industry.
Phoenix is currently home to three major Fortune 500 companies: electronics corporation Avnet, Apollo Group (which operates the University of Phoenix), and mining company Phelps Dodge Corporation. Honeywell hosts many factories for the building of military grade engines, as well as their company network gateway in Phoenix. Intel has one of their largest sites in Arizona, employing about 11,000 employees and 3 chip manufacturing fabs, including the $3 billion dollar state of the art 300mm, 45nm Fab 32. American Express hosts their financial transactions, customer information, and their entire website in Phoenix. The area is also home to US Airways Group, a Fortune 500 company located in Tempe. Nearby Scottsdale is also home to Allied Waste Industries, Inc. (also listed on the Fortune 500), the second largest non-hazardous solid waste management company in the United States. Phoenix is also home to the headquarters of U-HAUL International, a rental company and moving supply store.
The military has a significant presence in Phoenix with Luke Air Force Base located in the western suburbs. At its height, in the 1940s, the Phoenix area had 3 military bases: Luke Field (still in use), Falcon Field, and Williams Air Force Base (now Williams Gateway Airport), with numerous auxiliary air fields located throughout the region.
Sports in Phoenix Arizona
Phoenix is home to several professional sports franchises, including representatives of all four major professional sports leagues in the U.S. The first major franchise was the Phoenix Suns of the National Basketball Association (NBA), which started play in 1968. In 1997, the Phoenix Mercury was one of the original eight teams to launch the Womens National Basketball Association (WNBA). Both teams play at US Airways Center. The Phoenix Flame of the International Basketball League will begin play in the spring of 2007.
The Arizona Cardinals moved to Phoenix from St. Louis, Missouri in 1988 and currently play in the NFLs National Football Conference - West Division. The team, however, has never played in the city itself; they played at Sun Devil Stadium on the campus of Arizona State University in nearby Tempe until 2006, and now play at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale. University of Phoenix Stadium is scheduled to host Super Bowl XLII in 2008.
Phoenix also has an arena football team, the Arizona Rattlers of the Arena Football League. Games are played at US Airways Center downtown.
The Phoenix Coyotes of the National Hockey League moved to the area in 1996, and play at Jobing.com Arena, adjacent to University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale. The city also boasts a minor league hockey team, the Phoenix Roadrunners of the ECHL, who play at the US Airways Center. This makes Phoenix one of the few cities where minor and major league teams in the same sport coexist.
The Arizona Diamondbacks of Major League Baseball (National League-West Division) began play as an expansion team in 1998. The team plays at Chase Field (downtown). In 2001, the Diamondbacks defeated the New York Yankees 4 games to 3 in the World Series, becoming not only the citys first professional sports franchise to win a national championship, but also the youngest expansion franchise in U.S. professional sports to ever do so.
Additionally, due to the favorable climate, nine Major League Baseball teams conduct spring training in the metro area, as well as nearby Tucson. These teams are collectively known as the Cactus League.
The Phoenix International Raceway is a major venue for two NASCAR auto racing events per season. Boat racing, drag racing, and road course racing are also held at the Firebird International Raceway. Sprint car racing is held at Manzanita Speedway.
Phoenix has also hosted the Insight Bowl at Chase Field until 2005, after which it moved to nearby Tempe, as well as several major professional golf events, including the LPGAs Safeway International and The Tradition of the Champions Tour. Phoenix was originally scheduled to host the 2006 NHL All-Star Game, but it was canceled due to the 2006 Winter Olympics (the recently adopted NHL collective bargaining agreement prohibits the All-Star Game to be held during Olympic years). Instead, Phoenix will host the 2009 All-Star Game.
Phoenixs Ahwatukee American Little League reached the 2006 Little League World Series as the representative from the U.S. West region. Phoenix is one of the three cities that hosts the annual PF Changs Rock n Roll Arizona Marathon in January.
Beginning in 2007, Phoenix will host the penultimate round of the Champ Car World Series as the Open Wheel cars take to the streets of Downtown Phoenix.
Government
Being the capital of Arizona, Phoenix houses the state legislature. In 1913, the commission form of government was adopted. The city of Phoenix is served by a city council consisting of a mayor and eight city council members. The mayor is elected At Large, to a four-year term. Phoenix City Council members are elected to four-year terms by voters in each of the eight separate districts that they represent. The current mayor of Phoenix is Phil Gordon, who was elected to a four-year term in 2003. The mayor and city council members have equal voting power to adopt ordinances and set the policies that govern the city.
Phoenix operates under a council-manager form of government, with a strong City Manager supervising all City departments and executing policies adopted by the Council.
Current Foreclosure Rates Increase
The 30-year mortgage rates increased by more than a half a percentage point to 6.74 percent during May through June 2007, affecting borrowers with the best credit just as a crackdown in sub prime lending standards limits the pool of qualified buyers. The national median home price is poised for its first annual decline since the Great Depression, and the NAR reported that supply of unsold homes is at a record 4.2 million.
Goldman Sachs and Bear Stearns, respectively the worlds largest securities firm and largest underwriter of mortgage-backed securities in 2006, said in June 2007 that rising foreclosures reduced their earnings and the loss of billions from bad investments in the sub prime market imperiled the solvency of several hedge funds. Mark Kiesel, executive vice president of a California-based Pacific Investment Management Co. said, "Its a blood bath! Were talking about a two to three year downturn that will take a whole host of characters with it, from job creation to consumer confidence. Eventually it will take the stock market and corporate profit".
