City of Phoenix
Statistics & Facts
The population of Phoenix is approximately 2,122,100 (1990).
The approximate number of families is 422,036 (1990).
Phoenix elevation is 1,092 feet above sea level.
Location
Phoenix location: in north-central Arizona
Climate & Weather
The climate for Phoenix is warm and sunny. There are 300 days of sunshine each year. The average humidity for Phoenix is 28%
The weather in Phoenix is enjoyable. The Winter is Spring-like. There are warm, sunny days and cool nights.
Phoenix average annual rainfall is 7 inches per year
Phoenix average annual precipitation is 7.66 inches per year.
Phoenix average temperature is 85 degrees F.
The average high temperature is (Summer) over 100 degrees F.
History
The Hohokam Indians were the first known settlers in the Salt River Valley. They survived by building irrigation ditches. They mysteriously disappeared from the area in the 1400's. In 1864, a man named John Smith established a hay camp to supply forage to Fort McDowell 30 miles away. By 1868, a small colony had formed approximately four miles east of the present city. Swilling's Mill became the new name of the area. It was then changed to Helling Mill, after which it became Mill City, and years later, East Phoenix. Swilling, having been a confederate soldier, wanted to name the new settlement Stonewall after Stonewall Jackson. Others suggested the name Salina, but neither name suited the inhabitants. It was Darrell Duppa who suggested the name Phoenix, inasmuch as the new town would spring from the ruins of a former civilization just as the legendary Phoenix rose up from the ashes. Phoenix became the trade center of the southwest by 1879. It became a wild, lawless western cowboy town. Phoenix has overcome its riotous beginnings. The 1900's brought much progress. In 1911, the Salt River Project, Roosevelt Dam, was completed This project helped the desert blossom. In 1926, the Southern Pacific Railroad connected the city with the east bringing people much easier to the west. The advent of air conditioning helped the desert heat more bearable and allowing great expansion of the area. Phoenix is the capital city of Arizona and continues to grow and expand greatly. A Phoenix history page Out of the Ashes with much information and photos.
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