"On A.T. & S. F. R.R., about 10 miles northwest Phoenix. So called because first settlers came from Peoria, Illinois. The Greenhuts, distillery owners of that city, made large investments in land here about 1890. Named by Chuncey Clark. P.O. established August 4, 1888, James McMillan, PM."
Barnes, Will C.; Arizona
Place Names University of Arizona Press. 1997
P. 325
"Phoenix's founder, a saloon brawler and drug addict named Jack Swilling, re-excavated a network of prehistoric Hohokam Indian canals that irrigated thousands of acres of farmland along the Salt River. His efforts also helped give birth to Southeast Valley Settlements that became the cities of Tempe and Mesa.
Unfortunately, for the northern and western portions of the Salt River Valley, no Indian Canals were there to restore. So the lands that make up Northwest Phoenix, Glendale and Peoria today remained raw desert more than 15 years after the East Valley cities had already been settled. For the barren Northwest Valley to come to life, it, too, needed that all-powerful resource--water."
The idea was soon born to build a canal 44 miles long from its heading on the Salt River westward across the northern part of the Valley to the Agua Fria River. Thus, the Arizona Canal Co. was incorporated on December 20, 1882, by M.W.. Kales, William A. Hancock and Clark Churchill, three prime builders of pioneer Arizona... After conquering gigantic engineering problems, (William James Murphy) watched triumphantly as the first water flowed through the newly constructed Arizona Canal in May 1885."
"In 1888, a persistent (William James) Murphy successfully convinced Joseph G. Greenhut, an influential businessman from Peoria, Illinois, to promote and found the settlement of "new" Peoria about 13 miles northwest of Phoenix. In that same year, Murphy and others constructed a diagonal road, known as Grand Avenue, from Phoenix to Peoria, thereby providing the first direct link to the northwestern portion of the Valley from Phoenix."
From Glendale, A Century of Diversity.
"Peoria was incorporated in 1954, with boundaries covering one square
mile of land. The warm climate and small-town atmosphere of Peoria continued
to attract people, and still do today. Currently, Peoria covers 144 square
miles, and is home to over 101,000 residents. Peoria is Arizona's 4th largest
city in terms of incorporated area, and 9th largest city in
terms of population."
From Peoria City Web site
Arizona Department of Commerce Community Profiles- Peoria, Arizona
http://www.commerce.state.az.us/pdf/commasst/comm/peoria.pdf
Peoria, Arizona Local Government Website
http://www.peoriaaz.com/
The Arizonan.com Peoria, Arizona
http://www.arizonan.com/Peoria/
The History of Technology in Peoria, Arizona
http://www.peoriatechnology.homestead.com/
Peoria Arizona Historical Society
Inc
Central School, 10304 N. 83rd Ave.,
Peoria, 85345-6573
Open Saturdays, 10 - 2; and by appointment
(623) 487-8030
http://www.peoriaaz.com
Books/Manuscripts found in the ASU Library Catalog
As my mind wanders : including Peoria, here I come / by Margaret Francis.
F
811 .F7x 1989
Peoria, here I come! : memoirs of Arizona before air conditioning /
Margaret Fine Francis .
F819.P44
F73x 1982
The first hundred years : First Presbyterian Church, Peoria, Arizona, 1892-1992 / by Juanita (Nita) Comstock Trask BX8949.P44 T73x 1992
North Peoria redevelopment area plan / prepared by the City of Peoria
Development Services Department
XUPE
2.2:N 56/2
Tal'-wi-wi : an Arizona ranch developed by Eva and Dale Bumstead
S451.A6
B8x
Planning for the future : Peoria, Arizona / authors--AUP 577, Urban
Planning Practicum I, College of Architecture, Arizona State University
; Richard T. Lai, Instructor ; Abdulhamid A. Bakasi ... [et al.]
XUPE
2.2:P 51
William J. and Laura Fulwiler Murphy collection, 1781-1924, (bulk 1872-1924)
[manuscript]
MS
CM MSS 63
Items on the Arizona and Southwest Index
El Rancho Placido Guest Ranch. 1951
CE EPH FR-183
Peoria, Arizona, 1939
CM MSM-264
Gertrude A. Robinson Collection, 1921-49
CM MSS-92
Tal-Wi-Wi Ranch, its products and history
CE EPH NR-5
AZ. Rep Nov. 24, 1898
J.B. Greenhut and others of Peoria, Illinois purchased the Peoria Canal.
A reorganization to be effected at once and $200,000 applied to rebuild
the dam.
Peoria, Shearing Sheep at or near Peoria 1901
DPX 249-250
Photograph: Aerial of Paradise Airport at Nineteenth and Peoria Avenues.
Phoenix, Arizona, 1947
CP MCL 4626.PHX167
Photograph: Aerial. Peoria and Sun City, Arizona, 1955
CP MCL 71752.PHX196
Photograph: Aerial of Nineteenth and Peoria Avenues. Phoenix, Arizona,
1970
CP MCL 98376.PHX167
Photograph: Street Scenes - Glendale - Peoria Grand Avenue Overpass.
October 1981
FP DUT 345-347
Last Updated: July 19, 2002
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