"On Salt river, 9 miles east of Phoenix. Hinton says, "In 1870, Jack Swilling who a few years before had built the first irrigating canal in the valley at the present Phoenix, seeking new fields to conquer, went up the river and took out another canal near the black butte on the south side of the river.
Darrel Duppa, who suggested the name of Phoenix, again came to the front with the name Tempe because, as he explained, "Its beautiful location reminded him of the lovely vale in Thessaly, celebrated by the classical poets." And so it was christened by this somewhat exotic name.
"Just as the new name was finding its way into use, Charles T. Hayden, father of Senator Hayden, happened along looking for a location.
"'Don Carlos', as he was called by old timers, was a trader and promoter, not a farmer. It looked like a good point for a store, so he opened one. Likewise he started a blacksmith and wagon shop; also a grist mill with water power from the canal. The river was often unfordable and so Hayden operated a ferry with a long rope. Soon the place was known as 'Hayden's Ferry', and so showed on many early maps. But the name "Tempe" prevailed and the theme of a Greek poet found a place in the Arizona desert." Hinton
Hinton always wrote this name "La Tempe" but as McClintock remarks, "the word is not SPanish and should be pronounced as spelled: Tempee."
McClintock and Farish both discuss at length these names and their interesting sponsors. P.O. established May 5, 1879. Andrew J. Post, PM"
Barnes, Will C. Arizona
Place Names University of Arizona Press. 1997
P. 439
City Profile--Arizona Department of Commerce
http://www.commerce.state.az.us/pdf/commasst/comm/tempe.pdf
Local Government Website
http://www.tempe.gov
City of Tempe: Charles Trumbull Hayden
http://www.tempe.gov/museum/ind0694.htm
Tempe Biographies
http://www.tempe.gov/museum/abiodb.htm
The Arizonan
http://www.arizonan.com/tempe/index.html
Tempe's Hispanic History
http://www.tempe.gov/tardeada/t_hist.htm
Old Map of Tempe
http://www.tempe.gov/docs1/history1.htm
The East
Valley Tribune
view this paper online
Listing of Tempe City Newspapers (1887-Present) on the ASU
Library Catalog
AN
2 .T4 T4x
Tempe daily news. Curt W. Miller, 1887-1933.
Continued by
Tempe daily news. News Publishing Company, 1893-1933.
Continued by
Tempe news. News Publishing Company, 1933-1944.
Continued by
Tempe daily news. [News Publishing Company], 1944-1986.
Continued by
Tempe daily news tribune. Cox Arizona Publications, 1986-c1997.
Combined with
The Chandler Arizonan tribune. Cox Arizona Publications, Inc.,
1986-1997.
Gilbert tribune. Cox Arizona Publications, Inc., 1990-1997.
Mesa tribune. Tribune Pub. Co., Inc., 1952-1997.
to form
The tribune. Thomson Newspapers, c1997-c1999.
All form current format
East Valley tribune. Thomson Newspapers, [1999-
AN 2 .M3 T7x
Arizona State University
http://www.asu.edu
History of Arizona State University
http://jeff.scott.tripod.com/arizstate.html
Rio Salado Community College
http://www.rio.maricopa.edu/
Tempe Public Library
http://www.tempe.gov/library/
Tempe Historical Museum
809 E Southern Av Tempe AZ 85282
(480) 350-5125
10-5 Mon.-Thur. 1-5 Sun.Closed Friday
http://www.tempe.gov/museum/
Arizona Historical Foundation
Hayden Library, ASU, Box 871006,
Tempe, AZ 85287-1006
Open 8-5 M-F
(480) 965-3283
http://www.asu.edu/lib/ahf
Arizona Historical Society-Central
Division
1300 N. College Ave. Tempe 85281-1211
Open Mon - Sat, 10 - 4; Sun, 12
- 4.
(480) 929-0292
http://www.tempe.gov/ahs/
Department of Archives and Manuscripts
(DAM)
Arizona State University Libraries
Hayden Library, ASU, Box 871006,
Tempe, AZ 85287-1006
(480) 965-4932
http://www.asu.edu/lib/archives/
Labriola National American Indian
Data Center
Arizona State University Libraries
Box 871006 Tempe, Arizona 85287-1006
Open 1-5pm Mon-Fri
(480) 965-6490
http://www.asu.edu/lib/archives/labriola.htm
Niels Petersen House Museum
1414 West Southern Ave,
Open Tues-Thur and Sat 10-2
(480)350-5100/Free
http://www.tempe.gov/museum/aphm.htm
" Tempe's economic progress through its nearly 120-year history as a community might best be captured in two words: diversity and vision. Founder Charles Trumbull Hayden, for instance, envisioned the agricultural potential of land south of the Salt River; in 1870 he helped divert water to the fields and his vision became reality.
On the south banks of the river, the pioneer wagon freighter also started a water-powered flour mill, a general merchandise store, blacksmith and carpenter's shops, and the first ferry service across the river. In establishing these businesses, Hayden set an example of economic diversity that has been intentionally followed by the city in more recent times.
Within a decade after World War II, the population had grown to 13,725 and the one-time Tempe Normal School had an enrollment of more than 5,000 students and was on its way to becoming a full-fledged university. Agriculture was beginning to give way to housing subdivisions, shopping centers, and industry as veterans came to attend Arizona State or make permanent homes in the state where they had come for military training. Fledgling aerospace and electronics industries, attracted by virtually year-round sunshine and proximity of ASU, came next.
By 1975 Tempe had annexed another 30 acres to make room for its 93,800 people, new shopping centers, and industries. Today Tempe has more than 150,000 people, a land area of 38.4 square miles and a university with an on campus enrollment of more than 45,000 students and the city's largest payroll."
Excerpt from Tempe
Arizona Crossroads
Books/Manuscripts found in the ASU Library Catalog
Tempe--Arizona crossroads : an illustrated history / by Dean Smith ; Partners in progress, by Peggy Bryant.
Tempe : the past, the present, the future / by Ben Furlong
The journey to Rio Salado : Hispanic migrations to Tempe, Arizona / by Scott W. Solliday.
Ferry tale : century in the sun, 1871-1971 : program.
Memories of old settlers of Tempe : one hundred twenty-five plus stories written by members of the Old Settlers of Tempe in recognition of the 125th anniversary of Tempe as a community / compiled by Joel A. Benedict, Irene A. Benedict, Elizabeth Hampton James
Papers relative to John Samuel Armstrong, Tempe pioneer and founding father of Arizona State University / compiled by John Samuel Armstrong, III.
Items on the Arizona and Southwest Index
Tempe Rio Salado Commission Meetings, 1979.
FM MSM-246
The History of Tempe, 1914? By Ruby Naigler Wood
FM MSM-301
Canals of Tempe, 1971. By Raymond, Yvonne
FM MSM-210
Historical Overview of Tempe, Arizona, 1870-1930. Lamb, Blaine P.
FM MSM-69
A History of Early Tempe, N.D. by Robinson, Dorothy F
FM MSM-33
The History of Tempe, C.1917
FE EPH DTO-TEMPE.2
Historical Record of Arizona State Teachers College at Tempe, Arizona,
N.D.
FE EPH EASU-4
Tempe Normal: The First Forty Years, 1971
FE EPH EASU-5
Bell Buttes Industrial District of Phoenix - Tempe, N.D.
FE EPH WI-64
Profile of Arizona, 1963-1971
FE EPH WB-17
Two Decades of Development - Tempe Downtown Redevelopment Guide.
CE EPH DTO-Tempe.40
Urban development project regarding rio salado
FE EPH W-57
Tempe planning.
FE EPH GCI-1
Tempe Historical Museum- Old Settler Photograph Collection
http://www.tempe.gov/museum/oslist.htm
Tempe Historical Museum- Mayors of Tempe
http://www.tempe.gov/museum/h-mayors.htm
Tempe Historical Museum- Cotton Farming in Tempe Photographs
http://www.tempe.gov/museum/h-cotton.htm
Carl Hayden Photograph Collection
FP CH-1-81
Leonard Monti Senior Family Photograph Collection
FP MONTI-1-111
Tempe fron the west 1900
HA-1
Farming. Haystacks in a field in the Tempe area in the early 1900s,
Old main visible in background
G-507
Albert Miller Building 416-422 S. Mill ave. Tempe 1900
DTO-946 N-3480
Laide and Dines drug store 416 s. Mill 1900
DTO-344
New York store and the peterson building Mill ave Tempe 1900
DTO-347
Andre Building 401 S. Mill c. 1900
DTO-343
Views of buildings and businesses along Mill ave 1900
DPX-290-295
Myrtle avenue tempe 1900
DPX-298
Millers business block 400 mill 1907
W-10
City of Tempe as seen from a hillside, panoramic view c. 1908
DC COO-126-131
Photograph: Aerial view of Tempe, Arizona, C.1910
HP SHM CI-TN-315P
Photograph: Farmland and the City of Tempe. Tempe, Arizona, 1915
CP MCL 99991.PHX97
Tempe, a bird's eye view of Tempe 1915
DTO-200
Jim Goodwin's free street car system in Tempe
Mc-H 270 N-2956
A street scene of Tempe, Arizona. Shows dirt street with various automobiles
parked in front of the Tempe National Bank. 1920s Looking north from the
intersection of Mill and 6th street.
DTO-353 N-1167
Fairchild Arial photographs of Tempe and Scottsdale 1937
Photo of Tempe and ASU taken from a high point on Tempe Butte C. 1950
VrN-334
View showing Mexican or Indian dwellings at the base of Tempe Butte
RW-730
Birds-eye view of Tempe
G-189 N-549
Arizona Republican Feb. 16, 1898
A. J. Chander came before the council in the electric light matter;
John Smith, a milk peddler, objected to his license saying that if he had
to pay $10 a year he would have to go out of business. W.A. Bolton protested
that his insurance business was taxed too much
Arizona Republican Dec 25, 1901
"History of Tempe"
Exerpts pertaining directly to Charles T. Hayden taken from a special
section of the Republican, devoted to the History of Tempe and was wtritten
by Frederick C. Wright, Editor and manager, Tempe Department, Arizona Republican
Phoenix Daily Enterprise Feb. 12, 1904
Valuable land sold. A.L. Meredity yesterday bought eighty acres of
very vaulable, well watered and improved land near Tempe from E. B. Barlow
for the sum of $3,300.
Arizona Magazine December 1910
Tempe- a center of wealth and culture
Arizona Magazine June 15, 1969
Put them all togther and they spell MAMA:Young people of the mill avenue
merchants association open shops in Tempe
Arizona Republic 7/9/80; e-1
Residents oppose bank - condo project planned for Tempe
Arizona Republic 8/27/80
Tempe set its sights on tourist trade
Arizona Republic 8/27/80
Neighbors fight development in south Tempe
Arizona Republic 3/25/81
Tempe moves ahead with Rio Salado Plans
New Times Jan 20-26 1988
Tempe's building blocks: The massive center point project will change
the entire nature of Mill avenue
Street names in Tempe:
Noah Broadway- Canal Builder and Sheriff
Col. James McClintock- Rough Rider, state historian
B.F. Hardy- Canal Builder
Don Carlos- Nickname of Carl Hayden
Tempe Chronology- Courtesy of Tempe--Arizona Crossroads
1536- Cabeza de Vaca, first white man to visit area in 1536
1694- Father Eusebio Kino visits area, Apaches discourage any development in area for next 170 years
1866- Carl Hayden first passes through Tempe, looking for a crossing of the Salt River.
1867- 160 acres laid claim by Hayden in Tempe area.
1871- Tempe Canal Company develops the old Hohokam irrigation system, known originally as the Hardy Irrigation Canal Company (in honor of B.F. Hardy). The McKinney-Kirkland Canal project begins east of Tempe Butte, started by James B. McKinney and William Kirkland. The San Francisco Canal built by Mexican-Americans begun west of the Butte. Construction begins on Hayden's Flour Mill. Carl Hayden devlops wooden ferry system to connect Tempe with Phoenix across the Salt River. Maricopa County created with Phoenix as the new county seat.
1872- April 25- First Post Office opens in "Hayden's Ferry" (original name of Tempe) John Hill, first postmaster.
1874- Tempe develops different names from different sections of canal work. Phoenix residents call it Butte City, while Mexican Americans who bought 80 acres in the city call it San Pablo. On May 5 Hayden's Ferry is renamed Tempe after Carl Hayden petitions US Post Office. Hayden's Mill grinds first flour. Darrel Duppa thought of the name after comparing the city with the Vale of Tempe near Mt. Olympus in Greece. Bermuda Grass first planted in Tempe, used by Sallie Hayden, Carl Hayden's wife.
1875- Hayden convinces Dr. John Gregg to come to Tempe, the first and only doctor of Tempe at the time.
1877- Growth in Tempe painfully slow, Carl Hayden creates one man boom, builds Mill, Ferry, Stores, Blacksmith Shop, Soap factory, Brown Sugar Mill, wanted to build saw mill but Salt River was not conducive for lumber. All business served agriculture, the heartbeat of Tempe. Daniel Jones and his party of Mormons settle in the East Valley, founds Lehi (later renamed Mesa). Party was given heavy assistance such as giving them jobs and lending work animals. Mormon influence has always been heavy in Tempe.
1883- Cotton introduced as major crop- $500 offered to first farmer to produced bale of cotton.Workers from Mexico brought in do to lack of manpower.
1884- Carl Hayden and John S. Armstrong create strategy for getting a Normal School established in Tempe. Lack of good teachers in the area was a direct cause for getting the school.
1885- January. John S. Armstrong gets legislation passed for the Territorial Normal School. March 15, 1885 legislation signed into law by Governor Frederick A. Trittle.
1886- January 30- Salt River Valley News created. Renamed Tempe News in 1887.
1887- July 3- First Train service enters Tempe, Maricopa and Phoenix Railroad links with Southern Pacific through Tempe. Railroad fuels economic boom. July 16- L.W. Blinn and E.B. Gage with Tempe Land and Improvement Company begin building houses and double the size of residential districts. Tempe declares itself "The Garden City of America".
1890- Moses and Sallie Green settle in Tempe, first Blacks in area.
1892- August 2- Ed Tewksbury rides up in broad daylight and guns down Tom Graham on West Broadway. October- First Fire Department opens.
1893- Tempe's Company C of the Arizona National Guard Founded, 45 members strong.
1894- November 26- Tempe incorporated against Carl Hayden's wishes. Town council meets December 13, Dr. Hart is first mayor of Tempe.
1895- Rail Service expanded in Mesa.
1899- May- Dr. Alexander J. Chandler brings electric power to Tempe through his company, Chandler's Consolidated Canal Company.
1900- Tempe Free Reading Room created, Tempe Public Library Association formed in 1915.
1901- Atwood Hotel name changes to Casa Loma Hotel.
1902- Town water system developed.
1904- Phoenix and Eastern Railroad builds bridge at foot of Hayden Butte. Company goes bankrupt in 1905 and the bridge is bought by the Southern Pacific Railroad
1910- July- Natural Gas piped in by Southwest Gas.
1911- Tempe votes for Prohibition. June- Ash Avenue Bridge construction begins, completed 1915, bridge declared unsafe in 1922. Roosevelt Dam built.
1912- Tempe Women's Club founded
1914- March 6- Papago Park created as a National Monument. Zoo and Botanical Garden opens as well. Mill avenue becomes first paved street in town.
1915- Sewer System Developed.
1918- "N" first constructed on Tempe Butte, replaced by "T" in 1925, and finally changed to "A" in 1938. November- First hospital of Tempe built as a result of the Spanish Influenza outbreak.
1923- First Rotatry Club formed and Tempe Beach Park opens.
1920's- Pima Cotton flourishes until collapse of the cotton market starts depression in 1929. Economy does not recover until after 1945.
1925- Tempe Normal School changed to Tempe State Teachers College.
1929-Mill Avenue bridge begins construction. Tempe State Teachers College changed to Arizona State Teachers College.
1930's- First Evaporative Coolers appear in Tempe, Refrigeration as well. WPA moves in and helps Tempe out of Depression.
1944- Dr. Ernest Pohle founds Tempe's first official hospital, Tempe Community Hospital. Name of hospital changed to Tempe St. Luke's in 1982.
1945- End of World War II begins post-war boom for Tempe. Arizona State Teachers College changed to Arizona State College.
1946- Arizona State College is allowed to grant Bachelors and Masters Degrees.
1950- First residential districts built by William W. Mitchell at University and 11th street and Del Webb at 13th street and Southern due to large influx of World War II veterans.
1958- Arizona State College changes its name to Arizona State University.
1960's- Large influx of hippie culture into Downtown Tempe area, results in decline of Downtown. Business begins to move away. A murder in late 1969 behind the Casa Loma hotel is a catalyst for not only local business to move out of Downtown, but City hall is moved as well. Most of the major businesses and industry moves into South Tempe, where much of that business still resides.
1970- April- The City of Tempe decides that conditions in Downtown Tempe were such that a major effort would be required to restore the area to a position of prominence in the community. The Neighborhood Development Program is created to help revitalize the Downtown Area.
1971- Rio Salado Project formed to help revitalize Tempe. The Mill Avenue Merchants Association (MAMA), a non-profit organization is created. MAMA exists to promote, preserve and enhance the cultural, aesthetic and economic values of the community known as Tempe, Arizona.
1973- Devlopment Community Block Program formed to help revitalized downtown.
1978- The Rio Salado Project is created to turn the Salt River Bed area into an Urban Park and Urban Lake.
1982- May 21- Rio Salado Project plans are passed and permitted to procede.
1999- Tempe Town Lake is formed. The Tempe Rio Salado Project is a 5.5 mile long recreational and business facility bordering the banks of the Salt River. The Tempe Town Lake is a part of the Rio Salado Project. Filling the Salt River's dry riverbed with water and controlling the water by inflatable rubber dams created the lake.
Last Updated: July 26, 2002
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