Why Phoenix?

While working on a new Arizona-oriented project - I'll bore you with the details later - I had to review a great deal of state history. One question kept pestering me when it came to development: Why Phoenix?

Here's the reason for my question. When you look at the geography of Arizona, it is rather odd that the largest city turned out to be the one in a desert area in one of the hottest locations in the state. Temperatures in Phoenix can get over 120 degrees in the summer. We crank up our air conditioners and move around outdoors like lizards, darting from one spot of shade to another.

But Arizona isn't just one big desert. One of its secrets is that it has a lot of green. Why didn't Flagstaff with its cool pine forests or Prescott with its moderate temperature and charm become the largest city? Both cities get snow. [Flagstaff even has skiing.] Why didn't historic Tucson which, although tucked within the Sonoran desert, has a higher elevation and cooler climate than its neighbor to the north?

One answer is tangible: Phoenix revived ancient Indian irrigation canals to tame the desert and develop an irrigation and reclamation - a hydraulic - environment where its initial economy was built around agriculture. Agriculture in a desert! We take it for granted now but at one point the very concept was a bold one. For many, it may have resembled moon exploration. After all, for years Arizona had been nothing but a "pass through" territory for travelers on their way to California. Once water could be saved and distributed, however, the basis for a state was established.

The other answer, however, was that Phoenix had some extraordinary leaders. These were people who were able to look through their current surroundings and see That Which Could Be. They were farmers, bankers, lawyers, women's club, and business leaders who had a sizable amount of hustle. Not only did they rush to expand business, they also embraced culture and formed art and literary organizations. In 1870 around two hundred settlers had established the initial town site. By 1899 the town of Phoenix had five musical instrument companies and two art supply stores. It also had a sizable number of saloons which served as meeting places and stages for cultural events. [See Philip VanderMeer's excellent book: Desert Visions and the Making of Phoenix.]

The place bubbled with pride and ambition. It was as if the residents wanted to show what could be done in a desert.

And they did.

I doubt if there would have been the same level of intensity if the physical surroundings had been more comfortable.