"A young community rich with ancient history".
While Fountain Hills is relatively young as a community it was developed on a site that is indeed rich in history. This region has a much-storied past ranging from ancient Native Americans farming these lands to the creation of new communities. Arizona itself has only been a state since 1912, and the town’s official date of incorporation is Dec. 5, 1989.
The expanses surrounding Fountain Hills, including the Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation, Rio Verde and the nearby mountain ranges, present a rich and fabled background that includes Native American migrations, mining tales, trappers, gun battles, wagon trails and the rise of a modern city today known as Phoenix.
The “early day” history dates back centuries when the area was a lush desert environment for Native Americans who inhabited the region. Different Indian cultures occupied the lands over the years, drawn mainly by the area’s two major rivers, the Verde and the Salt. The confluence of the two rivers is just a few miles southeast of Fountain Hills.
The “modern” history of Fountain Hills goes back to the late 1960s, when a development company envisioned an old cattle ranch as a potential “model city” for an enterprising United States of America that was rapidly expanding in its metropolitan regions.
The community’s founding birthday is considered Dec. 15, 1970, when the famous “World’s Tallest Fountain” was turned on for the first time at Fountain Park. Work started on the first residences in the fall of 1971, and by February 1972, the first homeowners were moving in. Today, more than 23,000 people call Fountain Hills home on a permanent basis.
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Through most of the 20th century, a part of this area was known as the P-Bar Ranch, a working cattle ranch, and in 1968 Page Land and Cattle Co. sold 4,500 acres of it to the McCulloch Oil Corporation. The Fountain Hills project grew to encompass just over 12,000 acres.
Early grading began in 1969 in Fountain Park and the lake area, and by late 1970 the famous Fountain was turned on. The company flew clients to the Valley in the firm's own fleet of aircraft. Once in Fountain Hills, the potential buyers were shown property by salesmen driving white Jeeps.
Although many seniors first moved here because of the climate and lower prices, a major building boom occurred in the mid-1980s that brought an influx of younger families to Fountain Hills. The town's population doubled from 5,000 to 10,000 people from 1985 to 1990. Another “boom” started picking up steam around 1992-93. The official U.S. Census for 1995 put Fountain Hills’ population at 13,745. By the spring of 2002 the growth rate was beginning to slow as the community matured toward buildout. The 2005 Census showed Fountain Hills with more than 23,400 people.
Because of the growing reputation Fountain Hills gained as a place for families, the community in 1993 was listed in the book "50 Fabulous Places to Raise Your Family." That tradition was carried on in 1997, when Parenting magazine named Fountain Hills as one of 10 “great” places to raise families from throughout the entire United States in a special 10th anniversary issue it published. The most recent accolades for the town came in 2006 when Phoenix Magazine named it as the best place to live in the Phoenix Metropolitan area.
Two major events, a small arts festival and a larger “thank you” festival once organized by a Phoenix public television station have evolved into two major festivals organized by the Chamber of Commerce. The art shows have received critical acclaim throughout the Southwest and beyond. Each February the Great Fair boasts arts and crafts, entertainment, carnival rides and the colorful hot air balloons launched in Fountain Park. Then in November the prestigious Fountain Festival of Arts and Crafts is held, a juried show that attracts hundreds of local and national artists and artisans.
The 1990s brought Fountain Hills two of its largest development projects — the 500-acre Eagle Mountain development in southwestern Fountain Hills and SunRidge Canyon, located in northwestern Fountain Hills that encompasses 950 acres. Both developments feature more than 10 different subdivisions in each and 18-hole championship golf courses, boasting clubhouses and restaurants. Both are virtually built out at this point.
Two other major country club communities opened here in recent years – CopperWynd and FireRock Country Club. As for FireRock, many new upscale homes are currently under construction as well as two upscale multi-family projects (as of May 2007). At buildout there will be a maximum of 452 single-family custom home lots and 288 attached multi-family housing units in FireRock. The centerpiece of the upscale development is a private country club with an 18-hole golf course.
Focal point of CopperWynd is a 23,656-square-foot clubhouse that features nine lighted tennis courts, two swimming pools, restaurant and fitness, health and spa facilities. Also included in the development is a 32-room inn, 80 single-family homes and 108 four-plex villa units. CopperWynd’s residential portion has been built out.
Another exciting development aspect for Fountain Hills is its downtown area. Several new residential and business ventures have been built or started in the downtown area in recent years. The town has completed the first two phases of an upgrade project to Fountain Park. In the fall of 2001 the town-owned Community Center as well as a library/museum complex at Avenue of the Fountains and La Montana Drive were opened to rave reviews.
“Growth” has been the major historical trend for Fountain Hills since its inception, and that fact of history will not change for a while. Due to economic and other factors, the rate of growth has slowed somewhat in Fountain Hills in recent years.
In 2006, the Town Council approved annexation of a 1,276-acre piece of State Land that borders Fountain Hills on its north side. In March 2007, the Phoenix-based Ellman Companies successfully bid and purchased that parcel for $110.1 million. The property could be developed for as many as 1,750 homes; however, the Ellman Companies have said the actual number could be fewer than that. The firm has also acquired approximately 2,100 acres in Goldfield Ranch. Future development of the project named The Preserve will include 1,000 upscale homes, two equestrian facilities and a small boutique hotel and spa.
Source: Fountain Hills Times (condensed) |