Archaic and Hohokam Cultures
For thousands of years, gently sloping land, fertile soil and water have attracted people to the Lower Verde Valley. Ancient petroglyphs and artifacts indicate that as early as 1000 B.C., archaic people followed seasonal routes along waterways to hunt and harvest plants. Primitive gardening eventually evolved into complete agricultural systems and permanent settlements.
Over 10,000 people lived along the Lower Verde Valley around 1000 A.D. One city, dubbed Azatlan by archaeologists, had four ball courts, canals, trash mounds, fire pits, tools and pottery. The Hohokam trade network stretched from the Pacific Coast to the Great Plains. Unpredictable water flows may have led to the disintegration of Hohokam culture.
The Yavapai - The Early Years
Although no one knows exactly when they arrived, the Yavapai inhabited much of Central Arizona when the Spaniards arrived in the late sixteenth century. As nomadic hunter-gatherers, the Yavapai’s life was directed by the cycles of plants and animals.
The arrival of gold prospectors and settlers disrupted their lifestyle and they were often mistaken for the more aggressive Apache, leading to conflicts. Facing starvation, many Yavapai surrendered and lived on the Rio Verde Reservation near Camp Verde. In February 1875, they were forced to make a 150-mile exodus to San Carlos Reservation through freezing and flooding streams and rugged mountains. Scores died during the two-week trek and 25 babies were born along the Yavapai’s “Trail of Tears.” The Yavapai could not return to their home for 30 years.
Explorers, Trappers and Prospectors
Spanish explorers first discovered and named the Verde River in the 1500s, but little historical record exists until the 1820s when trapper Ewing Young wrote in his diaries about his experiences here. In a battle with Apaches at the confluence of the Verde and Salt rivers, his party of 24 men was reduced to six. He returned the next year with Kit Carson as a member of his group, and recorded trapping as many as 30 beaver per night. Prospectors found traces of gold, silver and copper in the McDowell Mountains, but no commercially profitable mines were ever developed.
Cavalry Days
Fort McDowell, named for General Irvin McDowell, was established in 1865 to subdue hostile Indians hiding in the Verde-Salt River Wilderness. After several years of campaigns and conflicts, bands led by Chalipun surrendered to General Crook in 1873. Troops remained to settle confrontations between Maricopa and Pima Indians and white settlers. The post was closed in 1890. On September 15, 1903, President Theodore Roosevelt signed an executive order granting the land to the Yavapai as a reservation and they returned home.
Ranching and Farming
In the 1860s and 1870s, the relatively water-rich lower 15 miles of the Verde Valley was one of the most productive places for both farming and ranching, while the presence of troops at Fort McDowell provided protection.
Ranches in the area included the Box Bar near Rio Verde, the Pemberton Ranch, now a part of McDowell Mountain Park, and the P-Bar Ranch where Fountain Hills is today. They operated until the mid-twentieth century. There is still a small amount of ranching near Four Peaks and Pinnacle Peak.
Fountain Hills and the Lake That Never Was
Fountain Hills owes its origin to a lake that never came to be. As part of the Central Arizona Project, construction of Orme Dam, near Granite Reef Dam, would have created a lake at the Fort McDowell Indian Reservation. Robert P. McCulloch envisioned a community of 70,000 people similar to one of McCulloch Properties’ other master-planned communities - Lake Havasu City.
The lake would have flooded the homes of Fort McDowell residents. The Yavapai and environmentalists defeated the dam proposal, but the town of Fountain Hills had begun. The development was marketed with a “fly-before-you-buy” sales program, beginning in 1972. Prospective buyers were flown in from Midwestern and Eastern cities to tour the desert ridges in white Jeeps and select their properties.
The 560-foot-high “World’s Highest Fountain” was the concept of C.V. Wood, Jr., a planner for McCulloch Properties, Inc., who had worked with Walt Disney on designing Disneyland. It was built to attract attention and buyers. It was turned on for the first time on Dec. 15, 1970, the “birthday” of Fountain Hills. For many years the community was small and remote from the rest of the Valley, so a spirit of neighborliness developed among the town’s pioneers. It still exists as a feeling of small-town togetherness and strong community involvement. Today, the population is around 24,000, with build-out expected at around 35,000 residents.
Modern Day Fort McDowell
The people of Fort McDowell have surmounted many obstacles to return to and keep their land. They have developed several industries, including farming, sand and gravel operations, a gas station and Fort McDowell Adventures. What turned the corner for them, economically, was a bingo hall which became a casino. A crisis came in 1992 when the FBI came to confiscate their slot machines. The tribe prevented their removal by barricading exits with large trucks and equipment. Their stand resulted in the passage of Proposition 202 in 2002, assuring that gaming can continue. Since then, the tribe has built the acclaimed We-Ko-Pa Golf Club, the Fort McDowell Radisson Resort, and an RV park. They are also investing in businesses outside of the reservation, assuring a strong future for the Yavapai of Fort McDowell.
Water Tamers - Canals and Dams
Early settlers utilized the canals of ancient Hohokam Indians. Floods, drought and conflicts over water rights eventually led to the development of a water storage system, with Roosevelt and Granite Reef dams as key components. Roosevelt Dam was built on the Salt River, just below its confluence with Tonto Creek. Granite Reef Dam was built about 50 miles downriver, directly below the confluence of the Verde and Salt Rivers. From here, water is diverted into canals which transport water throughout the Phoenix area. The rapidly growing population of Arizona soon required more water, and the Central Arizona Project (CAP) Canal was built to bring water from the Colorado River to Fountain Hills and other communities.