Peoria is sitting in the Salt River Valley and extends into the foothills of the mountains to the north. William John Murphy was the guy who had worked on the Arizona Canal, begins the recruitment of settlers to begin in a community in Arizona and many of them are from Peoria, Illinois. They were the first to establish their residency in November 1886. Then, they were followed by William T. and Sylvia Hanna, James M., Clara Copes, and James and Ella McMillan, all are from Peoria, Illinois relocate to what is now Peoria, Arizona.
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Between the years 1891 and 1895, a spur line of the Santa, Prescott and Phoenix Railroad was placed in Peoria along with Phoenix Railroad was placed in Peoria along with Phoenix, Glendale, Alhambra, Hesperla, and Marinette. Just a bit far off Grand Avenue, a small depot on 83rd Avenue was settled and by the year 1972, the depot was sold to the city of Scottsdale where it now resides at McCormick Stillman Railroad Park.
The Peoria Chamber of Commerce was formed in about 1919 and operated as the informal government body until Peoria was incorporated in 1954. The Peoria volunteers of fire district remained all volunteers until the mid-1950s. The Edwards Hotel, which is a three-story hotel, was built in 1918, which was followed by Mabel Hood building in May 1920 at the southwest corner of Washington Street and 83rd Avenue. The John L. Meyer or also known as the “flatiron” building was completed in June 1920 and the O.O. Fuel’s Paramount Theater in July 1920. The first town’s newspaper, The Peoria Enterprise, was printed weekly from November 14,1917 to April 1921.
Held at the women’s club in 1920 was Peoria’s first library until it moved to the old Peoria City Hall in 1975 (this is where the Peoria Center for the Performing Arts was constructed and currently sits). The library eventually moved to the Peoria Municipal Complex. By May 1959, the Women’s club was generous enough to give the clubhouse to the City of Peoria.
Then, the Central School was built in 1906. Three additional classroom buildings were built next to the central school and in the year 1910. In 1918, another school building, composing of an auditorium and four classrooms, was built and opened. By the year 1918, the pupils attending at Peoria schools were 190. School District Number Eleven was originally an elementary school district. So the children, after finishing their elementary years, will be going on to high school and had to travel to Glendale High School. Since it was a bit far to travel from Peoria to Glendale, in 1919, the school board approved construction of Peoria High School so the children will no longer have to go to high school.
The city of Peoria, Arizona has a wonderful and lovely history. You now know how Peoria started from a lifeless barren land to a successful community. So what are waiting for? Visit Peoria, Arizona and get mesmerized by its beauty.