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Phoenix: Home of the Hohokam

The Hohokam people lived in the Phoenix area for almost 1000 years – then disappeared.

By:  |  October 21, 2019  |    385 Words
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Archaeologists working at dig site of Hohokam village. (Photo by Steve Northup/Getty Images)

Phoenix is the capital of Arizona, and it is aptly named. When the mythical phoenix dies, it does so in a burst of flame, then from its ashes it rises again. Many years ago, the city of Phoenix had a similar rebirth.

Between AD 700 and AD 1400, the area was occupied by the Hohokam people. Salt River ran through the valley, known as the Valley of the Sun, but the water wasn’t near enough to grow crops. The Hohokam dug about 135 canals to move the water closer to their villages.

After almost 1000 years in the Valley of the Sun, the Hohokam disappeared. No one knows for sure what happened to make them leave. Some suggest neighboring tribes may have run them off the land, or perhaps a prolonged drought is to blame. They were given the name “Ho Ho Kam,” meaning the people who have gone.

The Phoenix area was under Spanish rule from 1539 to 1821. Mexico took over the area and controlled the valley for 27 years until it was given to the United States. The US took the area after the Mexican-American War ended in 1848.

American Civil War veteran Jack Swilling noticed the area and thought it would be a good place for farming – as long as he could find a way to get water to the crops. In 1867, he started building canals along the same route the Hokoham had used centuries before. After water came to the land, more people started moving to the area until a small town had formed. As the town grew, they decided it was time to give it a name. Several ideas were suggested, such as Pumpkinville, but Lord Darrell Duppa suggested “Phoenix” because it described a city born from the ruins of a former civilization. In 1868, Phoenix was officially recognized as a new town.

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Illustration by C.J. Dyer. (Photo by Buyenlarge/Getty Images)

As more white settlers made the area their home, Native Americans were pushed from their lands. Eventually, many of the tribes were moved to reservations. Arizona has more designated tribal land than anywhere else in the United States. As the 48th state in the Union, it took a while for Phoenix to be recognized as the capital. On February 14, 1912, President William Howard Taft made it official.

 

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