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Scottsdale is a city located in Maricopa County, Arizona, USA.
Named by the New York Times as "The Beverly Hills of the Desert" and by Travel
Channel as one of
the most luxurious destinations in the nation, Scottsdale has become
internationally recognized and
regarded as one of the most expensive and posh areas in the United States and a
premiere tourist
destination.
As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 202,705 (nation's 82nd
largest city), while a
July 1, 2004 Census estimate put the city's population at 221,130--a 9.1% growth
rate.
History
Scottsdale was originally inhabited by the ancient civilizations of the Hohokam
and the Anasazi,
descendents from the ancient Mesoamerican civilizations of the Mayans and the
Aztec. From circa 300
BC to 1400 AD, these ancient civilizations farmed the area and built some of the
most ingenious
irrigation canals the world has ever known. The name Hohokam translates as
"vanished," for one day
they mysteriously disappeared without a trace.
The Hohokam's unbelievable legacy was in their creation of more than 125 miles
(200 km) of canals to
provide water for their agricultural needs. The remnants of this ancient
irrigation system were adapted
and improved upon in 1868 by the first Anglo company to stake a claim in the
Valley of the Sun, when
Jack Swilling set up the Swilling Irrigation Canal Company.
Twenty years later Scottsdale's future would turn sharply upwards, when a U.S.
Army Chaplain,
Winfield Scott, paid the paltry sum of $2.50 an acre for a 640 acre stretch of
land where the city is now
located. Winfield's brother, George Washington Scott, was the first resident of
the town that was then
known as Orangedale and later changed to Scottsdale in 1894.
In 1937, internationally renowned architect Frank Lloyd Wright set up his
"winter camp" at the foot of
the McDowell Mountains, creating what is now known as Taliesin West. Scottsdale,
and the rest of
Phoenix, have seen a huge influence from Frank Lloyd Wright. Many buildings
throughout the area
were designed by the famous architect. Today, there is a Frank Lloyd Wright
memorial in Northern
Scottsdale.
In 1951 the Town of Scottsdale was officially incorporated with a population of
2000. Since then it has
grown to a 2004 Census estimation of 220,000. It has grown to become Arizona's
fifth-largest city, and
one of its most celebrated. Today, Scottsdale is routinely defined by its high
quality of life, and was
named the "Most Livable City" in the United States by the United States
Conference of Mayors. It is
continually ranked as one of the premier golf and resort destinations in the
world, with a sizable portion
of tax revenue being derived from tourism. It is also home to the Phoenix Open
Golf Tournament held at
the Tournament Players Club, which carries the distinction of the best-attended
event on the PGA Tour.
The city continues to see rapid growth, mainly in the northern areas of the
city.
There are 90,669 households out of which 22.6% have children under the age of
18 living with them,
49.6% are married couples living together, 7.5% have a female householder with
no husband present,
and 39.9% are non-families. 30.8% of all households are made up of individuals
and 9.7% have
someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size
is 2.22 and the
average family size is 2.79.
In the city the population is spread out with 19.3% under the age of 18, 6.6%
from 18 to 24, 30.4% from
25 to 44, 26.9% from 45 to 64, and 16.7% who are 65 years of age or older. The
median age is 41 years.
For every 100 females there are 93.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and
over, there are 90.5 males.
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