1911 Encyclopædia Britannica/Phoenix (Arizona)

PHOENIX, the capital of Arizona, U S.A., and the county-seat of Maricopa county, situated on the Salt river, in the south central part of the state. Pop. (1890), 3152; (1900), 5544 (935 being foreign-born and 148 negroes); (1910) 11,134. It is served by the Arizona Eastern and the Santa Fé, Prescott & Phoenix railways, the former connecting at Maricopa (35 m. distant) with the Southern Pacific and the latter connecting at Ash Fork, near Prescott (194 m. distant), with the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fé. The city is a popular winter and health resort, with a fine dry climate. The city is the see of a Protestant Episcopal bishopric. About 3 m. north of the city is the Phoenix (non-reservation) boarding-school for Indians, supported by the United States government, with an average attendance of about 700 pupils. The city lies in a great Plain, in the centre of a region of pastures, gardens and orchards, the largest and most beautiful farming district of Arizona, irrigated with water stored by the great Roosevelt dam (about 70 m. north-east of Phoenix). Local interests are almost entirely in agriculture, stock-raising and fruit-growing. In the surrounding region are several large ostrich farms and a small exhibition ranch. Phoenix was settled in 1870, became the county-seat on the organization of Maricopa county in 1871, was incorporated in 1881, and became the capital of Arizona in 1889.