Glendale

Sister cities

• Memmingen

History

In the late 1800s the area that is now Glendale was all desert. William John Murphy, a native of New Hartford, New York, who resided in the town of Flagstaff in what was then the territory of Arizona, was in charge of building the Arizona Canal from Granite Reef to New River for the Arizona Canal Company. In 1885, he completed the canal, which would bring water to the desert land. Murphy was deep in debt, since he had agreed to be paid in Arizona Canal Company stock and bonds and land instead of cash. In 1887, Murphy formed the Arizona Improvement Company. His objective was to sell the land and water rights south of the canal. Murphy raised capital from out of state sources in order to meet payroll and construction expenses. The construction of a railroad from Prescott to Phoenix was made possible with an exchange of the right-of-way made by Murphy along Grand Avenue. Several other businesses were founded around this time such as Glendale Ice Company, Pacific Creamery Company, Glendale Milling Company, and Southwest Flour and Feed. World War I ushered in a renewal for Glendale, with cotton prices rising throughout the period. Cotton continues to be a source of economic prosperity in Glendale with many farms still along the Loop 101, despite many farmers switching to more profitable crops. A high demand for food also kept farmers busy. Numerous farms and orchards were established and thrived through the early 1900s. World War II brought the birth of Thunderbird Field to train civilian pilots for the Army. In late 1940, a few Hollywood actors and businessmen, headed by Leland Hayward, approached the Army to establish a primary flight training school. This group chose the site of Thunderbird Field primarily because of its abundance of space, excellent weather, and…

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which , or 0.63%, is water.

Race & ethnicity

Most-observed species

• Mourning Dove

  Zenaida macroura (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  26,753
• Great-tailed Grackle

  Quiscalus mexicanus (Gmelin, 1788) · Aves
  24,268
• House Finch

  Haemorhous mexicanus (P.L.Statius Müller, 1776) · Aves
  21,981
• Rock Pigeon

  Columba livia J.F.Gmelin, 1789 · Aves
  20,467
• European Starling

  Sturnus vulgaris Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  20,425
• Gila Woodpecker

  Melanerpes uropygialis (S.F.Baird, 1854) · Aves
  19,614
• Northern Mockingbird

  Mimus polyglottos (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  19,530
• Verdin

  Auriparus flaviceps (Sundevall, 1850) · Aves
  19,219

Largest nearby schools

• Arizona Virtual Academy
  Other · PHOENIX · 5,122 students
• West Point High School
  High · AVONDALE · 3,033 students · 24.7:1 ratio
• Trevor Browne High School
  High · PHOENIX · 2,921 students · 20:1 ratio
• Maryvale High School
  High · PHOENIX · 2,795 students · 20.3:1 ratio
• Alhambra High School
  High · PHOENIX · 2,282 students · 18.3:1 ratio
• Sunnyslope High School
  High · PHOENIX · 2,281 students · 24.3:1 ratio
• Tolleson Union High School
  High · TOLLESON · 2,256 students · 23.3:1 ratio
• Camelback High School
  High · PHOENIX · 2,238 students · 18.5:1 ratio

Most recent

• M 2.6 — 2022-02-25
  1 km S of Roosevelt, Arizona
• M 2.5 — 2022-02-15
  6 km S of Roosevelt, Arizona
• M 2.6 — 2020-06-06
  5 km NW of New River, Arizona
• M 3.2 — 2016-12-10
  11 km ENE of Rio Verde, Arizona
• M 3.6 — 2015-11-02
  4 km NNE of Black Canyon City, Arizona
• M 4 — 2015-11-02
  7 km NNE of Black Canyon City, Arizona