Scottsdale (pop. 241,361) is one of the largest cities in Arizona. It lies in central Arizona, just northeast of Phoenix. Scottsdale’s warm climate and many resorts and golf courses make it a popular winter vacation place. Old Town Scottsdale in the downtown area resembles an old frontier town.
Major Winfield Scott, a Union Army chaplain during the Civil War in America (1861-1865), bought land in what is now downtown Scottsdale in 1888. That year is considered the city’s founding date. Scottsdale was a small agricultural community until after World War II ended in 1945. During the mid-1900’s, the construction of electronics equipment factories in the area helped the population to increase tremendously. Scottsdale became one of Arizona’s fastest-growing cities and attracted many artists and craftworkers. It was incorporated as a town in 1951 and received a city charter in 1961. In the 1980’s, annexations of territory north of the city greatly increased its area. Much of this part of the city is uninhabited desert and mountain land. In the mid-1990’s, the city established the McDowell Sonoran Preserve to save land in this area from development. Scottsdale has a council-manager form of government.
