Page 6—2012-2013 Fountain Hills Community Guide
History (continued from page 5)
the lake area, and by late 1970 the famous Fountain was turned on. Many people were introduced to Fountain Hills in the early years through a unique “fly to see” sales program by McCulloch. The company flew clients to the Valley in the firm’s own fleet of aircraft. Once in Fountain Hills, the potential buyers were shown property by salesmen driving white Jeeps. About three-fourths of the buildings to date have been custom single-family homes. There also is a good mix of higher density housing along with commercial and some industrial property. Although many seniors first moved here because of the climate and lower prices, a major building boom occurred in the mid-1980s that brought an influx of younger families to Fountain Hills. The town’s population doubled from 5,000 to 10,000 people from 1985 to 1990. Another “boom” started picking up steam around 1992-93. The official U.S. Census for 1995 put Fountain Hills’ population at 13,745. By the spring of 2002 the growth rate was beginning to slow as the community matured toward buildout. The 2005 Census showed Fountain Hills with more than 24,400 people, however, five years later, the population had dropped to 22,489 due to the weak economy. In the middle years, Fountain Hills gained in popularity as a place for families. The community in 1993 was listed in the book “50 Fabulous Places to Raise Your Family.” That tradition was carried on in 1997, when Parenting magazine named Fountain Hills as one of 10 “great” places to raise families from throughout the entire United States in a special 10th anniversary issue it published. Another accolade for the town came in 2006 when Phoenix Magazine named it as the best place to live in the Phoenix Metropolitan area. In early 2009, Business Week listed the community as the “best affordable suburb” in Arizona. Through the past 30-plus years the growing infill has brought with it modern services and conveniences
A school bus turns on to Fountain Hills Boulevard from Inca Avenue in the community’s early years.
Four Peaks Elementary School was the first school built in Fountain Hills. It no longer serves students. — shopping centers, local town government, special districts for other government services, recreational and cultural opportunities, a complete school system and much more. In late 1989 voters approved self-government. The first elected Town Council members took their seats in June 1990. The local government has grown in all areas that were formerly administered by Maricopa County and has taken on new responsibilities such as parks and recreation, contracting for law enforcement, town court, etc. A unique aspect of the town that helped shape its heritage has been special events, with many of today’s events tracing their early roots back to smaller happenings that were organized in the 1970s (see separate section on special events and events calendar) One event that is still talked about started in 1980, when the community celebrated its 10th anniversary. Topping off the 17-day celebration was a “White Castle” hamburger promotion, which became an annual event of its own until the mid-1980s. That event brought the community worldwide publicity. Two other events, a small arts festival and a larger “thank you” festival once organized by a Phoenix public television station, have evolved into two major festivals organized by the Chamber of Commerce. The art shows have received critical acclaim throughout the Southwest and beyond. Each February, the Great Fair boasts arts and crafts and entertainment. Then in November, the prestigious Fountain Festival of Arts and Crafts is held, a juried show that attracts hundreds of local and national artists and artisans. The Fountain Hills story took on an international flair in September 2000 when then-Mayor Sharon Morgan and Mayor Walter Otten of Kasterlee, Belgium, signed a proclamation to affiliate the two towns as Sister Cities. Kasterlee is in north-central Belgium and has slightly more than 17,000 residents. Documents were signed in 2005 affiliating Fountain Hills with a second Sister City, Dierdorf, Germany. A third Sister Cities affiliation was realized in 2007, when papers were signed by the mayors of Fountain Hills and Ataco, El Salvador. The evolution of the School District has served as a mirror of the development that has occurred here since the early 1970s when the first “school” consisted of two rented commercial units on Colony Drive. The original Fountain Hills Elementary School was built to house kindergartners through eighth graders, (continued on page 7)