Scottsdale has spent 2026 celebrating its 75th anniversary of incorporation in the best way possible — by showing off the city’s personality.
Sonora the Horse, a traveling sculpture with a mane full of handwritten memories, wanders throughout the city collecting stories. Scottsdale Serenades filled Pinnacle Presbyterian Church with songs about the community, including “The Magnificent McDowells,” a love letter to the mountains that frame the Valley.
To involve children, the McCormick-Stillman Railroad Park hosted a bubble disco featuring a DJ, cowboys and coloring sheets.
For historian Joan Fudala, the party, which continues through December, is a reminder of how the incorporation began.
“This whole year has reminded people that Scottsdale didn’t just happen,” she says. “It was built by residents who showed up, volunteered, debated, created and cared. That’s still who we are.”
DEEPER DIVE: Here are Arizona’s Most Admired Companies of 2026
Where it starts
Scottsdale may be marking 75 years of incorporation, but its story stretches back thousands of years, Fudala said. As the city’s anniversary booklet notes, people have lived in what is now Scottsdale for roughly 8,000 years. Archaic hunters, Riverine and Upland Hohokam, and later Yavapai, Pima and Maricopa communities shaped the land long before Arizona was a state.
Modern Scottsdale began in 1888, when U.S. Army Chaplain Winfield Scott and his wife, Helen, homesteaded 640 acres along the Arizona Canal.
“We were actually organized — if you will — or settled as far back as 1888, when Winfield Scott and his wife first homesteaded the land,” Fudala says.
Scott imagined a small agricultural village where settlers could farm, raise families and build a future. By 1900, “Scotts-Dale” had a schoolhouse, a general store, prospering farms and about 75 residents — and a moral code. Alcohol was banned until the 1930s.
Through the early 20th century, cotton fields, cattle operations and citrus groves peppered the landscape. Tourism and the arts began to take root with guest ranches like the Jokake Inn and Camelback Inn, and the Cattle Track, which attracted artists.
But the biggest transformation came with World War II.
The war that changed everything
During World War II, Thunderbird Airfield No. 2 trained 5,500 aviation cadets. Veterans returned with GI Bill benefits, ready to build homes and businesses. Now known as Scottsdale Airport, the airfield became a catalyst for growth, drawing new residents who saw Scottsdale as a place to start anew.
After the war, the population surged.
“People really started coming here — particularly with the advent of air conditioning,” Fudala says. “People were also watching a lot of Western movies while they were trying to escape the worries of World War II.”
But the town lacked the infrastructure to support its growth. According to the city’s records, Scottsdale had only two paved streets, no fire or police department, and no street signs. Arts and tourism tied the community together, but basic services lagged.
“It was really starting to be evident that if we wanted to become an up-and-coming community in the late 1940s, we probably needed to think about incorporating,” Fudala says.
The push to incorporate
The Scottsdale Chamber of Commerce — then a small but influential group of artists, shopkeepers and early tourism operators — organized public hearings at the old Scottsdale High School. The debate was spirited but civil.
“There were people who were really for incorporating and people who weren’t,” Fudala says. “But it was all pretty cordial.”
Residents also feared being annexed by Phoenix, which was expanding rapidly, she said.
“We really thought that we had a different personality and character,” she said. “We had an arts community that had started, we had tourism, and we really wanted to protect those.”
In January 1951, residents began circulating incorporation petitions. Under Maricopa County rules, if two-thirds of property owners signed, Scottsdale could incorporate without an election. The response was overwhelming. More than two-thirds signed, and on June 25, 1951, the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors declared Scottsdale an incorporated town.
One of the people who initially questioned whether it was too soon was Malcolm White, a Scottsdale High School graduate, flight instructor at Thunderbird Airfield No. 2, and downtown business owner.
“He expressed his concern that maybe it was too soon to incorporate or that doing so would involve starting to levy taxes on people,” Fudala explains.
However, when incorporation passed, White was appointed to the first Town Council and elected by his peers as Scottsdale’s first mayor. He served for eight years.
One partnership at a time
Scottsdale’s first months as an incorporated town were a flurry of activity. The new government signed a contract with Rural Fire Company (later Rural/Metro), established marshal services, erected street signs, adopted zoning ordinances and began paving roads. Volunteers ran the library until 1960. Residents even held “Street Pavers Balls” at Camelback Inn, raising money to oil or water down dusty streets.
“It was a kinder, gentler time,” Fudala says. “Although there were pros and cons being discussed, it was all quite civil.
“Within a couple of months of incorporation, they passed their first zoning ordinances and appointed a zoning commission. They started erecting street signs and got the ball rolling. Believe it or not, we didn’t have our own taxes until July 1960, when we passed our first sales tax and our first property tax.”
The city government was “pretty lean and mean,” Fudala explains.
“Many things were either still contracted out or done by volunteer organizations. For example, the library was run by volunteers until the 1960s, when the city took that over.”
This blend of public-private partnership and citizen involvement became a defining Scottsdale trait, Fudala says.
“Throughout our 75-year history, the city has really counted on individual residents, as well as organizations in Scottsdale, to provide actual services, input and advisory commissions that work hand in hand with the government.”
The 1950s brought Spring Training baseball, the Arabian Horse Show, Parada del Sol, and the opening of year-round resorts like Hotel Valley Ho and the Safari. Motorola’s arrival in 1957 launched Scottsdale’s high-tech industry. By 1960, the town had grown from less than 1 square mile to nearly 5 square miles.
The 1960s and 1970s saw explosive growth with the openings of Scottsdale Fashion Square, Los Arcos Mall, Scottsdale Airport, the Civic Center, the Indian Bend Wash Greenbelt and Scottsdale Community College. The Scottsdale Town Enrichment Program (STEP), a citizen-driven planning initiative, became a national model for community involvement.
By the 1990s and 2000s, Scottsdale had evolved into a city known for luxury tourism, environmental stewardship, innovation and the arts, Fudala explains. The McDowell Sonoran Preserve grew to 30,000 acres of protected desert. SkySong emerged as a global innovation hub. Downtown was revitalized with museums, galleries and public art. Still, Fudala adds, Scottsdale maintained its small-town feel.
Fudala doesn’t hesitate when she lists her hopes for Scottsdale’s future: a city that continues to protect its environment, honors its arts and cultural heritage, and welcomes newcomers while preserving its close-knit feel.
“I just hope we continue to protect what’s really important to Scottsdale — the things that brought us to the dance,” she says.
Transforming the economy
Over the past 75 years, Scottsdale has transformed from a small desert community known for its ranches, agriculture and Western heritage into one of Arizona’s most dynamic economic engines. While tourism and hospitality laid the foundation for much of the city’s early growth, Scottsdale steadily expanded its economic base by attracting corporate headquarters, healthcare organizations, financial services firms and innovative technology companies. Thoughtful planning, strategic investment and a commitment to preserving the city’s quality of life have helped Scottsdale maintain a strong economy while accommodating rapid population and business growth.
Today, Scottsdale’s economy is driven by a diverse mix of industries that provide stability and opportunity. Healthcare has become one of the city’s largest employment sectors, anchored by world-class providers and research institutions. Financial and professional services continue to expand, supported by a highly educated workforce and a business-friendly environment. Technology, aerospace, advanced manufacturing and life sciences companies are also fueling innovation, while Scottsdale remains one of the nation’s premier destinations for tourism, luxury hospitality, golf, shopping and fine dining. Entrepreneurial startups and small businesses further strengthen the local economy, creating a vibrant ecosystem that attracts talent and investment from around the world.
As Scottsdale celebrates its 75th anniversary, its continued success reflects decades of visionary leadership, economic diversification and a commitment to creating an environment where businesses and residents can thrive.
A celebration that reflects the city
Bruce Wall, Scottsdale’s community involvement advisor and a member of the anniversary planning committee, said the goal was to create a celebration that touched every part of Scottsdale.
He listed several projects that are still happening, including Sonora the Horse, a collaborative activity that encourages people to share personal memories of Scottsdale by adding pony-colored fabrics to the horse. Among Sonora’s stops was Spring Training Opening Day.
Western Spirit: Scottsdale’s Museum of the West will premiere Diamond in the Dust at 10 a.m. Thursday, Sept. 3, with a special introduction by Fudala. The following week, at 6 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 10, the Civic Center Library will host a book-signing event for “Hands on History,” which will be sold on Amazon.
“For ‘Hands on History,’ 75 residents reflect on Scottsdale’s 75 years,” Wall says. “We’re going to get as many of the 75 authors as possible. The book will be a once-in-a-lifetime keepsake.”
Rewind 75 will celebrate the city’s birthday with a DJ playing hits from every decade, family activities and cowboys through the decades on Saturday, Sept. 19, at Scottsdale Civic Center Plaza.
TBA events include an old-time radio play tracing Scottsdale’s aviation history in October and the dedication of 75 trees along the Indian Bend Wash to honor the 75th anniversary of incorporation.
