Phoenix exists thanks to the sophisticated irrigation system created and maintained by the Hohokam tribe. The indigenous prehistoric Hohokam people had a thriving metropolis in the region from around 800 A.D. to 1450 A.D. The advanced canal system they built supplied water throughout the Sonoran Desert.
When the early pioneers settled in Phoenix, they realized they needed to find just the right name for the city. Darrel Duppa, one of the pioneers in the group, was familiar with the Greek myth of the Phoenix — an immortal Phoenix bird burns and then rises from the ashes ad infinitum. Aware that there was once a flourishing community of Hohokam in the area, Duppa suggested naming the city "Phoenix" because they were building a new community on top of an ancient community that had built and then abandoned a complex canal system that set the foundation for the city of Phoenix.
The pioneers believed Phoenix was going to "boom" and they needed a name that represented a sign of renewal and rebirth. Phoenix officially was recognized on May 4, 1868.
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