How Glendale Became Sugar City: Murphy and the Beet Sugar Factory

Glendale was once nicknamed "Sugar City." In 1906, a big beet sugar factory went up on the edge of town, built by a company founded by William J. Murphy, the same man who helped dig the Arizona Canal. The factory ran only on and off, and Glendale's farms moved on to other crops, but the name and the building are part of the story.

I'm Terry Day, and I love the stories behind the places my clients move to. Glendale's is a good one, and it starts with water.

The Canal That Made a Town Possible

In 1882, William J. Murphy joined a group of partners to take on the Arizona Canal, and with about 225 mules the canal was finished in May 1885. Murphy later formed the Arizona Improvement Company to sell land and water rights south of the canal, and he is the man credited with naming the area Glendale. He also helped build the diagonal road we now know as Grand Avenue, which tied Phoenix, Glendale and Peoria together.

Settlers followed the water. The town grew up around farms, orchards and a railroad stop, and Murphy later donated the town park, which was renamed Murphy Park in his honor in 1912.

Why Sugar Beets?

With canal water and open farmland, Glendale's boosters wanted a big, steady crop to anchor the local economy. The answer they chose was sugar beets. In 1903 the Arizona Sugar Company was started by Murphy and other investors, with money from Michigan. That first company folded, and Detroit investors joined Murphy to form the Southwestern Sugar and Land Company. By 1906 the beet sugar factory was under construction near what is today 52nd Avenue and Glendale Avenue.

The Glendale Arizona Historical Society calls it the greatest single industrial enterprise in Maricopa County at the time. Its construction led many people to call Glendale "Sugar City."

The Factory Years Were Short

The factory did not have a long, smooth run. The historical society's timeline says production was short-lived and the plant operated only sporadically for about a decade. Its history page says the sugar beet industry collapsed around the middle of the 1910s, with drought named as a cause, and that "Sugar City" gave way to a new nickname, "Garden City," as farming in the area shifted.

One more chapter belongs here. In 1911 Russian Molokan immigrants arrived in the Glendale area and began raising sugar beets, adding a new community to the town's farming story.

What You Can Still See Today

The historical society's timeline notes that by 1960 the old beet sugar factory was being used as a soft drink bottling plant. The building still stands southeast of downtown Glendale, a quiet reminder of the town's industrial ambitions. For more of the area's history, my story on how Luke Air Force Base got its name covers the military chapter, and our Glendale relocation guide shows what the city looks like now.

Details like building use change over time, so if you want to visit, check with the Glendale Arizona Historical Society first.

Questions People Ask

Why is Glendale, Arizona called Sugar City? Because a large beet sugar factory was built there in 1906, and its construction led many people to give the town that nickname. The name later gave way to "Garden City."

Who founded Glendale, Arizona? William J. Murphy is credited as the founder of Glendale. He helped build the Arizona Canal, formed the Arizona Improvement Company, and named the area Glendale.

Is the Glendale sugar factory still there? The historical society says the building still stands southeast of downtown, and its timeline shows it housed a bottling plant by 1960. Check current use before you plan a visit.

Where can I see homes near Glendale's historic area? Browse the current Glendale listings or ask me for a tour.