How Scottsdale Got Its Name: Winfield Scott and the West's Most Western Town

Scottsdale is named for Winfield Scott, an Army chaplain who put a down payment on 640 acres in 1888 to start a farm near where Old Town stands today. The town that grew up around his land took his name, and the "West's Most Western Town" slogan came decades later, in the late 1940s and early 1950s.

People ask me about Scottsdale's name more than you might think, usually while standing in Old Town looking at the cowboy statues. Here is the story as the City of Scottsdale and other sources tell it.

A Chaplain Buys 640 Acres

According to the City of Scottsdale, Winfield Scott was a U.S. Army chaplain who saw the potential of farming in the Salt River Valley. In 1888 he made a down payment on 640 acres near the heart of what is now downtown Scottsdale. His land sat next to the new Arizona Canal, which carried water from the Salt River and made farming possible in this part of the desert.

North Valley Magazine reports that Scott settled there with his wife and his brother, and that the family planted citrus groves along with other crops. The area was known as Orangedale in those early years, a name that tells you what the neighbors were growing. Scott also encouraged educated settlers from the East and Midwest to join the young farming community.

From Orangedale to Scottsdale

The exact details of the town's naming differ depending on the source. One account says the name was officially changed to Scottsdale in 1894 in honor of its founder. Wikipedia tells a more colorful version, in which a landowner filed plans for a town called Orangedale and a newspaper mistakenly printed "Scottsdale," which drew attention and led to the filing being changed. Because the accounts do not match, I will stick to what they agree on: by the mid-1890s the community carried Scott's name.

The settlers got to work on the basics. The City of Scottsdale says the public school system was established in 1896, and Wikipedia notes that a general store housed the first post office in 1897. Scottsdale was still a small farm community, and it would stay that way for a long time.

How It Became "The West's Most Western Town"

The Western image arrived later, and it was a choice. The City of Scottsdale says the Chamber of Commerce was formed in 1947, and its leaders promoted an Old West identity to attract visitors. The chamber set a Western design theme for downtown and adopted the slogan "The West's Most Western Town."

Scottsdale incorporated on June 25, 1951, with about 2,000 residents living in less than a square mile. The town adopted the phrase as its official motto, and Malcolm White served as the first mayor. If you have ever wondered why wooden boardwalks and Western storefronts show up in a city with so many resorts and galleries, that planning from the late 1940s is the reason.

The Years That Changed Everything

Several things happened in a short span. In 1937, Frank Lloyd Wright bought desert land at the foot of the McDowell Mountains for his winter home, which I wrote about in my story on Taliesin West. In 1942, Thunderbird II Airfield opened in Scottsdale, and about 5,500 pilot cadets received primary flight training there. Motorola opened its first plant in 1950, and the Hotel Valley Ho opened in 1956. The city says Scottsdale had grown past 10,000 residents across about 5 square miles by 1960, and it has kept growing ever since.

If you are curious what Scottsdale is like to live in today, my Moving to Scottsdale guide covers the neighborhoods, the McDowell Sonoran Preserve and the basics, and you can browse homes for sale in Scottsdale. For another North Valley landmark story, read how Camelback Mountain got its name.

Questions People Ask

Who was Scottsdale, Arizona named after?
Scottsdale is named for Winfield Scott, a U.S. Army chaplain who bought 640 acres in 1888 to start a farm near what is now downtown. The community that grew around his land took his name.

When did Scottsdale become a city?
Scottsdale incorporated on June 25, 1951, with about 2,000 residents living in less than a square mile, according to the City of Scottsdale.

Why is Scottsdale called "The West's Most Western Town"?
Local business leaders promoted an Old West identity to attract visitors after the Chamber of Commerce formed in 1947. The slogan became the town's official motto when it incorporated in 1951.

Terry Day, REALTOR®, DeLex Realty, 10115 E Bell Rd, Scottsdale, AZ 85260.