Laveen, Arizona

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Estrella Mountains from Laveen, January 2004.

Laveen, Arizona is an historically rural community situated 8 miles southwest of downtown Phoenix, Arizona.

1 Geography
2 Demographics
3 Climate
4 History
5 References
6 External links

[edit] Geography

Laveen consists mainly of agricultural land and residential housing. After several annexations from the mid-1990s to the present, much of the community now lies within the city limits of Phoenix.

[edit] Demographics

Agriculture is a major industry in Laveen, where farmers raise cotton and corn. Laveen is also famous in Arizona for its dairies. A popular bumper sticker among the locals reads: "Come to Laveen and smell our 'Dairy-Air'".

The 2000 population was 9,049. The area is bounded on the north by the Salt River, on the south by South Mountain Park and the Gila River Indian Community and on the East by 27th Ave. Much of Laveen is part of the city of Phoenix.

[edit] Climate

Snow on the Estrella Mountains south of Laveen on March 12, 2006.

High temperatures in the summer season can average over 105 degrees Fahrenheit. On the hottest days temperatures over 115 degrees can be expected. January high temperatures are typically about 65 degrees.

Although Laveen is quite arid, there are 2 "rainy seasons", in spring and late summer. Sometimes-powerful monsoon thunderstorms roar through the area in late summer.^[1] Occasionally, a winter storm will leave snow on the nearby Estrella Mountains, as happened between March 11 and 12, 2006^[2] (see photo nearby).

[edit] History

The Laveen area was settled by farmers and dairymen in the 1870s. Despite its proximity to Phoenix, Laveen was isolated by the continuously-running Salt River. Up until 1911, when the Salt River Project built the Roosevelt Dam upstream, Central Avenue was the only bridged crossing of the Salt. Because of its isolation, early Laveen became relatively self-sufficient, boasting a country store, barber shop, repair garage, pool hall, and even a women's club building.^[3]

After the dam was built, the family of the area's first postmaster, Walter E. Laveen, donated land for a school, which was built in 1913. Later, in about 1918, the area was named for Walter Laveen.

In the 1980s, the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) proposed building part of the Loop 202 freeway through a portion of Laveen. ADOT later shelved these plans due to funding problems. However, plans for this freeway are back on track and the freeway is planned to pass through most of Laveen at about 59th Avenue.^[4]

In 2000, Trend Homes broke ground on a massive residential development in what, at the time, was a rural Laveen. Since that time, Laveen has experienced explosive residential growth. That growth has been tempered, however, by the determined participation of more-established residents in community activist groups. These groups have put pressure on developers to include equestrian trails, open spaces, and other bucolic elements in new developments.

Although some dairies and farms have sold out to developers, many remain. These contribute to the continued rural feel of the area.

[edit] References

↑ "Basics of the Arizona Monsoon & Desert Meteorology". Arizona State University College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. http://geography.asu.edu/aztc/monsoon.html. Accessed 21 April 2006.
↑ Cronin, Mike. "Snow draws hundreds to northeast Valley". Arizona Republic. 13 March 2006. See also http://www.azcentral.com/12news/news/articles/0313weather0313-CP.html.
↑ History section of http://www.laveen.org. Accessed 21 April 2006.
↑ South Mountain Corridor Study. http://www.southmountainfreeway.com/southmtn/index.htm. Accessed 21 April 2006.