From Tempe Tourism Bureau:
“In 1879 the two communities of San Pablo and Hayden’s Ferry melded into one dynamic, diverse town with a distinctive name: Tempe (pronounced Tem-pee). So how did Tempe get its name? “Lord” Darrell Duppa, an Englishman, who helped establish Phoenix, is credited with suggesting the name because the lush beauty of the area reminded him of the Vale of Tempe in Greece.
More Tempe historical highlights:
- In 1885, the Arizona legislature selected Tempe as the site for the Territorial Normal School, which trained teachers for Arizona’s schools. In 1958 it became Arizona State University.
- The Maricopa and Phoenix Railroad, built in 1887, crossed the Salt River at Tempe, linking the town to the nation’s growing transportation system. Tempe became one of the most important business and shipping centers for the surrounding agricultural area.
- Prompted by Tempe’s centennial in 1971, Mill Avenue underwent a major facelift and was transformed into a lively entertainment and shopping district.
- In 1966, an innovative group of ASU architecture students came up with a design for an inland seaport in the desert, which in 1999 morphed into Tempe Town Lake, a two-mile water recreational area in the heart of Tempe.
- Tempe has hosted the Super Bowl, a mass by Pope John Paul II and the 2004 presidential debate.
- Tempe is well-known as the home of ASU (the largest public university in the U.S.) and events such as the Cactus Bowl, Angels spring training baseball, P.F. Chang’s Rock ‘n’ Roll Arizona Marathon and ½ Marathon and Ironman Arizona.
- Tempe is the seventh largest city in Arizona with a strong, modern economy based on commerce, tourism, technology and sustainability.”
Check out the latest Tempe condos and townhouses for sale below. If you have any questions about buying or selling a home, call or email Home & Away Realty. We appreciate the opportunity to earn your business. – Robert Foreman
