Whether you’re already a resident of North Scottsdale or are hoping to become one soon, knowing the history behind the names of the streets here is can help you understand our city’s history. Not surprisingly, most of the street names date back to the early 1900s, around when Arizona became a state on Valentine’s Day in 1912. Thanks to History Adventuring and a few other sources, we know the reasoning behind several North Scottsdale street names. Check out some of the major ones below:
Bell Road: Most residents of North Scottsdale are familiar with this major road, but how many know who it was named after? The answer is Harvey Bell, a farmer who helped set up irrigation in the area in 1916.
Shea Boulevard: This is another street North Scottsdale residents know very well. It is named after James A. Shea, who was another important figure who helped Harvey Bell with building irrigation systems shortly after Arizona became a state.
Cactus Road: This is near the border between Central and North Scottsdale, but it also extends into the eastern part of Phoenix. This street’s naming history is pretty simple: it shares a name with a town called Cactus, which is located near the Sunnyslope area of Phoenix.
Greenway Road: You can thank pioneer John Greenway for the name of this street. He was heavily involved in the copper mines in Arizona, which was important enough to garner a street name in his memory- after all, copper is one of the 5 “C’s” of Arizona!
Union Hills Drive: This major North Scottsdale street was named for the Union Hills. Yes, these are actually hills you can hike! This may come as a surprise to Scottsdale residents, since you have to be in Phoenix to really see these fairly small mountains.
Pinnacle Peak Road: This is another major road named after a landmark in North Scottsdale. The name of this road comes from Pinnacle Peak, which is a granite peak with hiking trails you can find east of Pima Road.
Hayden Road: According to The Arizona Republic, Hayden Road was named after Wilfred Hayden, who was a local farmer in the 1890s.
Pershing Avenue: This is a smaller residential street you’ll find as you look for Scottsdale real estate just north of Cactus Road. It was named after a U.S. Army general, John Joseph Pershing. He served in multiple wars in the late 1800s and early 1900s, including the Spanish American War, the Mexican Revolution, and World War I, to name a few.
Captain Dreyfus Avenue: This is another smaller street near Pershing Avenue. Captain Dreyfus was involved in a scandal in France during the late 1800s, in which he was accused of treason, though he was later exonerated.
And of course, if you live in DC Ranch or would like to, it’s nice to know how this area got its name. There are a few theories on this: what we do know is that DC was a brand used by cattle rancher E.O. Brown, who owned the land that would eventually become DC Ranch. No one is certain about what DC stands for, though a good guess is that it’s a reference to Doc Crosby, a doctor who created an area called “Desert Camp” so his cattle could graze.
So now that you know the history behind some of the most well-known street names around, are you ready to find your home in North Scottsdale? If so, call The Matheson Team today to start your search for homes in and around DC Ranch!
Don Matheson
Realtor | Founder
The Matheson Team – RE/MAX Fine Properties
21000 N. Pima Rd., #100, Scottsdale, AZ 85255
480-360-0281
don@scottsdalerealestate.com
