BEFORE WE WERE AVONDALE


Avondale Through the Decades 1970s


The city was still relatively small, at only 3.5 miles in size, and a population of 7,000. All residents lived west of the Agua Fria River. Mountain View Park was the first official park in the city. Avondale’s first public library broke ground in 1973.


Avondale’s founding father, William “Billy” G. Moore, arrived in Arizona in the late 1860s, settling near the Agua Fria River in 1880. He called the area “Coldwater, Arizona,” after the river. Back then, Coldwater was just a general store and stage stop near the Agua Fria river crossing. The City took its name from “Avondale Ranch,” where the post office was established in 1896.


1950s


Agua Fria High School opened (1956), and Billy Moore Days was started by the Chamber of Commerce (1954).


1980s


The population started to boom in this decade, nearly doubling every census until the early 2000s. The city provided important services and more infrastructure to keep up with the growth. Garden Lakes was the first master planned housing develop- ment in Avondale. The Cashion community was annexed (1987).


1940s


This decade established Avondale as a City, with its incorporation in 1946. The first official census determined the population to be 2,232 residents. This post-WW2 era gave many in the community the opportunity to start a family or begin a business in downtown Avondale. The outlying area was mainly farm fields and was sparsely populated.


1960s


Phoenix Raceway was established (1964). The original owner built the track with dreams that it would be someday known as the “Indianapolis of the West.”


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