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The City of Peoria began as a small farming community near Phoenix in the 1880s. William J. Murphy’s vision of fertile farm lands fed by water from the Salt River became reality with the completion of the Arizona Canal in 1885. Once this canal was completed, Murphy travelled east to interest people in settling in this new community. He was successful in catching people’s attention – over 5,000 acres (20 km²) of land in the new district was purchased by citizens from Peoria, Illinois. Four families from Peoria, Illinois were among the first to move to Arizona to occupy and work their land. The founders decided to name the new area Peoria to bring a sense of home to this unfamiliar area.

Residences in the new community quickly sprang up, and by 1888, the population of the town was 27. A school and Post Office were established by 1889. More people followed the original families and Peoria continued to grow as a farming community. The farmlands were fertile and the people made a good living, despite having to battle swarms of red ants and the occasional rattlesnake in the kitchen.

By 1910, the city's population was 300, and by 1920, the population had reached 2,370. The population did not grow too much until the 1990s, and in 1998 it had reached 87,048 and in 1999 was 101,235.

Peoria was incorporated as a city in 1954, with boundaries covering one square mile (2.6 km sq) of land. The warm climate and small-town atmosphere of Peoria continued to attract people, and still do today. - Wikipedia Article Peoria, Arizona

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