1975 wasn’t all about celebrities coming to Fountain Hills.
This week’s History Lesson is about the year that literally put Fountain Hills on the map for the first time. The community was a dot on the official Arizona state map published by the Arizona Department of Transportation. Fountain Hills was on its way.
People began looking at the new community as a place to live or open a business. It was going to an incorporated town or city some day and not just a large subdivision.
Another factor in that was the developer, McCulloch Properties, moved its headquarters from Los Angeles to a three-building complex on Palisades Boulevard in Fountain Hills. The office buildings were built at a cost of $2 million. Move-in was completed in April 1975. The 200 jobs it brought with it were good for the local economy. It was good for local restaurants.
You may remember in an earlier History Lesson, the Fountain Mountain In was the first restaurant and bar to open in the community. That was in March 1973. Just two years later at the end of 1975 there were nine. Among them was an Italian restaurant called Palomba’s featuring 21 varieties of pasta. It was owned by Lee Intner and Mike Brassfield. It went in where the former Little John’s was located.
Another new Italian restaurant was La Bella Villa. It was located in Vista Plaza, the first restaurant of many to occupy that space.
Continental Deli opened in the building where Southwest Shutter is now located (next to The Alamo Saloon). The deli sold prepared and made-to-order sandwiches, cold cuts and cheeses. Owners were Rose and Mack Machno.
Other restaurants already open prior to 1975 were Beef ‘n Bourbon, Huck Finn’s Catfish Parlour (previously Stan’s Beef ‘n Burger), Silver Stein (the former Fountain Mountain In) and the Fountain Kone Emporium.
Meanwhile, McCulloch, in an attempt to get rid of some of its overhead sold the golf course and its office building on Colony Drive. A group of investors calling themselves M.C.R., Inc., bought the two entities for an undisclosed price. The investors were Horace Murfin, Victor Root and Don Waryan.
The purchase agreement stipulated that the golf course property could only be used as such and could not be subdivided in any manner. Subsequent use of the golf course property for any purpose other than a golf course would automatically revert the property back to McCulloch.
Construction began on a half-million-dollar commercial complex in early 1975 called Saguaro Plaza. It was the first commercial structure south of Shea Boulevard. The first phase of the complex was a Simmons Oil Co. self-service gas station. Principal backers were Roland Ptak of Fountain Hills, Clarence Brenneman of Eugene, Ore., and Arlis Priest of Phoenix.
In other business news, Adams Brothers Interiors and Fountain Hills Draperies merged into one building.
The Fountain Hills Chamber of Commerce formed its first economic development committee to promote industry here. Its task was primarily to attract businesses to the community’s 60-acre industrial park south of Shea. Members of the committee were local Realtor Lloyd Hoffman, McCulloch Project Manager Bill Fisher, Realtor Bob Williams, Valley National Bank Manager Chuck Uhlig, building contractor Bob Fellows and former U.S. Ambassador Idar Rimestad.
Fountain Hills Noon Kiwanis Club received its charter at a gala dinner ceremony at the Scottsdale Hilton Feb. 22, 1975. The dinner attracted close to 200 people, including the 22 Fountain Hills charter members, their spouses and other Kiwanis dignitaries from the Phoenix area. The musical entertainment was provided by the Fountain Hills Desert Singers and the Larry Short Trio, Fountain Hills’ first organized musical group.
The Fountain Hills chapter wasted little time showing it was going to be something special. A foursome from the Fountain Hills club won the Kiwanis state golf championship. The foursome included Neil LeLong, Dr. Bernie Comeau, Rev. Ed Mast and Bob Willis.
Residents from the 1980s will remember the town’s Trash Bash, intended to rid Fountain Hills of debris. One of the first such Trash Bashes was held in August 1975 when families turned out to help beautify Saguaro and Shea boulevards.
In October, the first plants were tagged for the development of the Fountain Hills Botanical Garden. The 20-acre site was located west of the intersection of Kingstree and Fountain Hills boulevards. “We want to preserve everything in its natural state,” co-chair Jane Haynes said. “Even the weeds.”
Our Fountain Hills History Lesson will continue with the Bicentennial year of 1976.
