19th century
- 1848 – With the end of the Mexican–American War, the area which includes today's Phoenix becomes part of the United States, as part of the New Mexico Territory. [3]
- 1863 – Nearby Wickenburg becomes the first town to be established in what is now Maricopa County, Arizona. [4]
- 1865 – Camp McDowell (later Fort McDowell) is set up on the Verde River. [5]
- 1867
- November: Jack Swilling, resident of Wickenburg, establishes the Swilling Irrigating and Canal Company with the intent to develop the Phoenix area, which he became impressed with after viewing the area on a visit to Camp McDowell. [6]
- December: Swilling leads a group of 17 miners from Wickenburg to the Phoenix area and begins the process of developing a canal system. [7]
- 1868
- May 4: Phoenix is officially recognized by the Board of Supervisors of Yavapai County, which at that point contained Phoenix. [8]
- June 15: First post office established, in the Swilling homestead, with Swilling as postmaster. [9]
- Swilling has completed almost 3 miles of his canals. [10]
- Mary Adeline Gray, the first European woman settler, and her husband Columbus, arrive. [10]
- Salt River floods for the first of many times during Phoenix's settlement. [10]
- 1870
- October 20: Town site selected in what is currently downtown Phoenix. [8] [11]
- Town laid out, [12] [13] original town site consists of 320 acres, or 0.5 square miles. [8] [14]
- Population of the Salt River Valley reaches 240, the Arizona Territory has 9,658 people. [10]
- 1700 acres under cultivation in the Salt River Valley. [10]
- Maricopa Canal completed. [10]
- 1871
- February 12: Maricopa County is broken out of Yavapai County, Phoenix becomes the county seat. [13] [15]
- July 4: First wheat ground in Valley at Birchard's Mill. [10]
- First permanent building, the Hancock residence, is constructed at Washington and First Streets. [10]
- The second building, a brewery, is constructed. [10]
- The first store (Hancock's) and the first church (Central Methodist) open in Phoenix. [8] [10]
- The Tempe Irrigating Canal Co. is created. [10]
- Tempe founded by Charles T. Hayden. [10]
- Population of Phoenix reaches 500. [10]
- 1872
- Adobe schoolhouse constructed. [10]
- September 5: Public school in session. [8]
- Phoenix's first wedding, between George Buck and Matilda Murray. [10]
- Phoenix's first Chinese settlers arrive. [10]
- The first bookstore and newsstand opened by Edward Irvine. [10]
- 1873 – Hellings Mill expands to include a hog-slaughterhouse. [10]
- 1874
- School built on Center Street.
- Hayden's mill opens. It will remain in operation for more than 100 years. [10]
- Phoenix's formal patent for the town site is formally granted. [10]
- Salt River floods. [10]
- 1875 – Salt River floods. [10]
- 1877 – Maricopa Library Association organized. [12]
- 1878
- 1879
- Presbyterian church established. [12]
- Salt River Indian Reservation is formed. [10]
- The Southern Pacific railroad reaches Maricopa. [10]
- 1880
- 1881
- February 25: Phoenix officially incorporated when Governor John C. Frémont signs "The Phoenix Charter Bill", instituting a mayor-council form of government. [8] [13]
- La Guardia, the valley's first Spanish language newspaper, begins publication. [18]
- May 3: John T. Alsap defeated James D. Monihon, 127 to 107, to become the city's first mayor. [8]
- May 9: City Council begins meeting. [19]
- June 24: Catholic church dedicated. [12]
- Phoenix Rangers organized in response to hostile Apache activity in Tonto Basin. [10]
- 1883
An aerial lithograph of Phoenix from 1885
- 1884
- 1885
- 1886
- A second major fire destroys several buildings and results in approximately $100,000 in damage. [10]
- Phoenix Fire Department established, when bond issue passes establishing 2 fire companies. [10]
- First private gas lighting company established. [14]
- First telephone company opens. [17]
- Phoenix Opera House is completed. [10]
- Arizona Insane asylum's construction is completed. [10]
- 1887
- 1888
- 1889
- Capital of Arizona Territory relocated to Phoenix from Prescott. [13]
- Citrus cultivation is begun in the valley by the Arizona Improvement Company. [10]
- 1890
- Arizona Republican newspaper begins publication. [16]
- Population: 3,152. [13]
- Walnut Grove dam bursts north of the city, 50 people killed. [10]
- Ladies Benevolent Society formed. [10]
- 1891
- Phoenix Indian School opens.
- Largest flood in valley history occurs. [14]
- Telephones come to Phoenix. [10]
- A territorial convention is held in Phoenix. The idea of becoming a state is discussed, but is voted down. [10]
- 1892
- 1893
- The Phoenix Street Railway switches over from mule-drawn to electrical streetcars. [14]
- The Arizona Territory passes a law allowing cities, including Phoenix, to annex land surrounding the city, as long as it obtained the permission of the inhabitants of that area.
- 1894
- 1895
- Santa Fe, Prescott and Phoenix Railway begins operating. [15]
- Arizona Gazette newspaper begins publication. [16]
- Phoenix Union High School opens, and the Phoenix Union High School district is created. [8] [10]
- Rosson House built in downtown Phoenix. [25]
- Sisters of Mercy Hospital (today called St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center) opens. [10]
- The New York Store is opened by Sam Korrick; [18] Nathan and Isaac Diamond open the Boston Store; and Baron Goldwater opens a branch of his Flagstaff store, M. Goldwater and Brothers. [10]
- 1896
- 1897
- The Friday Club begins a movement to open a public library. [10]
- 1898
- 1899 – Phoenix Library Association created. [10]
- 1900
