As a long-time resident of Fountain Hills there are many great memories of local history which I personally experienced or witnessed, which few others know of or recall. Especially from the perspective of one who grew up here in the ‘70s and ‘80s.

For fear of repeating a previous statement on this subject, I’d like to share a point of Fountain Hills history that preceded all of us which I find quite interesting, McCulloch Corporation and their achievement!

In the mid-to-late 1960s McCulloch Corp was the creation of one of America’s great entrepreneurs, a world-famous small engine manufacturer. The U.S. was involved in the Vietnam War, the race to the moon was on and the nation was dealing with some cultural upheaval. Scottsdale’s population was 68,000 then, only barely double Fountain Hills’ population today.

It’s difficult to appreciate the foresight and risk involved for McCulloch to commit to the idea that starting a town 10 miles outside the small “downtown” of dusty Scottsdale – itself a distant suburb of Phoenix – that would be a winning pick. The gamble they took – understanding that for decades into the future Americans would flock to the desert southwest – is wondrous to consider.

The luck of purchasing a ranch with a one-of-a-kind topography and views! The idea of building the world’s tallest fountain in the middle of nowhere; just amazing!

It must have been a great boost to McCulloch’s vision when Senator Carl Hayden, Barry Goldwater and the Udall family were able to get the Central Arizona Project passed in 1968. Our fountain’s water pierced the sky only two years later.