Here is a look at Surprise history through the years on this week, compiled from archives of Independent Newsmedia, Newspapers.com and the city of Surprise historical records.
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A look back at this week in Surprise history
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By Independent Newsmedia
Here is a look at Surprise history through the years on this week, compiled from archives of Independent Newsmedia, Newspapers.com and the city of Surprise historical records:
1951
Record storm brings seven inches of rain in 24 hours, causing flooding of Cotton Land and Waddell Roads. Plans to construct McMicken Dam come from the problems of this storm.
1955
Construction begins on the nine-mile, 25-foot high McMicken Dam, which runs along the Beardsley Canal from Peoria to Grand avenues.
1959
The Town of El Mirage, which is only two-thirds of a square mile, explores annexation of Surprise, North El Mirage (parts of current Surprise) and the Agua Fria area, which would double the town’s population to 3,000.
1962
Surprise has new house numbers available for residents for free as the town renames and renumbers streets to conform with Maricopa County.
1973
The Town Council approves fiscal year 1974 budget of $182,000. There are still no tax levies in the town.
1975
Surprise rings in America’s 199th birthday with a fireworks show at the Surprise rodeo grounds.
1982
The proposed Surprise budget for fiscal year 1983 is up to $708,271 from last year’s $556,021. The city plans to use extra money from the state’s gas tax and lottery funds to help resurface streets. Town employees will also get 7% merit raises.
1987
Voters go to the polls for the first bond issue in town history. The money is needed to build a wastewater treatment plant.
1990
Town Council approves $49.2 million budget.
1998
More than 40 residents gather at the Future Search Conference to discuss how Surprise will look in 2020. The 62-square-mile city has 16,000 residents, but expects around 44,000 housing dwellings to be built in the next decade. The proposed city budget for fiscal year 1999 is $65 million.
1999
Surprise and Phoenix agree on swapping the future Surprise City Center land for 926 acres northwest of Luke Air Force Base. Surprise must clean up an environmental hazard, however, before the deal can be closed.
2001
The City Council approves a budget for 2002 of $178.4 million. More than $77 million of it is going to work on the City Center, which includes a new library and pool. The new budget also includes funding for 74 new city employees.
