Old Town event honors Scottsdale's first family
Scottsdale Honors Its Founding Family With Free Founders Day Celebration
If you have ever driven down Scottsdale Road and wondered how this patch of Sonoran Desert transformed into one of the most celebrated cities in America, Thursday's Founders Day Celebration might just fill in the blanks — and it won't cost you a dime.
On February 26, the City of Scottsdale invites residents to the Little Red Schoolhouse at 7333 E. Scottsdale Mall in Old Town to mark the 116th anniversary of the building's dedication and honor the man and woman who started it all. This year's event spotlights Chaplain Winfield Scott and his wife Helen in a new light — as Scottsdale's first equestrians.
Most locals know Winfield Scott as the Civil War veteran and Army chaplain who purchased 640 acres of desert in 1888 for about $2.50 an acre — land that now sits roughly within the bounds of Indian School, Scottsdale, Chaparral, and Hayden Roads. He saw a community where others saw scrub brush, and he called it Orangedale before the town eventually took his name. Helen, a former schoolteacher, shared his vision and played her own essential role in building the community from the ground up.
What many residents may not know is that the Scotts were also deeply connected to horses — a fitting legacy given that Scottsdale grew up to become one of the premier equestrian cities in the country, home to WestWorld and some of the finest Arabian horse events anywhere.
The iconic Little Red Schoolhouse itself is worth the visit. Built in 1909 using bricks hauled by horse-drawn wagon from Phoenix and dedicated on Winfield Scott's 73rd birthday, it has served this city as a school, community center, city hall, courthouse, and library before becoming the Scottsdale Historical Museum.
The event is presented by the City of Scottsdale in partnership with the Scottsdale Historical Society and the Daughters of the American Revolution, Winfield Scott Chapter. It begins at 10:00 AM and is free and open to all ages.
Sources: City of Scottsdale | Scottsdale Historical Society | Arizona DAR Historical Markers | Salt River Stories | City of Scottsdale 75 Years | Historical Marker Database