Paul R. Messinger

Special for The Republic | azcentral.com

The members of the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors appointed Scottsdale's first city council

Among their first tasks was the selection of a town clerk, a city attorney and a treasurer

Submerging Civic Center Boulevard and building the civic center mall was begun in the mid-1970s

When Scottsdale petitioned for incorporation in 1951, it wasn’t fully prepared to operate as an actual city, which is normal when most cities initially incorporate.

The members of the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors accepted the petitions, oversaw the incorporation process and appointed Scottsdale’s first city council.

The five council members they appointed were Malcolm White (who later became mayor), Bill Miller, Mort Kimsey, Jack Sweeney and E.G. Scott. Miller resigned shortly after his appointment, and George Cavalliere took his place.

The city council was expanded to seven members in 1952, when John Shoeman and Jim Frederick took their seats alongside the rest.

First tasks

Among their first tasks was the selection of a town clerk, a city attorney and a treasurer. They also contacted Lou Witzeman, the founder of Rural/Metro Fire Department. Through Witzeman, they arranged for citywide fire protection for $4,260 for the first year.

Witzeman also made the break room at the fire station available for city council meetings. It was 300 to 400 square feet in size and functioned as Scottsdale’s first city council chambers.

Vergie Lutes Brown became the first city clerk. She was followed by Dorothy Cavalliere Ketchum (Roberts) who held the post for many years. Don Baumann was Scottsdale’s first city attorney, followed by my brother, Philip William Messinger, in 1958. George Song followed Phil.

'Old Red School House'

In 1954, the “Old Red School House” was closed. The vacant building became Scottsdale’s second city hall. The building was roughly 2,000 square feet. The police department headquarters was in the basement.

Public hearings regarding my family’s petition to annex 10 acres of our farm into Scottsdale, and our subsequent zoning application to build our first mortuary, were held in that building in the summer of 1958.

Not long afterward, an addition was built on the west side of the schoolhouse. This enabled most of the police department to move out of the basement. A small jail was added, along with some general city office space. The new addition also included Scottsdale’s first “real” city council chambers.

By the early 1960s, Scottsdale’s burgeoning city staff had outgrown both the school building and the addition. In order to provide much-needed office and work space, a deal was struck with an outfit called Butler Homes. They agreed to rent to the city the lion’s share of a new, two-story retail office building.

Current city hall complex

This became Scottsdale’s third city hall, and remained so until 1968, when the city began construction of its current city hall complex.

Its design was called contemporary Sonoran, a concept pioneered by Bennie Gonzales. The exterior was massive in appearance, with deeply set windows and doors. Inside, the building was open, with differing departments seamlessly blending into one another.

The focal point of the building was, and remains, its Kiva or main city council chamber. In recent years, and for security reasons, much of the building’s original openness has given way to doors, walls and other barriers.

Submerging Civic Center Boulevard (now Drinkwater Boulevard) and building the beautiful civic center mall adjacent to it that we enjoy today was begun in the mid-1970s. It took an entire decade to complete the project.

Despite all of the moves from one set of temporary offices to another over the better part of 20 years, council members and city staffers kept their eyes focused on Scottsdale’s future. And, when you consider all that’s happened to Scottsdale during these past 65 years, thank goodness they did.

Reared in Scottsdale, Paul Messinger founded Messinger Mortuaries in 1959. Reach him at 480-860-2300 or 480-945-9521.