McCormick Ranch Properties - Scottsdale Real Estate, Joan Barnes.
In 1942 the last large ranch (160 acres) in the City of Scottsdale was purchased by
Ann & Fowler McCormick. Fowler McCormick was the grandson of Cyrus McCormick, who
invented the reaper, and his maternal grandfather was John Rockefeller. Fowler
worked himself up from a job in the foundry to the President and Chairman of the
Board of International Harvester. Anne McCormick's main interest was raising
horses and she started a breading program with saddle-bred palominos. In order
to have more riding area she started acquiring the adjacent land. Several years
later she became interested in Arabian horses and expanded her breeding program
in focus on Arabians. Meanwhile she brought in 25 head of Angus to see whether
or not they could take the heat and thrive in this climate. Shortly thereafter
she brought the remainder of the herd from her Barrington Farms in Illinois.
Today the McCormick Ranch logo is original cattle brand that was used. After
Anne's death the ranch was sold to Kaiser-Aetna and 3116 of those acres were
developed into the first master-planned community in Scottsdale. McCormick Ranch
today is an oasis of green lush lawns, trees, and tropical landscaping. There
are 130 acres of man-made lakes for sailing and fishing, 25 miles of biking and
hiking trails, public tennis courts and two 18-hole golf courses. The commute to
Phoenix and surrounding communities continues to make this a popular area for a
mobile workforce that demands a high quality of life.
