2025: The Fountain Hills Desert Botanical Garden volunteers, the Sonoran Conservancy of Fountain Hills, and the Fountain Hills Parks and Recreation team celebrated the 50th Anniversary of the garden’s establishment with an event at the garden.
2009: November 7th the garden was reopened for the third time after another restoration. Funding was approved from the Town of Fountain Hills via the efforts of the Fountain Hills Desert Botanical Garden (FH DBG) volunteers led by Carrie LaPenta. The town’s funding supported parking lot construction, new plant and information signage, benches, and kiosk installation.
2006: The Fountain Hills Desert Botanical Garden Society is created and the Town of Fountain Hills agrees to restore the original trail as an education and hiking trail on December 14th.
1990’s: The Desert Botanical Garden is mentioned in the Towns Park and Recreation’s five year plan.
1989: The town of Fountain Hills is officially incorporated.
1986: The Garden is re-opened for the second time on February 8th.
1985: With the assistance of Jane Hayes and the Cub scouts and Boy Scouts of Fountain Hills, Terry Barwegen Jr restores the garden trail and identification signs.
1984: After several years of vandalism and lack of community interest, Terry Barwegen Jr. chose to give the garden a fresh start as his Eagle Scout community service project.
1970’s-80’s: Jane Hayes publishes the articles ‘Exploring Among Saguaros’ in the Fountain Hills Times.
1975: McCulloch Properties transferred title for the 8 acre property to the Maricopa County Flood Control Department on August 25th. Jane Haynes contacts Margaret (Meg) Burton, who was working on her Ph.D. from ASU on ‘impact of development in the desert’ to assess and help develop the site. Meg Burton, also a high school biology teacher, and her Trevor Brown High School students from Phoenix install the first signs identifying plants and build the initial hiking trail.
1974: Site selection for the Fountain Hills Desert Botanical Garden preserve was started by the ‘Green Garden’ Club of the Fountain Hills Women’s Club and McCulloch Properties. Jane and Pattie Haynes lead the selection process studying five sites prior to the current location being selected.
1968: Robert McCulloch, developer of Lake Havasu City, AZ purchased 12000 acres of the original 33000 acres.
1941: Page Land and Cattle Company built the Keller Dam, pictured above
Early 1900’s: Henry Pemberton homesteaded the P Bar (P-) Cattle Ranch across 33000 acres, which later became Fountain Hills and McDowell Mountain Park.