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Though not incorporated until 1954, Peoria dates back to
the 1880s when a group of farming families from the Illinois
heartland (Peoria, Illinois) braved the hostile plains and
prairies to settle in the area and reestablish their farms
in Arizona. Like most of the early valley, agriculture in
the Peoria area flourished as a result of the irrigation canals
that enable the dessert to blossom.
The Peoria Sports Complex, a 10,000-seat stadium, is home
to year-round baseball, with spring training for the MLB San
Diego Padres and Seattle Mariners the highlight. Two Arizona
Fall League teams and several international teams round out
the year. The 43rd-- and largest-- Challenger Space Science
Center, in association with the Smithsonian Institute, offers
simulated space missions and astronomy training. Lake Pleasant
Regional Park is inside Peoria's city limits, with 23,662
acres for water sports and camping enthusiasts; its activities
include water skiing, parasailing, jet-skiing, sailing, glider
rides and fishing and over 140 developed sites for RV and
tent camping.
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