Many of its early factories were located between the Illinois Central Railroad and Harvey's eastern boundary at Halsted Street.

One local businessman, William McLatchy, owned a large tract of land in an unincorporated area outside of Harvey.

Soon, five saloons had opened in the area and a small housing subdivision known as Phenix Park was constructed during the 1890s.

[3] City leaders in Harvey, seeing businesses just outside their boundaries selling alcohol to local workers, sought to annex Phenix Park and render it "dry" or free of alcohol-related establishments.

The residents of Phenix Park wanted to retain local control of their affairs as an independent village.

Industry in Harvey and the railroads provided a strong employment base for Phoenix residents.

In 1960, the municipal administration of Phoenix voted to de-annex the predominantly White portion of the village into Harvey.

[3] On October 16, 1979, Phoenix Mayor William Hawkins was shot and fatally wounded in an ambush outside of his home.

[5] Bobby Joe Anderson, a city policeman, was indicted 13 years later for the crime and was convicted of first degree murder in the killing of Hawkins.

Pace provides bus service on Route 348 connecting Phoenix to destinations across the Southland.