Mesa: History

The First Farmers

More than 2,000 years ago, Mesa's agricultural destiny was carved out by the Hohokam Indians who settled the area. The Hohokam were peaceful farmers who developed a sophisticated and effective network of irrigation canals that turned the arid land around Mesa into arable soil. Eventually, the Hohokam people seemed to disappear from the area; it is theorized that the tribe may have morphed into the Tohono O'dham tribe or that the Hohokam were driven out of the future Mesa area by Apache Indians. Regardless, the tribe left an indelible mark on the desert that served farmers of all nationalities well for centuries.

Spanish explorers and conquistadores followed—both Francisco Vasquez de Coronado and Father Eusebio Kino passed near Mesa as they searched for treasure and sought to convert Native Americans. The Mesa-Phoenix area also lay along the route to the legendary seven cities of Cibola sought by Estevanico (or Esteban), a former Muslim slave who became an explorer after hurricanes and battles with Native Americans decimated his former crew in Florida. As quickly as the Spanish attempted to put down roots in southwestern Arizona, the Apache tribe drove them out again in a tradition that lasted through the 1700s.

The Mexican War and the U.S. Civil War largely occupied the time and resources of the United States military during the early and mid-1800s, and its forces were operating at less than full power when the government decided to intervene in the clashes between native peoples and European settlers in the Southwest after a portion of Arizona was ceded to the U.S. The Western Indian Wars in the later 1800s were spotted with massacres and relocations; in the Mesa area, the U.S. Army did battle with the Apaches until the tribe agreed to resettlement. Unfortunately, several competing Apache tribes were co-located, resulting in a resumption of hostilities until the military was able to negotiate a surrender by Apache Chief Geronimo in 1886. It was in relative peace that a group of Mormon farmers, dealing with relocation and persecution themselves, established the settlement of Fort Utah in Lehi, just north of Mesa.

Mesa Takes Root

A decade before Chief Geronimo's surrender, the 85 intrepid members of the First Mesa Company left Utah and Idaho. The group was composed of Latter-Day Saints, some of whom practiced polygamy and who had been intrigued by the descriptions of Arizona brought back to church elders by the Mormon Battalion that fought during the Mexican War and traveled through Arizona on its way back to Utah. Stopping briefly in Lehi, the First Mesa Company moved on to the mesa, where they discovered and began clearing the irrigation canals left by the Hohokam people. The Second Mesa Company set out from Idaho about a year later; with the best land in Mesa already claimed, these pioneers established a nearby community called Stringtown, which was eventually absorbed into modern Mesa.

In the late 1800s, a flood in Lehi washed away Fort Utah; it had become evident over time that the lower desert lands were prone to sudden and unexpected flooding, allowing table-top Mesa to flourish. It began to look like a city, complete with an adobe pesthouse to control smallpox outbreaks, a city hall, saloons, and The Mesa Free Press, which has existed continuously under a variety of names since 1892 and is currently known as The East Valley Tribune.

Dr. A.J. Chandler played a significant role in the foundation of Mesa. Using heavy machinery, he enlarged the Hohokam canals and made them more effective in agricultural enterprises. Dr. Chandler was the force behind the construction of the first office complex in Mesa, and he started the first electric power plant. When the municipal government purchased the utility in 1917, it became one of a handful of Arizona cities to own such a service. Earnings from utilities solely funded capital expenditures until the 1960s and also provided the financial underpinning for Works Progress Administration (WPA) projects during the Great Depression. WPA projects included the first dedicated hospital facility, a new city hall and library, sidewalks, paved streets, parks, and a recreation department for the city.

Layers of Culture

By 1940, Mesa had achieved its standing as the third largest city in Arizona, boasting 7,000 inhabitants. Joining the Tohono O'dham Indians, the Hispanics and the Mormons living in Mesa in the early 1900s were African American families (including a veterinarian) and families of Chinese and Japanese heritage who farmed and owned a variety of local businesses. This eclectic populace provided an interesting backdrop for events during the second World War, particularly considering the proximity of the internment camp at the Gila River Indian Reservation nearby.

World War II had another lasting cultural and industrial impact with the development of Falcon Field Airport and Williams Air Force Base as training sites for pilots. British pilots trained at Falcon Field, while U.S. pilots trained at Williams; many of those military families stayed in the Mesa area after the war ended. The aeronautical training and supply facilities at Falcon Field and Williams Air Force Base attracted aviation and aerospace companies to Mesa, propelling a switch from citrus and cotton farming to hightech employment in the mid-1960s.

Twenty-First Century Mesa

Williams Air Force Base was closed in September of 1993 and was quickly reborn as Williams Gateway Airport. The aviation industry gives Mesa its wings today, with weather conditions that are near-perfect for training and testing every month of the year. Both Williams Gateway and Falcon Field are home to national and international aeronautical companies that develop aircraft and aviation systems both for the commercial aviation industry as well as for the military. The climate and geography have also made Mesa a golf destination, to the extent that local universities have developed golf-related degree programs that have been accredited by the Professional Golf Association.

Historical Information: Mesa Historical Museum, 2345 N. Horne Street, Mesa, AZ 85211; telephone (480)835-7358; email: mesamuseum@netzero.net

Mesa: Population Profile

Metropolitan Area Residents (CMSA)

1980: 1,508,030

1990: 2,122,101

2000: 3,251,876

Percent change, 1990-2000: 53.2%

U.S. rank in 2000: 14th

City Residents

1980: 152,404

1990: 288,091

2000: 396,375

2003 estimate: 432,376

Percent change, 1990-2000: 37.6%

U.S. rank in 1990: 53rd (3rd in state)

U.S. rank in 2000: 51st (3rd in state)

Density: 3,171.3 people per square mile (2000)

Racial and ethnic characteristics (2000)

White: 323,655

Black or African American: 9,977

American Indian and Alaskan Native: 6,572

Asian: 5,917

Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander: 932

Hispanic or Latino (may be of any race): 78,281

Other: 38,271

Percent of residents born in state: 33%

Age characteristics

Population under 5 years old: 32,592

Population 5 to 9 years old: 30,259

Population 10 to 14 years old: 28,842

Population 15 to 19 years old: 28,774

Population 20 to 24 years old: 32,488

Population 25 to 34 years old: 61,551

Population 35 to 44 years old: 56,124

Population 45 to 54 years old: 43,807

Population 55 to 59 years old: 15,913

Population 60 to 64 years old: 13,149

Population 65 to 74 years old: 26,546

Population 75 to 84 years old: 20,320

Population 85 years and over: 6,010

Median age: 32.0 (2000)

Births (Maricopa County, 2004)

Total number: 60,480

Deaths (Maricopa County, 2004)

Total number: 23,497 (of which, 395 were infants under the age of 1 year)

Money income (1999)

Per capita income: $19,601

Median household income: $42,817

Total households: 146,700

Number of households with income of . . .

less than $10,000: 8,758

$10,000 to $14,999: 8,104

$15,000 to $24,999: 19,061

$25,000 to $34,999: 21,131

$35,000 to $49,999: 28,482

$50,000 to $74,999: 31,494

$75,000 to $99,999: 15,636

$100,000 to $149,999: 10,093

$150,000 to $199,999: 2,320

$200,000 or more: 1,621

Percent of families below poverty level: 6.2% (20% of which were female householder families with related children under 5 years)

2002 FBI Crime Index Total: 33,335

Mesa

The City in Brief

Founded: 1878 (incorporated in 1883)

Head Official: Mayor Keno Hawker (since 2000)

City Population

1980: 152,453

1990: 288,091

2000: 396,375

2003 estimate: 432,376

Percent change, 1990-2000: 37.6%

U.S. rank in 1990: 53rd (3rd in state)

U.S. rank in 2000: 51st (3rd in state)

Metropolitan Area Population (PMSA)

1980: 1,508,030

1990: 2,122,101

2000: 3,251,876

Percent change, 1990-2000: 53.2%

U.S. rank in 2000: 14th

Area: 125.18 square miles (2000)

Elevation: 1,241 feet above sea level

Average Annual Temperature: 84.5° F

Average Annual Precipitation: 8.5 inches

Major Economic Sectors: aerospace/aviation, agri-business, automotive, business services, education services, electronics, health services, manufacturing, retail, transportation services

Unemployment Rate: 4.0% (January 2005)

Per Capita Income: $19,601

2002 FBI Crime Index Total: 33,335

Major Colleges and Universities: Arizona State University East, Mesa Community College, East Valley Institute of Technology

Daily Newspapers: East Valley Tribune

Mesa: Convention Facilities

The Main Hall of the Mesa Convention Center offers 15,000 square feet of open space that can be used for trade show exhibits, banquets, dances, concerts and other events. An additional 4,000 square feet can be added by leaving the adjacent meeting rooms open to the Main Hall. The Conference Center features a 100-seat conference theatre that possesses multi-media capabilities for presentations and teleconferences. Breakout rooms and an executive conference room are also available.

The Mesa Amphitheatre hosts more than 70 events per year; festival-style seating can accommodate 4,200 for commercial shows and outdoor festivals.

The Arizona Golf Resort and Conference Center has a 12,000 square foot space for meetings and exhibitions, bolstered by an additional 5,000 square feet of general session rooms, training rooms, board rooms, outdoor courtyards, and even onsite Championship Golf. The Marriott Phoenix Mesa Hotel and Convention Center offers 52,000 square feet of meeting and function space. The 18,000 square foot Exhibit Hall is accompanied by the 9,000 square foot Arizona Ballroom and an outdoor amphitheatre that can accommodate up to 5,200 people.

Mesa: Geography and Climate

Desert, mountains, water—somehow Mesa got it all. Located along a spit of the Sonoran Desert, Mesa is warm and arid every month of the year and enjoys the flora and fauna of the desert clime. Saguaro and prickly pear cacti are abundant, along with varieties of cholla, and the dry soil outside the city is wandered by rattlesnakes, jack rabbits, bobcats, hawks, and owls. While Mesa gets 320 days of sunshine annually and temperatures in the 100s during the summer, the city also has easy access to six local lakes and two nearby rivers. The Superstition Mountain range just to the east of the city provides some altitude to the mesas and valleys of the area.

Area: 125.18 square miles (2000)

Elevation: 1,241 feet above sea level

Average Temperatures: January, 54.1° F; July, 91.1° F; annual average, 84.5° F

Average Annual Precipitation: 8.5 inches

Mesa , city (1990 pop. 288,091), Maricopa co., S central Ariz., in the irrigated Salt River valley; inc. 1883. Electronic components, fabricated metals, aircraft, and machine tools are among its various manufactures. One of the fastest-growing U.S. cities, Mesa's population has more than doubled since 1980. Tourism is important, and the citrus and farm products of the area are packed and processed in Mesa. The Mormons who founded the city in 1878 used old Native American irrigation canals for farming in the Salt River valley. In Mesa are the Mesa Art Center, a Mormon temple, and the chief agricultural experiment farm of the Univ. of Arizona. The Chicago Cubs baseball team also has a spring training camp there.

mesa [Span.,=table], name given in the SW United States to a small, isolated tableland or a flat-topped hill. Two or more of the sides are steep and usually perpendicular and some have all four sides practically perpendicular. Their bold lines make them a picturesque part of the landscape, and they are frequently deep red or yellow in color. Mesas originate from the erosion of plateaus that were capped by hard rock, usually in arid regions. Cliffs form, retreating as the soft layers beneath the cap rock are eroded. As the soft rock wears away, the upper cliff breaks along cracks and eventually produces a mesa. A butte is the last stage of the sequence, before the feature's complete consumption by erosion. The strata, or layers of rock, in a mesa are horizontal, or nearly so. The many "table mountains" are mesas. Two celebrated mesas are the Mesa Verde in Colorado and the Enchanted Mesa (Mesa Encantada) in New Mexico.

Mesa: Municipal Government

The city of Mesa has established a charter under which it operates, with citizens of the municipality electing a mayor and six district council members. Council members serve four-year terms; every two years, there is an election for three seats on the council. The mayor serves a four-year term in office. A vice mayor, chosen by the council, assists the mayor and council in administration of the city government.

Head Official: Mayor Keno Hawker (since 2000; current term expires 2008)

Total Number of City Employees: 4,105 (2005)

City Information: City of Mesa, 20 E. Main Street, Mesa, AZ 85201; telephone (480)644-2055

Mesa, Indonesia, USA USA (Arizona): founded in 1878 by Mormons, the name means ‘table’ in Spanish, a description of the flat‐topped tableland on which the settlement developed.

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