It’s hard to believe, but just four or fi ve generations ago, Arizona became a state. On Valentine’s Day of 1912, Arizona became the Union’s 48th state—the fi nal piece of the CONTIGUOUS 48 states!

But statehood didn’t come easily for Arizona. People living in what was then a U.S. territory started their quest to become a state back in the 1880s. It took three decades before Congress authorized the territory to draft a constitution, which it did in 1910. Voters in Arizona approved the draft and sent it on to Washington, D.C. Both houses of Congress and the president had to approve it for statehood.

Both the House of Representatives and the Senate approved the bill to make Arizona a state. But President William Howard Taft refused to sign the bill unless certain changes were made to Arizona’s constitution. After the changes were made, the president was supposed to sign Arizona into statehood on Feb. 12. Instead, he opted to take a trip to New York, making the people of Arizona wait a couple more days! Finally, on Feb. 14, 1912, President Taft signed Arizona’s statehood bill, making Arizona an offi cial part of the Union.

Arizona’s fi rst governor, George W. P. Hunt was sworn in that same morning, and the celebrations began. In Prescott, one of territorial Arizona’s former capitals, offi cials planted a statehood tree in the courthouse plaza. In the mining town of Bisbee, miners exploded dynamite, and people in Snowfl ake blew up an anvil. The University of Arizona cancelled classes for its students. And in downtown Phoenix, famed speaker and three-time presidential candidate William Jennings Bryan gave a lengthy speech that attracted 5,000 people!

Fascinating Arizona Facts

Nearly 114,000 square miles, Arizona is the sixth largest state in the U.S. Back in 1912, Arizona’s population was around 300,000 people. By 1940, there were almost a half million Arizonans, and by 1955 we had grown to a million people. From that point on, our population has been booming (as is the case for several other Western states). Today, around 6.5 million people call Arizona home!

Harsh Realities of Living in a Desert

From the ancient Hohokam Indians, who lived in the area starting a couple thousand years ago until about 1450, to modern Arizonans, people have always had to worry about the basics: water, food, shelter and clothing.

Obviously, it’s not easy to live in a hot, dry desert. And we don’t want to simply survive here in the desert—we want to THRIVE!

So in our quest to thrive in the desert, how have we changed from our way of life 100 years ago, and, just as important, how will we change in the next century?

Gimme That Cool, Cool Water!

lakes are sources of surface water and are fed by rain and snowmelt. Arizona also has VAST amounts of groundwater in certain areas. In order to thrive, people in Arizona have always needed to capture water and bring it to where they needed it.

The Hohokam were masters at moving water. In the Salt River Valley, these Native farmers carefully dug 185 miles of canals to bring water to about 200,000 acres. At their peak, these ancient farmlands supported up to a quarter million Hohokam!

By the time Arizona became a state, the federal government had completed the Roosevelt Dam on the Salt River, about 80 miles northeast of Phoenix. The dam created a lake 30 miles long and 4 miles wide—capturing enough water to support a growing Valley population for fi ve years!

In more modern times, the Central Arizona Project aqueduct was built. The 336-milelong, $4 billion system carries water from the Colorado River on the western side of the state uphill to Phoenix and on to Tucson. By using Colorado River water, people in Tucson have stopped overpumping and depleting their groundwater supply.

But as Arizona’s population keeps booming, where will it get all the water that it needs? Will we need to reclaim more of our wastewater? What about desalinating seawater? In 100 years, there are going to be a whole lot more people calling Arizona home.

Where Did Arizonans Get Their Food?

Do you know where your food really comes from? Modern grocery stores offer produce and other foods from all over the world! Blueberries not in season here might come from South America instead. You can get meats from the Midwest, water from Iceland, cookies from France and the list goes on and on.

But 100 years ago, much of a family’s food was grown closer to home. Not only was farming big in Arizona, many families also had vegetable gardens and fruit trees at home. Cattle ranching has always been big in Arizona (it’s one of the Five C’s that helped make our state great: Copper, Cattle, Cotton, Citrus and Climate).

Kitchens have undergone incredible transformations since 1912. Not only did the railroad bring people out West—it brought food and products to town, too. Even though you could order all sorts of kitchen gadgets through catalogs, imagine not having electricity for your appliances. Your fridge really was an ice box kept cool by a big block of ice. Electrifi ed kitchens didn’t come along until after World War I.

Today, microwaves and frozen foods make for a fast meal. Interestingly, healthierminded families are buying produce that’s fresh and grown locally. What differences do you see between then and now? How do you think eating will change 100 years from now?

Getting from Here to There

Certainly, the railroad helped settle the West. But the West was still a wild place, and train robberies were still common. In 1910, two brothers robbed a train in Phoenix and took off on horseback. Sheriff Carl Hayden (who went on to become one of the most famous Arizonans) gathered a posse and headed for the site. Hot on their trail, Sheriff Hayden hopped in a car with his posse following on horseback. The brothers were captured, and this was the fi rst time a car was used to chase down criminals in Arizona!

With trains coming from California, New Mexico, Northern Arizona and Mexico, Tucson became a hub for trade and travel.

But cars and roads transformed cities like Phoenix and changed how we got around. What transportation do you use today? Funny thing is that cars, bikes, horses and trains are still common today. But what about 100 years from now?

Homes and Clothing

Homes and clothing protect us and keep us comfortable. Unfortunately, temperatures here in the desert tend to soar in the daytime and plummet at night. Adobe homes have been built around here for a long time and are great at keeping things cool when it’s hot out and warm when it gets cold.

With its hot and dry climate, Arizona was the birthplace of the evaporative cooler (also called a swamp cooler). It was invented by Oscar Palmer in Phoenix in 1908. By 1933, making your own cooler was the thing to do. But people really started moving to Arizona after World War II when homes started being air conditioned.

How are homes better today than back in 1912? What improvements do you predict will happen 100 years from now?

Look at these historic photos closely. Some of these people sure do dress funny! Gov. Hunt looks dapper in his suit and tie, but thankfully most fashion has changed a lot, especially for women.

Arizona isn’t just a bunch of cowboy hats and jeans. In fact, Phoenix, Tucson and even the artsy town of Tubac have been known for their fashion fl are back in the day. Some folks in Tubac way back when really got into high fashion from France!

Take a peek in your closet or into those of your parents. How has fashion changed from 1912? With new materials and computer technology, what kind of clothing will we be sporting 100 years from now?

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