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.
American Historical Society/Tucson F.132/F
Boys start school at the
one-room Little Outfit Ranch School
in Patagonia, AZ.
Arizona’s first 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?
George W.P. Hunt,
AZ's first governor
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).
AHS/Tucson F6
Before refrigerators,
there was the ice wagon!
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
AHS/Tucson F3
A woman newspaper carrier
from 1907-1914
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
AHS/Tucson F.132/F
How many forms of transportation
do you see?
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?
AHS/Tucson BN35, 566
People gather at Tucson’s train
depot on Christmas from 1907-1914
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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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!
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!
