NORTHERN ARIZONA History Flagstaff - Grand Canyon - Lake Powell Page - Williams Flagstaff Arizona Vacation Travel Guide Destinations Lodging Attractions Dining Grand Canyon Flagstaff Arizona Vacation Travel Guide Destinations Lodging Attractions Dining Grand Canyon Arizona has a rich heritage and history. The mingling of peoples and cultures has evolved over hundreds of years. Long before European explorers "discovered" the New World, people lived in the area now called Arizona. Our history is our heritage and present day Arizona heritage is based on the influences of Ancient Indian people, Mexican and Spanish explorers, treasure hunters, gunslingers, lawmen, and a special breed of people willing, and those people who were brought through bondage, to face the challenges of this rugged frontier. It is a heritage rich with history and culture. Evidence of these various influences can be found throughout Arizona, from the Ancient Indian ruins across the state to the missions, forts, and pueblos which still stand, to the ghost town remnants which remain, traces of our heritage is evident across the entire state. (Check ATTRACTIONS for locations) Evidence of these various influences can also be found in current living trends and styles. Adobe and Pueblo style homes, the rich color preferences of the Mexican and Indian people have influenced clothing, jewelry, and furnishings. The American cowboy has had an influence on clothing and lifestyle throughout the world. Flagstaff Arizona Vacation Travel Guide Destinations Lodging Attractions Dining Grand Canyon Flagstaff Arizona Vacation Travel Guide Destinations Lodging Attractions Dining Grand Canyon Following is a brief chronology of Arizona and an occasional glimpse at events occurring in the same time period to help associate the historical time frame. This chronology covers to 1950 and you are invited to return often. Narratives will be added periodically on many of the specific historical events identified. 1000 The Cochise People, a pre-historic tribe settle near present day Bisbee. Leif Ericson landed on the North American Continent. 1100 The Hohokam Indians built over 200 miles of canals for irrigation and domestic water. 1200 The Anasazi Indians build first "apartments." 1250 The Mogollon Indians disappear - they had lived in this area for about 500 years. 1398 Hohokam Indians leave the Salt and Gila River Valleys. 1492 Christopher Columbus lands in the New World. 1526 Don Jose de Basconales crossed part of Arizona on a trip to Zuni Territory. 1536 Cabeza de Vaca (landed on west coast of Florida) crossed southern portion of Arizona enroute to Mexico, carried stories of Seven Cities of Cibola. Estavan, a black Morrocan slave, became one of the first explorers of the southwest. 1539 Marcos de Niza, a Franciscan friar, was sent to Arizona to investigate the stories of Cibola. 1540 Francisco Vasquez de Coronado led an expedition into the Arizona region. Cardenas, one of Coronado's men, and his detachment locates the Grand Canyon. Alarcon reached the lower Colorado River by boat, used small boats to navigate the river as far as the mouth of the Gila River. Diaz made explorations of the lower Colorado area. 1542 Coronado returned to Mexico City. 1565 St. Augustine, Florida is the first European Settlement in the New World. 1581 Espejo and Faran discover silver and copper near Jerome, along the Bill Williams River, and down the Colorado River. 1582 Antonio de Espejo led an expedition which discovered silver west of present day Prescott. 1583 Antonio de Espejo leads mining expeditions westward into Arizona. Sir Walter Raleigh ships immigrants to Roanoke Island. 1587 In August, Virginia Dare was born, the first English child born in America. 1599 Juan de Onate entered Arizona from the Rio Grande, he followed nearly the same route as Espejo. 1607 The first permanent English settlement was founded at Jamestown, Virginia 1609 Hudson explored the Canadian Wilderness. 1620 Franciscan missionaries entered northern Arizona with the hope of converting the Hopi Indians. Pilgrims land at Plymouth 1680 Father Kino began missionary work in the Santa Cruz and San Pedro Valleys. Witch hunts occur in Salem, Massachusetts 1700 San Xavier del Bac Mission is founded by Father Kino. 1752 Spanish troops establish Arizona's first white settlement at Tubac. 1756 French and Indian War begins. 1763 The French and Indian War ends. 1768 Father Francisco Garces took charge at San Xavier del Bac and he visited villages along the Gila and Colorado Rivers. British treaties were ratified with the Cherokees, Creeks, and Iroquois to obtain more land. 1770 Garces explored most of southwestern Arizona. 1773 Boston Tea Party. 1774 Anza and Garces explored southern Arizona along the Gila River. Garces crossed northern Arizona to the Hopi Villages. First Continental Congress is organized. 1775 Battles of Lexington and Concord begin the Revolution. 1776 Tucson established as a Spanish fort. Fathers Escalante and Dominguez expeditions found a place to cross the Colorado River. The Declaration of Independence is adopted. 1781 Yuma Massacre where a white colony was nearly obliterated. Father Garces is slain by the Indians. British surrender at Yorktown, Virginia. 1782 Mexican military forces conquer the Yuma Indians. 1783 Friars of San Xavier del Bac mission are believed to have laid the foundation for the present-day church. Treaty of Paris ends the American Revolution. 1786 Bernando de Galvez became Viceroy of "New Spain." 1789 George Washington became the first President of the United States. 1790 Peace with the Apaches was negotiated - the peace lasted for 32 years. Golden Era of Pimeria Alta (upper Pima land) was marked by the expansion of mining and prosperity of ranching. Rhode Island became the 13th Colony. 1797 Construction was completed on San Xavier mission after 12-14 years of building. John Adams became the 2nd president of the United States. 1800 The Capital moved to Washington DC. 1803 The Louisiana Purchase nearly double the size of the United States when land was purchased from France for $15,000,000. 1804-1806 Navajo Indians were reduced to submission by the Spanish in Canyon de Chelly. Lewis & Clark explored the Missouri and Columbia Rivers. 1810 Father Hidalgo led the Mexican revolution for independence from Spain. 1819 Navajo Indians return to war. Spain cedes Florida. 1821 Arizona became a province of Mexico and the Santa Fe Trail, a trade route opened. 1823 Navajo Peace Treaty was reached with the Mexican Government. The Monroe Doctrine became a principle of American diplomacy to protect the Western Hemisphere from European powers. 1824 Traders begin exploring Apache Indian areas. Bill Williams trapped from the far northwest as far south as Sonora. Kit Carson, Sylvester and James Ohio Pattie became trappers in the Gila Valley. Erie Canal was completed. 1827 New Republic of Mexico expelled Franciscans ending the Missionary Era. 1830 Trapper and scout, Pauline Weaver began his travels in Arizona. 1836 The Alamo was taken. 1837 Samuel Morse invented the telegraph. 1838 Tubac became a pueblo. 1846 Mormon Battalion took possession of Tucson and raised the American flag to mark a wagon road from Sana Fe to the Pacific called Cooke's Wagon Road. 1847 Mormon migration to Utah started. 1848 Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo ceded all land north of the Gila River to the United States thus making Arizona part of New Mexico. 1849 John C Freeman surveying party escorted Sonorans westward down the Gila. Charles E Pamcoast completed a trip down the Gila River - the trip was marked by the birth of Gila Howard, the first Anglo-Saxon child born in this territory. California gold rush begins. 1850 Steamboating became commercial on the Colorado River. Territory of New Mexico is formally established. Compromise of 1850 attempted to smooth ill feelings over slavery as a result of the gold rush. California became a state. 1854 Peter Kitchen became one of the first American ranchers in Arizona. Charles D Poston, Father of Arizona, arrives in Arizona. Kansas-Nebraska Act which was one of the major causes of the Civil War. 1857 First regular stage line in Arizona, the San Antonio and San Diego Company began. 1858 The Butterfield Overland Stage Line provided a route between Texas and San Diego. 1859 Weekly Arizonan, the first newspaper, was published in Tubac. 1860 Abraham Lincoln was elected President of the United States. 1861 Apache Indians, led by Cochise, terrorized white settlers. Shots were fired at Fort Sumter, the Civil War began. 1862 The westernmost battle of the Civil War (Arizona's only Civil War battle) was fought near Picacho Peak by Carleton's California Volunteers. Jefferson Davis declares Arizona a confederate territory. Homestead Act offered free land in the west. 1863 President Lincoln creates the Arizona Territory with Prescott as the capital, John N Goodwin was the first territorial governor. Emancipation Proclamation declared all existing slaves free. 1864 "The Long Walk" begins as most Navajo Indians surrender and are forced to walk from Fort Defiance to Fort Sumner, New Mexico - a distance of 300 miles. Four counties are established; Mohave, Yavapai, Yuma, and Pima. 1865 Colorado River Indian Reservation was set aside for Mohave and other Indian people. The Thirteenth Amendment abolished slavery. The Civil War ended. President Lincoln was assassinated by John Wilkes Booth. 1866 Juan Candelaria brought the first large flock of sheep into Arizona. 1867 The Territorial Capital moved to Tucson. The first public schools opened in Prescott and Tucson. Alaska was purchased from Russia. 1868 Treaty was agreed upon which established the Navajo Reservation located in northeastern Arizona and adjacent portion of New Mexico. Fourteenth Amendment granted citizenship to Negroes. 1869 Major John Wesley Powell made the first full exploration of the Grand Canyon. First Transcontinental Railroad was completed with the driving of a golden spike. 1870 Silver bonanzas in Pinal Mountains, Tombstone Mountains, the Bradshaws, and in northern Mohave County. Fifteenth Amendment provided the right to vote regardless of race, color, or previous condition of servitude. 1871 Camp Grant Massacre. Peace policy started in Arizona. Maricopa County is formed. 1873 Cotton is first cultivated by Arizona settlers. 1875 The first big copper mining operation began in Clifton. Pinal County was created. The Territorial Prison opened at Yuma. 1876 Flagstaff was named by a group of immigrants celebrating 4th of July on its site. Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone. 1877 Territorial Capital returned to Prescott. The first bank, Bank of Arizona, was established in Prescott. 1879 Apache County was formed. Tombstone was founded. Thomas Edison invented the first workable incandescent light. 1880 First train, Southern Pacific, arrived in Tucson stimulating the copper industry. 1881 Lumber industry started in Flagstaff. Graham, Cochise, and Gila counties were formed. A Century of Dishonor, written by Helen Hunt Jackson, led to the formation of the Indian Rights Association. American Federation of Labor (AFL) organized. 1883 Santa Fe Railroad crossed northern Arizona. 1885 Tenth Calvary was stationed at Fort Whipple. 1886 Tempe Normal School (later renamed Arizona State University) opened in Tempe. Geronimo and his Apache Raiders surrendered to the US Army. 1887 Train robbery - first in Arizona history - nets $20,000. 1888 Copper leads gold and silver in importance in Arizona. 1889 Territorial Capital moves to Phoenix. 1890 Spotted Fever epidemic sweeps Gila River settlement. The Census Bureau declares the end of the American Frontier. 1891 The University of Arizona is established in Tucson. Citrus begins large scale commercial growth. Coconino County is formed. 1892 Stagecoach service is started between Flagstaff and the Grand Canyon. Henry Ford completed the first gasoline powered car. 1895 Navajo County is created. 1898 Three Regiments of First Volunteer Cavalry contingent is organized in Arizona with Capt. William (Bucky) O'Neil of Prescott commanding the Rough Riders. A Senatorial Committee proposed admission of Arizona and New Mexico as a single state which was opposed by the Arizona people. 1902 Santa Cruz County is formed. 1903 Tonto Basin Dam was the first major irrigation project authorized by the federal government. Wright Brothers accomplish first successful flight. Panama Canal Zone is acquired by the United States. 1907 Anti-Gambling Law passed in Arizona. 1909 Greenlee County is created. 1911 Roosevelt Dam is dedicated by President Theodore Roosevelt. 1912 Arizona became the 48th state on February 14th. George P Hunt was first elected (elected seven times) Governor. 1913 First 8-hour work day for women went into effect. The Sixteenth Amendment created income tax. 1914 Panama Canal opened. 1916 Arizona National Guard was mobilized due to Pancho Villa's earlier raid on Columbus, New Mexico. Pershing's expedition into Mexico started. 1917 The first native Arizonan, Thomas E Campbell, is inaugurated as Governor. Tenth Cavalry returned to Fort Huachuca after longest march made into Mexico during the punitive expedition against Pancho Villa. Nation's First Municipal Airport was built at Tucson. United States enters World War I 25,000 men from Arizona entered Federal Services - 3,000 were killed in battle. 1918 George W P Hunt is inaugurated as Governor after a Supreme Court decision. Armistice signed by Germany ending WWI. 1919 Thomas E Campbell elected Governor. Grand Canyon became a National Park. Eighteenth Amendment established Prohibition. 1920 Phoenix Junior College was established. Nineteenth Amendment gave women the right to vote. 1921 Arizona entered a period of depression - a slump in copper mining. 1923 George W P Hunt inaugurated as Governor. 1924 American Indians were declared citizens. 1927 First regular express and passenger express air service was established. Charles Lindbergh flew the first solo non-stop Trans-Atlantic flight. 1928 Coolidge Dam was dedicated by President Calvin Coolidge. 1929 John Calhoun Philips inaugurated as Governor. The Great Depressions begins with stock market crash in New York. 1930 The planet Pluto was discovered at Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff. 1931 George W P Hunt inaugurated as Governor. 1933 Benjamin Baker Moeur elected Governor. President Roosevelt's New Deal to end depression passed Legistlation. Civilian Conservation Corps was established to provide employment and training of young men during the depression years. First Civilian Conservation Corps camps established; developed recreation areas and assisted soil conservation and forest service. 1935 Hoover Dam was completed. Social Security Bill was made law by Congress. 1937 Rawghlie Clement Stanford inaugurated as Governor. 1939 Robert Taylor Jones elected as Governor. 1941 Sidney Preston Osborn became the second native Arizonan elected Governor. Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor bringing the US into WWII. 1945 The first Atomic Bomb was dropped on Hiroshima. United Nations Charter was drawn up and signed in San Francisco. 1946 Arizona Right to Work Law went into effect, industry and manufacturing took on new importance. 1948 Arizona Indians were given the right to vote. 1950 Junior Colleges in Arizona were established. Korean War brought about the first military action of the United Nations. 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