It might seem immigration laws, rampant foreclosures and acongresswoman’s shooting define Arizona as a state.
But are today’s events all there is to Arizona?
Consider where we’ve been.
Arizona welcomed minorities in schools before Brown v. Board ofEducation desegregated the nation’s classrooms.
New suburban neighborhoods drew new residents from across thenation.
And decades of bipartisan politics secured some of the world’smost impressive water projects to sustain Arizona’s future.
As Arizona enters its 100th year leading up to the 2012centennial, the state's rich and complex history warrants areview.
Monday marks the state's 99th birthday and year-long efforts areunderway across Arizona to commemorate the centennial. Communitiesare assembling their histories and translating how the pastinfluences our lives today.
The Tribune looks at selected events in the state’s history,with an emphasis on what’s happened since statehood and how it’saffecting today’s events.
Official state historian Marshall Trimble provides some insight.He was born in Mesa and spent his formative years in the EastValley.
Trimble said Arizonans of a century ago wouldn’t recognize howfreeways, urban development and chain stores have hidden so muchhistory. But he’s thrilled at how much hasn’t changed in eons.
“What I love about this state is only 17 percent of it isprivate land,” Trimble said. “There are many places where you cango in an hour and be in the middle of nowhere. Very few states, ifany, offer that sanctuary for people who want to get out of thecraziness of the city and out into wide-open spaces.”
PEOPLE
Arizona’s 200,000 residents welcomed statehood in 1912, thoughthe area was among the least-populated new states. Ranchers andminers joined Indians who’d lost their lands and Mexicans who foundthemselves in a place of shifting borders. Today, 28 percent ofArizonans are of Spanish and Mexican descent.
Mormon settlers were sent from Utah in 1854 and in 1877established what is now Mesa. The young religion banned polygamistpractices in the late 1800s but state police raided afundamentalist sect in Colorado City in 1863. The stories of brokenfamilies created a backlash and recent crackdowns still makeheadlines.
Native Americans tried to move beyond decades of economicdeprivation in the 1990s with controversial gaming revenues. Afederal battle is now brewing over whether the Tohono O’odham cancreate new reservation land in Glendale to build the first Arizonacasino in a city.
Many of the state’s 6.5 million residents know Arizona’s historythrough movies, having grown up in other states.
Trimble laments too many Arizonans don’t know the history beyondmovies about the old West. He advocates the centennial as a reasonto promote history and calls for signs at notable places.
“Have it out there for people to read and appreciate theirhistory and they’ll respect your place or they’ll say this placehas a story and has a history,” he said. “Otherwise, they’ll thinknothing ever happened here.”
POLITICS
The early years of statehood set the stage for our sometimesrocky politics, with two men trying to act as governor after adisputed election. Incumbent Democrat George W.P. Hunt narrowlylost the 1916 race to Republican Tom Campbell but Hunt refused toleave his Capitol office. Both took the oath of office the nextyear and performed what duties they could.
A recount and court battles brewed until Campbell left his“office” at home 11 months later. The two continued to battle, eachwinning and losing the governorship to each other for manyelections.
But Arizona was politically progressive in ways that still shapeour lives. The state’s constitution gave people the power to passlaws through referendums and initiatives. Arizona’s fathers wantedjudicial recall as well, but President Howard Taft refused to grantstatehood with that power. The provision was dropped, butindependent-minded Arizonans restored it after statehood.
Arizona voters approved women’s suffrage in 1912, eight yearsbefore the 19th Amendment enfranchised the nation’s women. Voterselected women to the Legislature in 1914, making them among thefirst to become lawmakers in the nation.
U.S. Rep. Carl Hayden became the state’s first congressman andspent decades securing funds for water projects that made itpossible to sustain agriculture and new cities. The bipartisancooperation between congressmen, governors and state lawmakerslasted for decades as Arizona secured water rights, though suchcollaboration is unlikely today.
Democrats enjoyed a stranglehold on the state until waves ofMidwesterners settled after World War II and Republicans won majorvictories in the 1960s. That decade ushered Barry Goldwater intonational prominence with his 1964 presidential bid and his newbrand of conservatism to the Republican party.
One of the state’s lowest times began with Evan Mecham’selection to governor in 1986. He repealed the Martin Luther KingJr. holiday in his first official act, saying it was createdillegally and that King didn’t deserve a holiday. Mecham came tooffice vowing to smash powerful interests and corruption. But hebecame more known for putting his foot in his mouth while offendingwomen, gays, Jews, Japanese-Americans and other minorities. Aboycott resulted that cost Arizona tourism, conventions and whatwas to be its first Super Bowl. Mecham faced a recall electionalong with impeachment and an indictment over campaign funds.Mecham was removed from office after 15 months but was latercleared of charges.
Another blow came in 1991 with lawmakers and lobbyists convictedfor taking bribes in the AzScam debacle, taking what they thoughtwas mob money to pave the way for organized gambling.
Then Gov. Fife Symington was convicted of bank fraud in 1997,forcing him out of office. President Bill Clinton later pardonedhim, but a decade of turmoil hurt Arizona’s image.
National coverage of the scandals battered Arizona’s reputation.Trimble considers the Mecham and AzScam period a low in Arizonahistory. He compares the boycotts and image then to today’scontroversy over SB 1070.
“You can’t blame the Arizonans saying stop the outside interestsfrom coming in and telling us how to run the state,” he said.“They’re going to say, ‘Clean up the problems in your ownstate.’”
DAMS AND WATER
Prehistoric inhabitants and pioneers struggled with drought andmassive floods that made life difficult and sometimes deadly. TheSalt River was tamed with Roosevelt Dam providing reliable waterand electricity one year before statehood. Hoover Dam on theColorado River followed in the 1930s. The Central Arizona Projectdiverted more Colorado water to Phoenix and Tucson, with approvalin the 60s and completion in the 90s. The $4 billion effort was thelargest, costliest water project in U.S. history.
The CAP brings gives Phoenix and Tucson more reliable watersupplies but also includes water to tribes who’d been deprived ofwater for decades.
GROWTH & THE ECONOMY
Early Arizona celebrated the famed five Cs that made the statean economic powerhouse: cattle, copper, citrus, climate and cotton.These elements remained strong through World War II, whenmanufacturing and military started a turning point. A huge shiftbegan in 1948 with a Motorola plant in Phoenix that began ahigh-tech industry. A young, educated workforce flocked to Arizonaand reshaped the state with new business and political leaders.Motorola paved the way for the state to produce the Apachehelicopter, computer chips, biotech research and solar energy.
The Baby Boomers rushed to new master-planned communities likeJohn F. Long’s Maryvale in Phoenix and Del Webb’s Sun City. Theywere models for neighborhoods across the nation and in the EastValley, while also raising alarms about sprawl and congestion.Runaway growth resulted in the Valley having the mostunderdeveloped freeway system in the nation by the mid-1980s afterdecades of fights over the need and location of highways. A 1960freeway plan developed by transportation firm Wilbur Smith &Associates resembles today’s freeway system but voters didn’tapprove funding until the mid-1980s. Only I-17 and parts of I-10and U.S. 60 existed until then, with the loop system built in thelast two decades. Mesa, Chandler and Gilbert’s explosive growthdepended heavily on the new roads.
CULTURE
Arizona was a pioneer in letting women vote. It also let blacksin public schools before the nation did. Schools and universitieswelcomed blacks, including those who returned from WWII. What isnow Arizona State University refused to play Texas teams when ASUwanted to put black players on the football field, Trimble said.Arizona students revolted at the Texas position long before thecivil rights movement, he said.
“We set an example and word went out all over the country toblack athletes,” he said.
The influx of African-Americans helped Frank Kush lead ArizonaState University football to its enviable successes in the 1960sand '70s, Trimble said.
The atmosphere helped usher in a sports and economic powerhouse— spring training. Cleveland Indians owner Bill Veeck moved fromFlorida in 1946 because he signed Larry Doby as the AmericanLeague’s first black player and Veeck feared Floridians wouldn’twelcome Doby. The New York Giants owner moved, too. Spring trainingbecame a major tourism draw and a controversial expense toconstruct new ballparks. Mesa voters approved a $99 million dealfor a new Chicago Cubs complex in 2010, with completion anticipatedin 2013.
Professional sports came to Arizona in 1969 with the PhoenixSuns, followed by the Cardinals in 1987. The Suns’ Jerry Colangelolater helped establish the Arizona Diamondbacks and bring thePhoenix Coyotes, making the Valley one of the few places in theU.S. with all four major sports leagues.
CROSSROADS
Gov. Jan Brewer is trying to jump-start the state’s economy witha new Commerce Authority that will attract high-tech industries andentrepreneurs. She also ordered a new branding campaign for Arizonato restore its battered image.
Trimble is worried political compromises that were key inArizona’s pivotal moments have become less likely in recent decadesbecause of increasing acrimony.
“I just hope we get better behavior from people,” he said. “Itseems to be getting worse but I hate to be a pessimist so I’m goingto be an optimist because that’s more my personality. Things willchange.”
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Contact writer: (480) 898-6548 or ggroff@evtrib.com
