Tucson History & Trivia Tid-Bits

• You will often hear Tucson referred to as the "Old Pueblo", which became a popular euphemism about 70 years ago.  The term appears to be rooted in Tucson's Spanish and Indian history.  Early Spanish and Mexican settlers, who arrived in 1775, referred to the Native American villages as "pueblitos".
• Tucson is the oldest continually inhabited settlement in the United States.
• Tucson is Arizona's 2nd Largest City.
• Tucson's diverse heritage continues to thrive, as the Native American, Spanish, Mexican and pioneer influences are honored by all, and are never devalued or forgotten.
• Tucson's "A" Mountain symbolizes the University of Arizona's school spirit.  Each year, since 1915, the giant "A" on the mountain has been white washed by freshmen students as part of the annual autumn homecoming celebration.
• The Spanish flag was the girst of four to be fown over the city.  Tucson became part of Mexico when that country gained its independence from Spain in 1921. Old Glory has flown over this land since the area was claimed by the U.S. as part of the 1854 Gadsen Purchase, except for a brief period during the Civil War.
• Still a territory, Tucson earned its reputation as a "wild western town" in the 1860's.  The Butterfield Stage Coach Line delivered ranchers, farmers and fugitives to this area where gunfights were common and a six-shooter was vital if you considered walking about town.  Today, the wild west history of Tucson is re-created at Old Tucson, a fully operational movie studio and theme park.
• Tucsonans are proud of their western heritage and it lives on in the local honky tonks and rodeo grounds.
• Real growth occurred in Tucson when the first train rolled in in 1880 where shortly thereafter the population soared.  Tucson began its tradition of higher education in 1891 when the Arizona Territorial University opened on land donated by a couple of gamblers and saloon keepers.
• During World War II, Davis Monthan Air Force Base became an official U.S. military post, and the city's population soared even more dramatically with servicemen and B-17 bomber pilots.  Like many visitors even today, those who trained at Davis Monthan found the area's unique climate irresistible and relocated to Tucson with their families following the war.  
• Davis Monthan continues to be a vital part of Tucson.   But, despite the presence of Davis Monthan, Tucson did not develop into just a military town.  Many other industries have also been thoroughly developed here.  And, as the University of Arizona now enrolls more than 40,000 students annually, Tucson has become widely known as a great university town as well.
• Many historical districts have been preserved throughout town, and provide an abundance of Tucson architectural and cultural history.  If you would like to gain a more comprehensive understanding of historical area of town, there are a number of fun and informative tours:
  • Tucson Museum of Art ~ (520) 624-2333
  • Arizona Historical Society ~ (520) 622-0956
  • Pick up a self guided walking tour of Tucson's history from the historic sites society or the 
    Tucson's Visitor's Bureau ~ (800) 638-8350

Tucson's Gorgeous Mountains

• Mountains are all around you here. One can observe the sun rise over the Rincon Mountains, where Saguaro National Park East displays a truly monumental collection of cacti. In the southeast, you will find the Santa Ritas, location of Tucson's highest peak, Mt. Wrightson at 9,453 feet, and also home to deer, fox, bobcats, mountain lions, coyotes, black bears and more than 200 species of birds. The Santa Catalina Mountains are to the north-northeast, with the Tortolitas directly north. To the west light the Tucson Mountains, where spectacular multi-colored sunsets spill across jagged peaks, providing some of the city's best entertainment.
• It is said that the Santa Catalina and Santa Rita Mountains surrounding the Tucson Basin on the north and southeast respectively, were so named by Father Kino in the late 1600s. While this may be true, there is no hard evidence for the claim. Whether these ranges even had names during the early 1700s is not known. Father Kino visited, and may have even named, an Indian rancheria called "Santa Catalina de Cuytoabucam," on the Santa Cruz River northwest of Tucson, and the name of the mountains may have originated there.
• In the late 1700s and much of the 1800s the mountains were known as the "Sierra de la Santa Catarina" or "Sierra de Catarina." Only around 1880 did "Catarina" give way to "Catalina" as the preferred spelling. In the spring of 1881, a botanist named J.G. Lemmon and his wife, Sarah, visited the Catalinas and were guided to its upper reaches. After they reached the highest summit in the range, their guide, Mr. Emerson Stratton, reportedly christened the point Mt. Lemmon.

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