The History of Tucson

Commonly referred to as "The Old Pueblo," Tucson was most likely founded nearly 12,000 years ago by Paleo-Indians. With settlements along the Santa Cruz River, these Arizona natives extensively farmed the surrounding area for centuries.

In 1692, the Jesuit missionary Eusebio Francisco Kino came to the Santa Cruz River valley. He was the first of many Spaniards to settle in the area. By 1775 the Spanish had established a fort they called Tucson and the city was born. Tucson became part of Mexico when the country gained its independence from Spain in 1821. Tucson didn't become part of the United States until 1853's Gadsen Purchase.

The population of Tucson reached nearly 7,500 by 1900. After World War I, the government began sending veterans with respiratory problems to the area because of the city's clean and dry air. This slowly led to population increases and by 1940 the city had more than 36,000 residents.

Since the 1940s, Tucson has continued to slowly grow in size. While it was at one time the largest city and commercial zone in the state of Arizona, Tucson has since been passed by Phoenix in recent years.