Samiksha Jaiswal (Editor)

Timeline of Mesa, Arizona

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The following is a timeline of the history of the city of Mesa, Arizona, United States.

Contents

Prior to 20th century

  • 1878 - Mormon settlers arrive.
  • 1883
  • Mesa City incorporated. The townsite’s bounded by Broadway Road on the south, Mesa Drive on the east, University Drive on the north, & Country Club Drive on the west.
  • Alexander Findlay Macdonald becomes mayor.
  • 1892 - Mesa Free Press newspaper begins publication.
  • 1896 - Sirrine House built.

    • 20th century

  • 1902 - Evans School for Boys opens; later renamed Mesa Ranch School
  • 1908 - Granite Reef Diversion Dam is completed; the Salt River Valley Water Users' Association permanently provides water for irrigation canals in Mesa from this point, replacing the earlier Mormon-lead efforts
  • 1909 - The original "Old Main" campus of Mesa High School opens
  • Mesa installs potable waterworks system
  • 1911 - Roosevelt Dam is completed, regulating the flow of the Salt River for the first time, and providing cheap electrical power to parts of Mesa
  • Mesa takes over irrigation system operation within incorporated city limits
  • 1915 - Mesa installs sanitary sewer system and septic tank tract at Riverview
  • 1917 - Mesa purchases existing gas and electric utilities from Dr. A.J. Chandler
  • 1921 - Mesa Welfare League founded.
  • 1923 - Mesa Tribune newspaper begins publication.
  • 1927 - Mesa Arizona Temple dedicated (first time).
  • 1928 - first production of the Mesa Arizona Easter Pageant
  • 1931 - Town area expanded.
  • 1937 - City Hall built.
  • 1941
  • U.S. Williams Air Force Base established.
  • British Flying Training School at Falcon Field active near Mesa
  • 1948
  • Mesa Country Club established.
  • Falcon Field becomes part of Mesa
  • 1949 - Modern wastewater treatment plant built at Riverview
  • 1950
  • KTYL-FM radio begins broadcasting.
  • Population: 16,790.
  • 1953 - General Motors Desert Proving Grounds opens
  • Mesa celebrates 75th anniversary Diamond Jubilee
  • 10 million gallon Pasadena city reservoir completed
  • 1962 - Westwood High School opens
  • 1965 - Mesa Community College, and Adelante con Mesa established.
  • 1967
  • Regional Maricopa Association of Governments established.
  • Original "Old Main" building of Mesa High School burns to the ground
  • 1968
  • Tri City Mall in business.
  • KMND radio begins broadcasting.
  • City of Mesa takes over operations of Falcon Field
  • 1970
  • Lehi becomes part of city.
  • Population: 63,049.
  • 1971 - Prehab of Mesa (youth-related nonprofit) established.
  • 1972 - Mesa High School reopens at a new location (farther east and south)
  • 1972 - Mesa Central High School opens at site of original Mesa High campus
  • 1973 - Dobson Ranch planned community began selling homes in the first phase of its 26-year development
  • 1975
  • After extensive renovations, the Mesa Arizona Temple is rededicated
  • The Park of the Canals is added to the National Register of Historic Places; work then commences for developing park facilities and later the botanical garden
  • 1976 - Mountain View High School opens
  • 1977
  • Mesa Southwest Museum (later renamed the Arizona Museum of Natural History) founded
  • the original Hohokam Park opens
  • 1978 - Western Design Center is founded by Bill Mensch
  • Mesa celebrates 100-year Centennial
  • 1979
  • Fiesta Mall in business.
  • Mesa Amphitheatre built.
  • Mesa Weekly News begins publication.
  • 1980
  • Population: 152,453.
  • Arizona Museum for Youth opens
  • Used Cars, filmed primarily in Mesa, opens in theaters
  • 1981
  • Mesa Sister Cities Association and Mesa United Way active.
  • Sister city relationship established with Guaymas, Mexico.
  • Champlin Fighter Museum opens
  • 1983
  • Dobson High School opens
  • Sister city relationship established with Upper Hutt, New Zealand.
  • Mesa Golfland opens, expanding to become Golfland Sunsplash by 1986
  • 1984 - Al Brooks becomes mayor.
  • 1987
  • Mesa Historical Museum opens
  • Living Word Bible Church active.
  • 1988
  • Peggy Rubach becomes mayor.
  • Red Mountain High School opens
  • 1989 - Sister city relationship established with Caraz, Peru.
  • 1990
  • Population: 288,091.
  • Superstition Springs Center opens
  • first section of Arizona State Route 202 opens; downtown Lehi was removed to make way for it
  • 1991
  • East Valley Institute of Technology Main campus opens
  • Mesa Community Action Network active.
  • 1992
  • Willie Wong becomes mayor.
  • Mesa Solar Sox is founded
  • 1993
  • Sister city relationship established with Kaiping, China.
  • Williams Air Force Base closes, begins transition to Williams Gateway Airport
  • 1994
  • Williams Gateway Airport opens
  • Paz De Cristo Community Center opens
  • 1995
  • A.T. Still University's Arizona School of Health Sciences opens
  • Heritage Academy (Arizona) opens
  • the current Organ Stop Pizza location in Mesa is opened
  • 1996
  • City website online.
  • Wayne Brown becomes mayor.
  • Arizona State University at the Polytechnic campus opens on the former Williams Air Force Base
  • Sun Valley High School opens
  • 1997
  • Harkins Superstition Springs cinema in business.
  • Noah Webster School opens.
  • the new HoHoKam Stadium opens
  • 1998 - Tri City Mall closes, all existing buildings demolished except for former site of JCPenney store, which remains standing until 2006
  • 1999
  • Skyline High School opens
  • AMC Mesa Grand 24 cinema in business.
  • Saint Ignatius of Antioch Church active (approximate date).
  • Sister city relationship established with Burnaby, Canada.

    • 21st century

  • 2000
  • Keno Hawker becomes mayor.
  • Population: 396,375.
  • 2002 - Desert Ridge High School opens; it is physically located in Mesa, but is part of Gilbert Public Schools instead of Mesa Public Schools.
  • 2003
  • Arizona School of Dentistry and Oral Health opens at A.T. Still University's Mesa campus
  • Champlin Fighter Museum closed
  • 2005
  • Mesa Arts Center built.
  • Mesa Miners is founded
  • Mesa adopts city flag
  • 2006 - Mesa Preparatory Academy opens
  • 2007
  • Mesa Riverview opens
  • Gateway 12/IMAX Theatre (cinema) in business.
  • A.T. Still University School of Osteopathic Medicine in Arizona opens at A.T. Still University's Mesa campus
  • 2008
  • October: Immigration raid by Maricopa County Sheriff.
  • Sycamore Drive and Main Street Valley Metro Rail station opens, in front of the former Tri City Mall location; it is the first Metro Light Rail station in Mesa, and is the eastern terminator until future expansions are completed
  • Scott Smith becomes mayor.
  • 2009
  • closure of the General Motors Desert Proving Grounds is completed
  • East Valley Mormon Choral Organization established, as part of the Millennial Choirs and Orchestras
  • 2010
  • United Food Bank active.
  • Population: city 439,041; metro 4,192,887.
  • 2011
  • East Valley Institute of Technology East campus opened, adjacent to ASU Polytechnic
  • Humanist Society of Greater Phoenix active.
  • 2012
  • February 22: Republican Party presidential primaries debate held.
  • December 10: Alexander murder trial begins.
  • 2013
  • Mesa Grande Cultural Park opens.
  • Matt Salmon becomes U.S. representative for Arizona's 5th congressional district and Kyrsten Sinema becomes U.S. representative for Arizona's 9th congressional district.
  • the inaugural Visit Mesa Gateway Classic annual golf tournament is held
  • 2014
  • Cubs Park opens

    • References

    Timeline of Mesa, Arizona Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA