| Historians slightly disagree about the origin of the name | | | | settled in the Phoenix Valley (or "Valley of the Sun"), |
| "Arizona" and its attachment to the region. Three | | | | Tempe, Prescott, among other areas. The Mormons |
| possible derivations are: | | | | settled what became known as Northern Arizona and |
| O'odham words "alion" ("small spring"), actually the | | | | northern New Mexico, but these areas were located in |
| name of a town, which is called "Arizonac" in English, | | | | a part of the former New Mexico Territory. The |
| about eight miles (13 km) south of the United | | | | largest ancestry of these settlers is German |
| States-Mexican border. Historically, it may have been | | | | American. |
| "ali ?on" or even "ali sona". The O'odham "l" is a voiced | | | | Arizona became a U.S. state on February 14, 1912. |
| alveolar lateral fricative, which might sound to a | | | | Arizona was the 48th state admitted into the U.S. and |
| Spanish or English speaker like an "r" sound. Later in | | | | the last of the contiguous states admitted. |
| the mid 18th century Spanish missionaries changed | | | | The climate and imagery are two factors behind |
| Father Eusebio Francisco Kino's maps of the area; | | | | Arizona's tourism industry.Cotton farming and copper |
| they renamed the town Arizonac as Arizona. As the | | | | mining, two of Arizona's most important statewide |
| maps were republished and circulated in Europe, the | | | | industries, suffered heavily during the Great Depression, |
| name Arizona became attached to the whole northern | | | | but it was during the 1920s and 1930s that tourism |
| part of New Spain. | | | | began to be the important Arizona industry it is today. |
| Spanish words "árida zona" ("arid zone"). This is | | | | Dude ranches such as the K L Bar and Remuda in |
| largely dismissed as being a folk etymology, as the | | | | Wickenburg, along with the Flying V and Tanque |
| grammatically correct phrase in Spanish for "arid zone" | | | | Verde in Tucson, gave tourists the chance to |
| is "zona Arida". | | | | experience the flavor and life of the "old West." |
| A Nahuatl or Aztec word "arizuma" meaning | | | | Several upscale hotels and resorts opened during this |
| "silver-bearing". | | | | period, some of which are still top tourist draws to this |
| Meeting its original native inhabitants, Marcos de Niza, a | | | | day; they include the Arizona Biltmore in central |
| Franciscan, explored the area in 1539. Coronado's | | | | Phoenix (opened 1929) and the Wigwam Resort on |
| expedition entered the area in 1540-42 during its | | | | the west side of the Phoenix area (opened 1936). |
| search for CÃbola. Father Kino developed a chain | | | | Arizona was the site of German and Italian prisoner of |
| of missions and taught the Indians Christianity in | | | | war camps during World War II. The Phoenix area site |
| PimerÃa Alta (now southern Arizona and northern | | | | was purchased after the war by the Maytag family |
| Sonora) in the 1690s and early 1700s. Spain founded | | | | (of major home appliance fame), and is currently |
| fortified towns (presidios) at Tubac in 1752 and Tucson | | | | utilized as the Phoenix Zoo. A Japanese American |
| in 1775. All of what is now Arizona became part of | | | | internment camp was located on Mount Lemmon, just |
| Mexico's northwest frontier upon the Mexican | | | | outside of the state's southeastern city of Tucson. |
| assertion of independence from Spain in 1810. The | | | | Another POW camp was located near the Gila River |
| United States took possession of most of Arizona at | | | | in eastern Yuma County. |
| the end of the Mexican-American War in 1848, after | | | | Arizona's population grew tremendously after World |
| paying the Mexican government. In 1853 the land | | | | War II, in part because of the development of air |
| below the Gila River was acquired from Mexico in the | | | | conditioning, which made the intense summers more |
| Gadsden Purchase. Arizona was administered as part | | | | comfortable. According to the Arizona Blue Book |
| of the Territory of New Mexico until southern New | | | | (published by the Secretary of State's office each |
| Mexico seceded from the Union as the Confederate | | | | year), the state population in 1910 was 294,353. By |
| Territory of Arizona on March 16, 1861. This is the first | | | | 1970, it was 1,752,122. The percentage growth each |
| official use of the name. A new Arizona Territory, | | | | decade averaged about 20% in the earlier decades |
| consisting of the western half of New Mexico | | | | and about 60% each decade thereafter. |
| Territory was declared in Washington, D.C. on | | | | The 1960s saw the establishment of retirement |
| February 24, 1863. The new boundaries would later | | | | communities, special age-restricted subdivisions |
| form the basis of the state. | | | | catering exclusively to the needs of senior citizens |
| Other names including "Gadsonia", "Pimeria", | | | | who wanted to escape the harsh winters of the |
| "Montezuma", "Arizuma", and "Arizonia" had been | | | | Midwest and the Northeast. Sun City, established by |
| considered for the territory, however when President | | | | developer Del Webb and opened in 1960 was one of |
| Lincoln signed the final bill, it read "Arizona", and the | | | | the first such communities. Green Valley, south of |
| name became permanent. (Montezuma was not the | | | | Tucson, was another such community designed to be |
| Mexican Emperor, but the sacred name of a divine | | | | a retirement subdivision for Arizona's teachers. (Many |
| hero to the Pueblo people of the Gila valley, and was | | | | of these senior citizens arrive in Arizona each winter |
| probably considered -- and rejected -- for its | | | | and stay only during the winter months; they are |
| sentimental value, before the name "Arizona" was | | | | referred to as snowbirds.) |
| settled upon.) | | | | Three ships named USS Arizona have been named in |
| Brigham Young sent Mormons to Arizona in the | | | | honor of the state, although only USS Arizona (BB-39) |
| mid-to-late 19th century. They founded Mesa, | | | | was so named after statehood was achieved. |
| Snowflake, Heber, Safford and other towns. They also | | | | |