Timeline of Mesa, Arizona facts for kids

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

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

1900s–1960s

• 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
  • KTYL-TV (channel 12; the current day KPNX) launches. The NBC affiliate continues to be licensed to Mesa, but operates from Phoenix
  • 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

1970s–1990s

• 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
  • Dobson High School opens
  • Mesa Sister Cities Association and Mesa United Way active.
  • Sister city relationship established with Guaymas, Mexico.
  • Champlin Fighter Museum opens
• 1983
  • 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.
• 2000
  • Keno Hawker becomes mayor.
  • Population: 396,375.

21st century

• 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
• 2021 - after renovations and redevelopment of the surrounding area, the Mesa Arizona Temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is rededicated on December, 12th 2021.