Our History

Tucson has been continuously settled for over 12,000 years. It celebrates a diversity of cultures, architecture, and peoples. Yet, it is one of the "Mega-Trend" cities of the 21st Century: the Optics Valley, premier health services center for the Southwest, the astronomy center of the world, home of a premier research institution - University of Arizona, and a tourism destination.

Tucson, too SAHN or TOO sahn, is one of the oldest towns in the United States. Tucson was orginally an Indian village called Stook-zone, meaning water at the foot of black mountain. The city was established in 1775 by Spanish soldiers as a walled presidio - the Presidio of San Augustin de Tucson. Tucson became a part of Mexico in 1821 when Mexico won its independence from Spain, and in 1854 became a part of the United States as part of the Gadsden Purchase. Following a turbulent territorial period racked by conflict with the Apache Indians, Arizona became the 48th state in 1912. Today, Tucson is one of the fastest growing urban areas in the U.S. The metropolitan area population of 804,200 people is expected to reach one million shortly after the turn of the century. With this anticipated growth, the community is retaining the rich charm which earned it the nickname, "The Old Pueblo."

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