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Culture, Heritage, and History
Early cultures included the Hohokam, then the Pueblo, followed by the Apache and Navajo peoples.
Treaties following the Mexican War gave the US control of much of the region (then the Territory of New
Mexico) in 1848.
Arizona was organized as a separate territory in 1863, and settlement of the area took off after the civil
war. During this time the silver and copper mining industries flourished, and the Santa Fe and Southern
pacific railroads penetrated the region.
Arizona' s "wild west" history features many legends, including the the Tombstone, Arizona gunfight near
the O.K. Corral involving Doc Holiday, Wyatt Earp and his brothers Virgil and Morgan. The great Apache
Indian chiefs Geronimo and Cochise led their people against soldiers and frontiersman here.
1912 the frontier territory of Arizona attained statehood, during the Taft presidency.
Agriculture and mining would dominate the economy until the 1960s, when manufacturing became king.
During the 70s and 80s Arizona experienced explosive growth, and high-tech industries arrived. In 1991
the Central Arizona Project was completed, and a complex system of canals now brings water from the
Colorado river to the central desert plain.
Today Arizona continues to draw residents from all over the country. Population growth from
1940 to
today is over 1000%, with Arizona ranked as one of the fastest growing states
in the nation.
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