Tucson Information

Sunshine, dry air, mountains and rich desert vegetation are Tucson's drawing cards. The city boasts an average of 3,800 hours of sunshine a year, placing it high on any list of health and winter resorts. More than just a vacation destination, Tucson also is a culturally active city. In addition to the visual arts, all areas of the performing arts--dance, opera, theater, music--are well represented.

The 321-acre University of Arizona is a major asset both culturally and economically--the needs of its 31,000 students create diverse jobs. Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, which contains a large aircraft storage facility, is another leading employer. Such large private companies as IBM, Garrett AiResearch and Hughes Aircraft have operations in Tucson.

Tucson is in a high desert valley, once the floor of an ancient inland sea. It is surrounded by four mountain ranges: the Santa Catalinas to the north, the Rincons to the east, the Santa Ritas to the south and the Tucsons to the west. These protective mountains and the Santa Cruz River attracted humans approximately 12,000 years ago. The Native American name for the ancient settlement was stjukshon. Pronounced like Tucson, it loosely translates into "spring at the foot of the black hill," a reference to the springs that once lined the banks of the Santa Cruz.

In 1700 Spanish Jesuit Eusebio Francisco Kino established the San Xavier Mission at the nearby village of Bac. Spanish ranchers and miners soon penetrated the valley, forcing the natives (particularly the Apaches) to protect their territory. After numerous Indian attacks, a garrison was built near the mission in Tubac and moved in 1776 to a new walled presidio in Tucson. The city's nickname "The Old Pueblo" refers to these walls.

When Mexico shook off Spanish rule in 1821, Tucson came under Mexican jurisdiction. The American flag was first raised over Tucson in 1846 by the commander of the Mormon Battalion during the Mexican War. The wagon road the Mormons built to California became a major east-west corridor that was used by thousands of homesteaders and miners during the California gold rush. Disputes over right-of-way through this corridor prompted the Gadsden Purchase in 1853, which joined southern Arizona and Tucson with the rest of the Arizona Territory.

Overland stage service to San Diego from San Antonio began in 1857, and Tucson gained a certain notoriety as a stage stop. A stay in Tucson usually meant sleeping in the infamous Tucson bed, which the traveler made by lying on his stomach and covering himself with his back. Despite its no-frills reputation, the village remained a major outpost, offering protection against the Apaches and supplies for travelers.

The Civil War interrupted travel along this southern route to California. After the war Tucson continued as a supply and distribution point, first for the Army and then for miners. From 1867 through 1877 Tucson was the territorial capital. The "Old Pueblo" began to shed its outpost image with the arrival of the Southern Pacific Railroad in 1880 and the founding of the University of Arizona in 1885. Tucson entered the 20th century as Arizona's largest city and remained so until 1920, when it was surpassed by Phoenix.

Tucson's Native American and Mexican roots are ever present. Mexican-Americans make up a substantial portion of the population. Spanish is widely spoken and Native American dialects are occasionally heard. Mexican restaurants abound, serving the neighboring country's distinctive cuisine. Architecturally, the city has a number of low, Pueblo-style buildings with adobe walls and flat, tiled roofs. Interiors are decorated with Navajo rugs and Pueblo pottery, and many festivals celebrate the cultures of the city's original inhabitants.

A multicultural city, Tucson's Jewish heritage is represented by the 1910 Stone Avenue Temple; one of Arizona's first synagogues, it features a mix of neoclassic, Romanesque and Moorish styles. Tours are offered highlighting the renovated temple's architecture and history; phone (520) 670-9073.

In the 1950s dude ranches were Tucson's main attractions. Now these guest ranches are complemented by elaborate resorts, and renovations have given the downtown business district a new look. La Placita Village incorporates fountains, territorial architecture and modern buildings in a contemporary blend; the adjoining Community Center has facilities for conventions, sports, theater and entertainment.

These complexes, connected by plazas, parks, walkways and bridges, and combined with a sprinkling of 19th-century houses, form an inviting and compact downtown area. While a Western atmosphere has been preserved, Tucson has emerged as a cosmopolitan city. The walls of "The Old Pueblo" have yielded to new structures that no longer defend but welcome.