A Brief History of Tucson

Once a small Spanish presidio, or walled fortress, Tucson has seen many changes since its founding in 1776. Its original population consisted of 2-3 officers, 75 soldiers, and their families, all of whom resided in a 750-foot squared area, surrounded by a 22-inch thick, 12-foot-high iron-reinforced wall. But by 1830, Tucson had spread beyond those walls, becoming a village of the newly independent Mexico. It wasn’t until 1854 that the first U.S. Americans entered the area following the Gadsen purchase, and another decade before a sizeable Anglo population began to emerge. In 1863, Arizona became an official territory of the United States. A decade later the Southern Pacific Railroad added Tucson as a stop on its railway, growing the population to 8,000. In 1912 Arizona achieved its statehood.

Today Tucson has a population of over one million.

Source: Arizona Historical Society, Tucson Chamber of Commerce, Visit Tucson