Tucson: A History from the 1854 Gadsden Purchase

Tracing the remarkable history of Tucson, Arizona since 1854, this book reveals multiple aspects of the community–its numerous ceremonies and customs, its multitude of problems, its long list of accomplishments, and its racial divides. It examines why the Tucson of today is the way it is–a diverse metropolitan region of almost one million people that sprawls across the Sonoran Desert.

Each of the chapters in the book reviews a specific time period in Tucson’s past. They include the highs and lows of the community, from its once being the
Metropolis of Arizona
and its early bitter battle about securing the University of Arizona to its recent noteworthy scientific achievements and its descent into greater poverty.

Along the way, many of the people who have helped make Tucson such a memorable place, from its political leaders to its celebrities to its everyday residents, are spotlighted. Their lives, and their memories, are featured, and indicate the varied viewpoints that have helped to influence the Tucson of today. They are also what make Tucson, despite all its faults, a Southwestern community that so many people feel is special.