ROOTED HERE
Behind the downtown streets.
A whole city’s story.
Mesa's light rail streets, cultural venues and distinct neighborhood districts stretch far beyond one central block.
People made the city.
These milestones are an introduction, not a complete local history. Follow the linked city and museum sources to explore the people and places behind them.Read the local historical account.
Watch the city’s history
FROM THE ARCHIVES
The History of Mesa, Arizona Most People Don’t Know
A local history film shared by The All American Travel Channel.
Watch on YouTube ↗- 1878
Mesa's founders arrive
Mormon colonists arrived in the Salt River Valley on February 14 and established the Mesa townsite.
City of Mesa ↗ - 1878
The Mesa Canal
Settlers completed the Mesa Canal in October, building partly along an earlier Hohokam canal.
City of Mesa ↗ - 1882
A permanent school
Mesa's first permanent school opened in an adobe building at Center and 2nd Avenue.
City of Mesa ↗ - 1883
Mesa City incorporates
The town of Mesa City incorporated on July 15.
City of Mesa ↗ - 1895
Rail service arrives
The Maricopa and Phoenix and Salt River Valley Railroad began service to Mesa.
City of Mesa ↗
See the history for yourself.
Walk downtown to see surviving commercial architecture, then explore the Historical Preservation Society’s museum and visiting information. Check current opening dates before setting out. Historical Preservation Society.
For deeper research, the Mesa library resources is a starting point for archival material and research help. Historic photographs have their own permissions; we link to the collection instead of treating every old image as free to reuse.
Selected milestones researched September 13, 2026. This is an introduction, not a complete account of the city’s history.