"Arizona " The Very Word
goes straight to that place in the heart
where Americans feel the Spirit of Pride
in their Western Heritage --
the Triumph of Personal Courage over any obstacle
whether nature or man"

--John Wayne--
Actor

Man versus nature: nowhere is the evidence of this age-old battle more clear than in Arizona, a state of great extremes and equally great beauty. The landscape is stained rich hues of red, orange and brown, colors mirrored in many of its inhabitants, from the people to the wildlife.

Through the ages, Nature's hand has drawn lines in the sand, some deeper and wilder than there is courage to examine them; others high enough to blur the line where the sky meets the soil. The Colorado River ambles through the region at 70 feet above sea level, and the land stretches to 12,633 feet at Humphrey's Peak.

Indeed, the elements shaped the land and the people, creating unbridled beauty in both. But one cannot truly understand either by a simple surface inspection. To appreciate the depth and beauty of Arizona, one must investigate its geography and its history.

For centuries, the region that became known as Arizona has commanded the respect of its inhabitants. The first known residents were Native American Indian tribes, including the Anasazi, Mogollon, Hohokam, Pima and Sobaipuri Indians. Their lives depended on the land and its offerings. They survived by negotiating and, in the end, accepting the terms outlined by the unyielding gods of the sky and earth.

"Living in the desert is the Spiritual cathartic a great many people need. I am one of them."

--Frank Lloyd Wright --
American Architect

There came a time when people looked to the region and saw that those who thrived in this wild and unpredictable frontier were wild and unpredictable as well. And it was this set of qualities that the next group of settlers - the Spanish missionaries - hoped to tame.

The Pima and Sobaipuri Indians were there when Spanish Jesuit missionary Father Eusebio Francisco Kino first visited the Tucson area in 1687.

At the village of Bac in 1700, Father Kino established the San Xavier Mission - a milk-white pearl resting atop the grainy desert sand, blessed by God and guarded by the towering Saguaro cacti, standing silent in their watch now for more than three centuries.

Father Kino founded two dozen missions in the region and introduced Christianity and the Spanish culture to the Indians. The Spanish infused Native American culture with cattle, horses, and new crops and farming techniques.

Eventually the Spanish flag flew over a settlement known as Stjukshon ("Tucson"), which means "Spring at the foot of the black hill".

Spanish settlers built the San Augustin del Tucson presidio in 1776 - a walled fortress that stood between them and the Indians. These walls gave Tucson its nickname "Old Pueblo."

During the first half of the 1800s, Tucson was caught in a tug-of-war between the United States and Mexico. In 1848, the Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo ceded most of Arizona to the United States. In 1853 the Gadsden Purchase added another 30,000 acres to the United States and drew the US-Mexico border at its present location.

During the latter half of the 1800s, Tucson became the capital of the Western territory, and the founding of the University of Arizona was instrumental in its further development, along with the agriculture and copper mining industries.

Arizona became America's 48th state on February 14, 1912, and the love affair between the people and the state has carried on since that day. The state motto is Ditat Deus, or God enriches.

"I had been lecturing all over the country for seven years,
and never once did I go home and say "Pack!".
But when I was invited to speak in Arizona in 1970,
that's exactly what I did."

-- Erma Bombeck --
Author and Columnist

Tucson Today

Tucson is a metropolitan city with a population of nearly 860,000 people who have moved here because of culture, climate, or outstanding medical care. The average age here is 30.6, compared with 33 for the United States as a whole. The culture is a mix of its history; it is both Western and cosmopolitan. The architecture is a beautiful blend of Native American and Spanish heritage.

Tucson is just large enough to offer the perks of a big city and while maintaining a somewhat smaller-town way of life. Tucson is three times larger than the city of San Francisco if you include the vast parkland. Yet folks here have a home-town attitude and a healthy respect for the privacy of their more well-known neighbors, including Linda Ronstadt, Paul McCartney…and regular visitors such as Greg Kinnear, David Spade, Julia Roberts, and Kelsey Grammer, who come for the outstanding spas and Mexican food; or Dr. Tom Davis, Hayden Fry, Brad Lohaus, who frequent the renowned golf courses.

Tucson is listed in "50 Fabulous Places to Raise Your Family", by Lee and Saralee Rosenberg (Career Press, 1993). Tucson schools are rated "excellent," and its employment outlook is superb, being described as "one of the fastest growing job markets in the U.S."

Today, tourism, art and culture are leading industries. The city's museums, festivals, specialty shops, and recreation activities attract visitors from around the world.

Top Tucson Realtors - SK Nicholson, Robert Nicholson