Mesa, Arizona is located in the Phoenix area and is an ideal retirement and vacation community. Senior Travel Genie offers resources for hotels, restaurants and more. Mesa, AZ is a community with a colorful history.

Mesa, AZ History

The history of Mesa dates back two thousand years to the Hohokam Indians. The Hohokam built the original canal system that spread over 125 miles and is still used today.

Next came the missionaries and explorers, including Coronado, Father Kino, and Marcos de Niza, who came to Arizona (though not present day Mesa) during the 1500’s and 1600’s. Apache Indians east of the area drove the Spanish away in the 1700’s. U.S. Army troops fought the Apaches in the late 1800’s, opening the way for white settlement. Kit Carson came through the Salt River Valley during the early 1800’s.

Mormon Church officials asked Daniel Webster Jones to lead a group to settle in Arizona in 1887. Jones led a colony of Mormon families out of Utah to settle in the area just north of Mesa. The Tohono O’odham (Pima) Indians, possible descendents of the Hohokam, were in the Valley long before the Mormons arrived. Earlier mention was made of their friendship with Daniel Webster Jones. Another group of Mormons to settle Mesa was the First Mesa Company, comprised of 85 members. They came from Utah and Idaho in September 1877. Some of the company leaders were polygamous. A third group of Mormon settlers came from Idaho in 1879. In 1883, the 300 residents incorporated Mesa City and chose Alexander F. Macdonald as the first mayor.

Mesa, Arizona – Retirement Community & Getaway

Today, Mesa, Arizona is a thriving city and an ideal retirement community. Senior Travel Genie provides seniors with the resources they need to find restaurants, hotels and much more in Mesa.