The following is a timeline of the history of the city of Mesa, Arizona, United States.

Prior to 20th century

1878 – Mormon settlers arrive. 1883 Mesa City incorporated. The townsite's bounded by Broadway Road on the south, Mesa Drive on the east, University Drive on the north, & Country Club Drive on the west. Alexander Findlay Macdonald becomes mayor. 1892 – Mesa Free Press newspaper begins publication. 1896 – Sirrine House built.

20th century

1900s–1960s 1902 – Evans School for Boys opens; later renamed Mesa Ranch School 1908 – Granite Reef Diversion Dam is completed; the Salt River Valley Water Users' Association permanently provides water for irrigation canals in Mesa from this point, replacing the earlier Mormon-lead efforts 1909 – The original "Old Main" campus of Mesa High School opens Mesa installs potable waterworks system 1911 – Roosevelt Dam is completed, regulating the flow of the Salt River for the first time, and providing cheap electrical power to parts of Mesa Mesa takes over irrigation system operation within incorporated city limits 1915 – Mesa installs sanitary sewer system and septic tank tract at Riverview 1917 – Mesa purchases existing gas and electric utilities from Dr. A.J. Chandler 1921 – Mesa Welfare League founded. 1923 – Mesa Tribune newspaper begins publication. 1927 – Mesa Arizona Temple dedicated (first time). 1928 – first production of the Mesa Arizona Easter Pageant 1931 – Town area expanded. 1937 – City Hall built. 1941 U.S. Williams Air Force Base established. British Flying Training School at Falcon Field active near Mesa 1948 Mesa Country Club established. Falcon Field becomes part of Mesa 1949 – Modern wastewater treatment plant built at Riverview 1950 KTYL-FM radio begins broadcasting. Population: 16,790. 1953 – General Motors Desert Proving Grounds opens KTYL-TV (channel 12; the current day KPNX) launches. The NBC affiliate continues to be licensed to Mesa, but operates from Phoenix Mesa celebrates 75th anniversary Diamond Jubilee 10 million gallon Pasadena city reservoir completed 1962 – Westwood High School opens 1965 – Mesa Community College, and Adelante con Mesa established. 1966 – An 18-year-old attacks the Rose-Mar College of Beauty, killing five people and injuring two others. The shooting is considered to be the first copycat mass shooting. 1967 Regional Maricopa Association of Governments established. Original "Old Main" building of Mesa High School burns to the ground 1968 Tri City Mall in business. KMND radio begins broadcasting. City of Mesa takes over operations of Falcon Field

1970s–1990s 1970 Lehi becomes part of city. Population: 63,049. 1971 – Prehab of Mesa (youth-related nonprofit) established. 1972 Mesa High School reopens at a new location (farther east and south) Mesa Central High School opens at site of original Mesa High campus 1973 – Dobson Ranch planned community began selling homes in the first phase of its 26-year development 1975 After extensive renovations, the Mesa Arizona Temple is rededicated The Park of the Canals is added to the National Register of Historic Places; work then commences for developing park facilities and later the botanical garden 1976 – Mountain View High School opens 1977 Mesa Southwest Museum (later renamed the Arizona Museum of Natural History) founded the original Hohokam Park opens 1978 – Western Design Center is founded by Bill Mensch Mesa celebrates 100-year Centennial 1979 Fiesta Mall in business. Mesa Amphitheatre built. Mesa Weekly News begins publication. 1980 Population: 152,453. Arizona Museum for Youth opens Used Cars, filmed primarily in Mesa, opens in theaters 1981 Dobson High School opens Mesa Sister Cities Association and Mesa United Way active. Sister city relationship established with Guaymas, Mexico. Champlin Fighter Museum opens 1983 Sister city relationship established with Upper Hutt, New Zealand. Mesa Golfland opens, expanding to become Golfland Sunsplash by 1986 1984 – Al Brooks becomes mayor. 1987 Mesa Historical Museum opens Living Word Bible Church active. 1988 Peggy Rubach becomes mayor. Red Mountain High School opens 1989 – Sister city relationship established with Caraz, Peru. 1990 Population: 288,091. Superstition Springs Center opens first section of Arizona State Route 202 opens; downtown Lehi was removed to make way for it 1991 East Valley Institute of Technology Main campus opens Mesa Community Action Network active. 1992 Willie Wong becomes mayor. Mesa Solar Sox is founded 1993 Sister city relationship established with Kaiping, China. Williams Air Force Base closes, begins transition to Williams Gateway Airport 1994 Williams Gateway Airport opens Paz De Cristo Community Center opens 1995 A.T. Still University's Arizona School of Health Sciences opens Heritage Academy (Arizona) opens the current Organ Stop Pizza location in Mesa is opened 1996 City website online. Wayne Brown becomes mayor. Arizona State University at the Polytechnic campus opens on the former Williams Air Force Base Sun Valley High School opens 1997 Harkins Superstition Springs cinema in business. Noah Webster School opens. the new HoHoKam Stadium opens 1998 – Tri City Mall closes, all existing buildings demolished except for former site of JCPenney store, which remains standing until 2006 1999 Skyline High School opens AMC Mesa Grand 24 cinema in business. Saint Ignatius of Antioch Church active (approximate date). Sister city relationship established with Burnaby, Canada. 2000 Keno Hawker becomes mayor. Population: 396,375.

21st century 2002 – Desert Ridge High School opens; it is physically located in Mesa, but is part of Gilbert Public Schools instead of Mesa Public Schools. 2003 Arizona School of Dentistry and Oral Health opens at A.T. Still University's Mesa campus Champlin Fighter Museum closed 2005 Mesa Arts Center built. Mesa Miners is founded Mesa adopts city flag 2006 – Mesa Preparatory Academy opens 2007 Mesa Riverview opens Gateway 12/IMAX Theatre (cinema) in business. A.T. Still University School of Osteopathic Medicine in Arizona opens at A.T. Still University's Mesa campus 2008 October: Immigration raid by Maricopa County Sheriff. Sycamore Drive and Main Street Valley Metro Rail station opens, in front of the former Tri City Mall location; it is the first Metro Light Rail station in Mesa, and is the eastern terminator until future expansions are completed Scott Smith becomes mayor. 2009 closure of the General Motors Desert Proving Grounds is completed East Valley Mormon Choral Organization established, as part of the Millennial Choirs and Orchestras 2010 United Food Bank active. Population: city 439,041; metro 4,192,887. 2011 East Valley Institute of Technology East campus opened, adjacent to ASU Polytechnic Humanist Society of Greater Phoenix active. 2012 February 22: Republican Party presidential primaries debate held. December 10: Alexander murder trial begins. 2013 Mesa Grande Cultural Park opens. Matt Salmon becomes U.S. representative for Arizona's 5th congressional district and Kyrsten Sinema becomes U.S. representative for Arizona's 9th congressional district. the inaugural Visit Mesa Gateway Classic annual golf tournament is held 2014 Cubs Park opens 2021 - after renovations and redevelopment of the surrounding area, the Mesa Arizona Temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is rededicated on December, 12th 2021.

See also History of Mesa, Arizona List of mayors of Mesa, Arizona Timeline of Arizona Timelines of other cities in Arizona: Phoenix, Tucson

References

Bibliography

External links

Arizona Archives Online. Materials related to Mesa, various dates Digital Public Library of America. Items related to Mesa, Arizona, various dates Library of Congress, Prints & Photos Division. Materials related to Mesa, Arizona, various dates Heritage Wall, Arizona Museum of Natural History