Tucson

Once considered the “Metropolis of Arizona,” Tucson is in many respects a college town with a major military base onto which a retirement community has been grafted. A sprawling city of one million in the Sonoran Desert, Tucson was developed during and especially for the second half of the 20th century, a reality which has left it possibly unprepared for the challenges of the 21st century.
Tracing the remarkable history of Tucson since 1854, this book describes many aspects of the community—its ceremonies and customs, its early bitter battle to secure the University of Arizona, its multitude of problems, its noteworthy successes and its racial divides. The recollections of those who have made Tucson such a memorable place are included, from political leaders to celebrities to ordinary residents.

Since 1995, David Devine has been researching and writing about the history of Tucson, where he lives, and Southern Arizona. He contributed numerous articles to the Tucson Weekly and wrote five Smoke Signal monographs for the Tucson Corral of the Westerners.

David Devine
Format: softcover (7 x 10)
Pages: 308
Bibliographic Info: 35 photos, 14 maps, notes, bibliography, index
Copyright Date: 2015
pISBN: 978-0-7864-9710-2
eISBN: 978-1-4766-1460-1
Imprint: McFarland

Preface 1

One: Railroad Jubilation to Economic Recession, 1854–1890 5

Two: A Diverse and Often Divided Community, 1890–1900 19

Three: Tossing the Mayor, 1900–1910 32

Four: Statehood, the “White Plague,” and a Serious Census Setback, 1910–1922 46

Five: Aviation and Athletic Accomplishments, 1920–1930 61

Six: Tough Times, Discrimination, and Subways, 1930–1940 76

Seven:War, Growth, and Entertainment, 1940–1950 91

Eight: Ever Increasing Expansion, 1950–1960 105

Nine: Crime, Downtown Decline, and Urban Highways, 1960–1970 121

Ten: Social Change Mixed with Political Turmoil, 1970–1980 138

Eleven: TCE/AIDS/TEP, 1980–1990 163

Twelve: Sports Highlights and Water Lowlights, 1990–2000 188

Thirteen: Economic Decline but Transportation Improvements, 2000–2010 213

Fourteen: Shootings and Squabbles, 2010–2014 239

Chapter Notes 263

Bibliography 282

Index 287

• “Of the many books written about Tucson’s history, David Devine’s hews closest to our most recent history…right up to 2014. Almost up-to-the-minute border immigration figures are here, as well as unemployment statistics”—The Journal of Arizona History
• “Meticulously details the history of Tucson, Arizona…interesting and well written…. Local historians, Tucson aficionados, and general readers should add this history of the Old Pueblo to their collection”—Western Historical Quarterly