Mesa, was home to the Hohokam and the Tohono O’odham Indians, and was founded 1878 by Mormon farming pioneers. Interesting firsts for Mesa include: Fannie Macdonald was the first postmaster of the 1881 Hayden Ferry Post Office; the railroad came to Mesa in 1895, and 1970 marked the incorporation of the city Lehi into Mesa, Arizona.
The Mesa Free Press newspaper began printing in 1892 for the area.
The University of Arizona was once known as the Standage Farm. Alexander F. Macdonald was Mesa’s first major. Dr. A.J.. Chandler is credited with enlarging the Mesa Canal and building Mesa’s first office complex.
Dr. James Livinston was an African American veterinarian who resided in Mesa. Willie Wong, a Chinese immigrant became Mesa’s major. In 1941, Falcon Field Airport and Williams Air Force Base were erected. The purpose was training World War II pilots.
