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Mesa, Arizona
Mesa
is the third largest city in Arizona, although it is a suburb of Phoenix;
founded in 1878 by the Mormons. Their oldest desert temples is still here
in operation, with a tenth of the population in the city belonging to the LDS
or Mormon Church. The city has an exciting history, dating back two
thousand years to the time when the Hohokam Indians started the first canal
system which was the biggest and most sophisticated in the new world at the
time. With a few being 90 feet wide and 10 feet deep, water was fed to an
area covering roughly 110,000 acres over the Sonoran Desert and creating a
massive oasis; and quite a few are still in use today. Sometime before the
arrival of settlers to the area, the Hohokams disappeared. Not much has
been discovered about them, but in the late 19th century, US Army troops had
to subdue the Apache before the settlers could move in.
Daniel
Webster Jones and other Mormons left Utah with the instructions to settle in
Arizona in 1877. This group settled in the area of Lehi north of the Mesa
area, and another group settled in the Mesa area, refurbishing the canals
and building more. Another group came to the area east of the city since
there wasn't enough farmland to sustain them all. In July of 1878, the city
was registered as a one mile square and the first schoolhouse was built by
1879. 1883 brought the incorporation of the city with approximately 300
people. During the depression, WPA funds helped with a hospital, library,
new town hall and paved streets. Falcon Field and Williams Field came in
the 1940s and the military personnel that came to the area helped the city
to grow. As air conditioning and tourism arrived, the city grew as did the
aerospace industry. By 1960, only half the city was involved in farming,
but that eventually started its decline.
Most of
the schools belong to the public system, and it does have a community
college and the Polytechnic campus of Arizona State University sits on the
southwest side of the city. The 6000 students are enrolled in either
engineering or science. Falcon Field was used to train pilots for the RAF
during the war, then was given to the city to use as an airfield with Boeing
building its AH-64 Apache helicopters at the facility joining the airfield.
Williams Air Force Base closed in 1993, then became Williams Gateway
Airport, then it was the Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport, which it remains to
this day. With a few interstate highways coming in and bus services running
every day but Sunday, the city is the biggest one in the country that
doesn't have public transportation. It does have light rail, which is on
the end of the Metro Light Rail that runs through Phoenix and comes to the
city.
Some of
the cultural sights in the city are its main library, the Golfland/Sunsplash
waterpark, Arizona Museum of Natural History, Mesa Historical Museum,
Arizona Museum for Youth and the Commerative Air Force Museum. The Mesa
Arts Center, Mesa Arizona Temple, and the Amphitheater. There are a few
shopping malls in the area such as Superstition Springs Center, Fiesta Mall,
and Mesa Riverview.
When
renting a car in Mesa,
visitors save some of their traveling expenses to put towards other
costs. Renting a car also adds flexibility to their vacation. Most
people pick up their rental cars at or near the Mesa
International Airport because they have more of a selection to
choose from. We can also pick you up at or near the Mesa
International Airport from all the major rental car companies.
Whether you need a luxury car, compact car, mid-size, full-size, SUV
or even a minivan. Let us help you rent your next car in Mesa.
Dollar Rental Car Specials
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Airport
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 One
of the most fascinating sights in the area is the Apache Trail, that runs
from Phoenix to Globe, through the Superstition Mountains, past three lakes
and the Tonto National Forest. Along the route, you will pass through
Goldfield, formerly a ghost town and now a commercial center for the
tourists, past Canyon Lake and its beautiful scenery, along Tortilla Flat,
Fish Creek and another gorgeous lake called Apache and into Tonto New
Mexico, returning to Arizona and into Globe. The Lost Dutchmen State Park
is also on the way with all the legends and stories about the fabled mine
that has never been found.
Thrifty Rental
Car Specials
Thrifty Rental Car - Phoenix/Glendale
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Phoenix Airport
One of the best museums in the state, and the biggest dinosaur exhibits west
of the Mississippi, the Arizona Museum of Natural History contains some very
exciting exhibits. Enjoy the thundering 50 foot waterfall inside the
museum, and watch life sized animated dinos, plus a Columbian Mammoth and
saber toothed tiger. Hohokam dwellings, the highways permanent photo
collection, and a replica of the Lost Dutchman's Gold mine and more. Home
to an extensive natural and cultural history of the American southwest, this
museum was started in 1977 with collections of Arizona artifacts. With
80,000 square feet of space, these 58,000 items are a magnificent sight to
see. The museum sponsors the continuing digs at the Mesa Grande Ruin which
contains a large mound from the Hohokam Classic period. |