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April 13, 2024

Pinal County History

Given that we are the Pinal County Historical Society it seems right to talk about the history of Pinal County. Did you know that until 1854 most of what is now Pinal County was part of Mexico? The Gadsden Purchase added all of Pinal County, including the rest of southern Arizona, into the U.S. The county was officially created in 1875, with Florence as the county seat. Since 1875 the number of people living in Pinal County has significantly increased. According to the 1880 census Pinal County had about 3000 people. By 2020 the population had risen to over 425,000.

2nd Pinal County Courthouse (1891)

For many years the economy of Pinal County was known primarily for prisons and agriculture, with citrus and cotton the leading crops. Today the economy is widely diversified, with electric vehicles from Lucid Motors and Nikola adding to the mix. All of these additional people have also made the construction industry a major part of the economy. Pinal County's location between Tucson and Phoenix makes it ideal for large companies looking to set up major operations and give the county a bright future!

Speaker Series: History of Arizona Water Use and Farming Cultures

This presentation from PCHM and the Viney Jones Community Library is entitled "History of Arizona Water Use and Farming Cultures". Presented by Jim Turner, the presentation is scheduled on May 10th at 10:00 am at the Viney Jones Community Library (778 N Main Street). This presentation will cover humankind’s water use and food supply interactions with Arizona’s ecology from Clovis culture hunter-gatherers to prehistoric irrigation canals, contemporary Hopi and Tohono O’odham dry farming, and present-day American farmers.  This program is made possible by the Friends of the Viney Jones Library.  Click here for more info!

PCHS Out and About

PCHS participated in the Archaeology Mini Expo at the San Tan Historical Society on April 6th. The expo featured traditional weaving, making adobe bricks, and starting a fire with a bow and wood stick. PCHS had a booth that provided fun and educational games for the kids, including identifying different types of rocks found in Arizona. We also sold several children's books from our gift shop. A fun time was had by all!

Spring Fundraisers

Friends and supporters of PCHM Thank you for all of your support this Spring. Our yard sale raised $650 and furnished a dining room table & chairs for a young couple, InstaPots and appliances, books for every interest, and DVD/CDs for all! Look for this and more on Saturday, November 9th at our next sale! AZ Gives - a big shout out to our donors on AZ Gives day for contributing a much-appreciated $1,500. For those who missed out, AZ Gives fundraising is all year - you can still join the party and contribute at:  Arizona Gives Day Lastly, save the date for our blowout annual Christmas Party on Wednesday, December 11, 2024. Tickets go on sale this fall.

Gift Shop Items of the Month

April is the time for celebrating nature in the spring! Check out our books on the desert, including many with children in mind. Also check out our jewelry, with some items containing stones from Arizona.  We welcome you to our Gift Shop Tuesday-Saturday from 11:00 am to 4:00 pm.

April 26, 1925: On this date a monument was dedicated to Charles D. Poston on Poston Butte ("F" mountain) in Florence. Poston is often referred to as the "Father of Arizona" due to his efforts to have Arizona recognized as a territory separate from New Mexico.

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Pinal County Historical Museum 715 South Main Street Florence, AZ 85132 520-868-4382 WEB: https://www.pchmuseum.org/ EMAIL: info@pchmuseum.org Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pchsmuseum1

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