Tucson History

From Old Pueblo to Southwestern Metropolis Tucson was formally founded in 1775, about the time the nation's forefathers were signing the Declaration of Independence. Locally, the city is still called the Old Pueblo for the adobe fortress or "presidio" that marked its early borders. Over the past three centuries, Tucson has grown from Native American farming community, to Spanish outpost, to dusty frontier town, to bustling, territorial days' railroad hub, to the mature Southwestern metropolis it is today. For a perfect introduction to Tucson and Southern Arizona's past, visit the Arizona Historical Society and the Arizona State Museum. Displays and artifacts chart regional history from the earliest inhabitants, to Spanish conquistadors, to statehood.