| c1400 |
The Hohokam culture disappears in the Tempe area in the 14th and 15th centuries. |
| 1700 |
Spanish missionary Eusebio Francisco Kino names and maps the Rio de Salado
(Salt River). |
| 1848 |
The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo ends the Mexican-American War
(1846-1848). The treaty gives all of present-day Arizona north of the
Gila River to the United States. |
| 1854 |
With ratification of the Gadsden Purchase, land south of the Gila River is
purchased and becomes part of the United States, April 25, 1854. |
| 1863 |
The Organic Act creating Arizona as a separate territory is signed by
President Lincoln on February 24, 1863. |
| 1865 |
Fort McDowell established on the lower Verde River, east of the Salt River Valley. |
| 1866 |
Former soldier John Y. T. Smith gets a contract to supply hay for soldiers'
horses and mules. Smith hired Hispanic laborers who settled near the
fort to harvest wild hay from the Salt River. The next year Smith and
his employees established a hay camp on the Salt River, becoming the first
settlement in the Salt River Valley. |
| 1870 |
The U.S. Census reports that the Arizona Territory has a population of
9,658. The Salt River Valley had a population of 240, which included 115
Hispanics. |
| 1871 |
The Tempe Irrigating Canal Company is started. |
| 1871 |
On February 14, 1871, the Territorial Legislative Assembly created Maricopa
County from lands that were taken from Yavapai County. Phoenix was
designated the county seat. |
| 1871 |
Charles T. Hayden establishes a store and freighting headquarters on the
south side of the Salt River. Hayden built the first
structure on his homestead in October, 1871 [this is recognized as Tempe's
"official" founding date, although there were already people living in the Tempe
area]. |
| 1872 |
William H. Kirkland donates 80 acres of land near Tempe Butte to Hispanic
laborers who helped construct the Kirkland-McKinney ditch. The laborers
purchased lots to raise money for a church. They named their settlement
San Pablo. |
| 1874 |
Charles T. Hayden opens his flour milling operation using water from the
Tempe Irrigating Canal. |
| 1877 |
Hiram C. Hodge notes that there are two stores and a population of about 100
in Tempe. |
| 1878 |
Mesa is founded. |
| 1879 |
The Hayden's Ferry Post Office is renamed the Tempe Post Office. |
| 1881 |
Phoenix is incorporated on February 5, 1881. |
| 1881 |
The gunfight at the O.K. Corral in Tombstone takes place on October 26,
1881. |
| 1886 |
The Territorial Normal School opens in Tempe. |
| 1887 |
The new Phoenix and Maricopa Railroad links Tempe with Phoenix and the
mainline at Maricopa. |
| 1887 |
The Salt River Valley
News, renamed the Tempe News, is first printed by Curt Miller who
embarks on a 55-year tenure as publisher. It is published on Saturdays. |
| 1888 |
The Tempe Land and Improvement Company is incorporated. |
| 1889 |
The Territorial Normal School is renamed the Arizona Territorial Normal
School. |
| 1892 |
The Kibbey Decision grants Tempe land owners rights to a guaranteed supply
of water. |
| 1894 |
The Maricopa County Board of Supervisors incorporates the town of Tempe.
Dr. Fenn J. Hart is named the first mayor. |
| 1895 |
The Tempe Daily News becomes the town's official newspaper. |
| 1896 |
Tempe holds its first municipal election. |
| 1898 |
Electric street lights are installed in the downtown area. |
| 1898 |
The Spanish-American War is fought in the Caribbean and the Pacific. |
| 1900 |
The Sunset Telephone Company brings the first phone service to Tempe. |
| 1902 |
Tempe's first domestic water system is completed. |
| 1902 |
A volunteer fire department is organized in Tempe. |
| 1909 |
Tempe's first high school is constructed. |
| 1910 |
The Kent Decree established guidelines for surface water distribution
rights. |
| 1911 |
The Roosevelt Dam is completed on the Salt River. |
| 1911 |
Construction begins on the Ash Avenue Bridge. |
| 1912 |
Arizona becomes the 48th state on February 14, 1912. |
| 1912 |
Carl Trumbull Hayden is elected to the United States House of
Representatives. |
| 1912 |
A city hall and jail is built. |
| 1913 |
The first municipal sewer system is constructed. |
| 1914-18 |
World War I is fought in Europe. |
| 1915 |
Town Council passed Ordinance No. 108, establishing a Department of Public
Works responsible for water, sewer, public buildings, parks, grounds, and
repair of streets. |
| 1920 |
The price of cotton plummets, leading to financial disaster for cotton
farmers in the Salt River Valley. Tempe, home of the local cotton
growers association, is hit particularly hard. |
| 1920 |
Tempe has a population of 1900. |
| 1923 |
The Farmer and Merchants Bank fails. |
| 1923 |
The Tempe Irrigating Canal Company becomes part of the Salt River Project. |
| 1923 |
The swimming pool at Tempe Beach Park opens. |
| 1923 |
The Tempe Rotary Club is formed. |
| 1925 |
Adolpho Romo brings a suit against the Trustees of the Tempe Elementary
School in the Maricopa County Superior Court asking that his children be
admitted to the Tenth Street School on the same terms and conditions as other
children. At that time, the district required his four children, and all
Hispanic children, to attend the Eighth Street School. Maricopa County Superior
Court Judge Joseph S. Jenckes ruled in his favor. |
| 1929 |
The Tempe Lions Club is formed. |
| 1929 |
The stock market crashes, plunging the country into the Great
Depression. The effects were not felt immediately in the Salt River
Valley. |
| 1930 |
The population of Tempe is 2,495. |
| 1931 |
The Mill Avenue Bridge is completed and replaces the Ash Avenue bridge as
the auto crossing. |
| 1932 |
Dr. B. B. Moeur is elected Governor of Arizona. |
| 1936 |
John R. Murdock, a professor at Arizona State Teachers College, is elected
to the United States House of Representatives. |
| 1940 |
The population of Tempe is 2,900. |
| 1944 |
Tempe’s first official hospital, Tempe Community
Hospital, opens. |
| 1945 |
Arizona State Teachers College is renamed Arizona State College at Tempe. |
| 1946 |
The Tempe Beach Pool "No Mexicans Allowed" segregation policy is
ended. Hispanic Tempe veterans lead the effort to desegregate the pool. |
| 1950 |
Howard Pyle is elected Governor of Arizona. |
| 1950 |
The population of Tempe is 7,684. |
| 1958 |
Arizona voters change the name of Arizona State College at Tempe to Arizona
State University. |
| 1958 |
ASU Sun Devil Stadium is built. It is expanded several times over the
years. |
| 1960 |
Tempe's population grows to 24,897. |
| 1965 |
Tempe's population is now 45, 919 -- an
increase of 84.4% in five years. |
| 1962 |
Broadway Plaza is completed at Broadway Road and Mill Avenue. |
| 1964 |
Tempe becomes a charter government city and elects its mayor directly for
the first time. |
| 1964 |
Laird and Dines Drug Store closes after 68 years of operation at the corner
of Mill Avenue and Fifth Street. |
| 1964 |
ASU has 16,818 students, with a campus on 300 acres of land. |
| 1967 |
Tempe adopts its first General Plan to direct the development of the city. |
| 1968 |
Ground is broken for a new Post Office facility at Southern and College
avenues. |
| 1968 |
Carl Trumbull Hayden retires from the United States Senate after 56 years of
service in Congress. Hayden still holds the record for the longest term
of service in the Congress. |
| 1968 |
ASU has 23,341 students. |
| 1968 |
The Interstate-10 freeway is built through Tempe. |
| 1968 |
Diablo Stadium is built. |
| 1969 |
The first Mill Avenue arts and crafts fair is held. |
| 1970 |
A new City Hall complex is completed. |
| 1970 |
Construction of "The Lakes" housing development begins just
outside of Tempe's city limits. |
| 1970 |
Tempe's population is 63,550. |
| 1971 |
The first building constructed specifically for the Tempe Public Library is completed at Southern Avenue and
Rural Road. Today this building houses the Tempe History Museum. |
| 1972 |
The City of Tempe purchases land for Kiwanis Park. |
| 1974 |
The City of Chandler annexes land along Ray Road, blocking Tempe's last
avenue of expansion. Tempe becomes landlocked. |
| 1980 |
Tempe's population is 106,743. |
| 1980 |
Major floods close every bridge in the valley except the Mill Avenue Bridge
and the Central Avenue Bridge in Phoenix. |
| 1988 |
The Phoenix Cardinals begin playing at Sun Devil Stadium and open a training
facility in Tempe. |
| 1988 |
The Kiwanis Recreation Center and Wave Pool open to the public. |
| 1989 |
The new Tempe Public Library building opens. |
| 1989 |
The Tempe City Council approves the Rio Salado Project. |
| 1989 |
The Tempe Police Department becomes the 100th accredited department in the
nation. |
| 1989-94 |
The Maricopa County Flood Control district channelizes the Salt River. |
| 1990 |
Tempe's population is 141,000. |
| 1990 |
Tempe voters approve an ordinance to provide funding for public art. |
| 1991 |
The Tempe Historical Museum reopens in the former Tempe Public Library. |
| 1993 |
The Tempe/Arizona Public
Service Joint Fire Training Center is dedicated. |
| 1994 |
The Arizona Department of Transportation completes the Loop 202 freeway
through north Tempe. |
| 1996 |
Super Bowl XXX is played in Sun Devil Stadium. |
| 1997 |
The Hayden Flour Mill closes after 123 years of operation. The Mill's
last operator was Bay State Milling, which purchased the mill in 1981.
Limited operations continued until March 1998. |
| 1997 |
The Tempe Fire
Department becomes the first fire department in the United States to be
accredited by the Commission on Fire Accreditation International.
|
| 1998 |
Construction of the Rio Salado Project begins. |
| 1999 |
The Tempe Town Lake is completed. Tempe Beach Park is rededicated. |
| 1999 |
The Tempe Fire Department opens
a new Fire Station and Administration Offices on East Apache Boulevard. The new
facility is named Fire Station #1. |
| 1999 |
The Human Relations Commission establishes the Diversity Award to recognize
individuals, community groups and businesses who have demonstrated a commitment
to diversity in Tempe. |
| 2000 |
Tempe's population is 158,625. |
| 2002 |
The old Hayden Flour Mill burns
for the third time in its history. The Fire Department saves the 1918 portion
and the 1951 grain silos. |
| 2005 |
Tempe's population is 165,796. |
| 2006 |
The Arizona Cardinals (formerly the Phoenix Cardinals) move from Sun Devil
Stadium to the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale. |
| 2007 |
The Tempe Center for the Arts
opens by Town Lake.
|
| 2008 |
Corey Woods is the first African American to be elected to the Tempe City
Council. |
| 2008 |
The light rail transit system begins operation in Phoenix, Tempe and Mesa. |
| 2009 |
The East Valley Tribune, the latest version of the Tempe Daily News,
ceases circulation in Tempe, marking the end of 122 years of continuous
newspaper coverage. |
| 2009 |
President Barack Obama speaks at the Arizona State University commencement. |