Mesa in south-central Arizona was initially inhabited by the Hohokam culture, which constructed a system of watering canals which was the most significant and the most advanced in ancient America. Some of these canals surpassed 90 feet in width and 10 feet in depth, and extended over 16 miles across the desert floor. By the year 1100 C.E. these canals provided water to a location surpassing 110,000 acres, and transformed the Sonora Desert into a sanctuary of agriculture. By the year 1450 C.E. the Hohokam canal system reached hundreds of miles in length. Much of these canals are still being used today. Obviously due to weather shifts, which resulted in rotating dry spells and floods, the Hohokam eventually deserted the location. It was not resettled up until after the American Civil War.

In 1877 an expedition of Mormon inhabitants led by Daniel Webster Jones got here in what is now Mesa. The settlement was initially called Jonesville, and the name was changed to Lehi at the recommendation of Brigham Young in 1883. At about this same time, another group of settlers known as the First Mesa Company showed up from Idaho and Utah. They were welcomed to sign up with the Lehi Visit the website inhabitants, but selected rather to transfer to the top of the mesa from which the name of today city is derived. These settlers made use of the original canal system of the Hohokams to produce a watering canal system of their own, which was inaugurated in 1878. That very same year Mesa City was developed as a town site one mile square in area.

The first school was integrated in Mesa in 1879 and the town itself with a population of 300 was incorporated in 1883. In 1895 the Mesa Canal was expanded enough to allow the building of a power plant, which was acquired by the city of Mesa in 1917. This local utility company provided sufficient profits to run the city till the 1960's. When Williams Field and Falcon Field were opened in the 1940's, an influx of military personnel moved into Mesa. Falcon Field in northeastern Mesa was established to train RAF pilots throughout The second world war. The advent of Mesa heating and Mesa AC and the boost in tourism, created a population explosion in Mesa and the nearby Phoenix area. The post The second world war era brought sensational growth in commerce and industry, especially from aerospace business. In 1960 half of Mesa's residents operated in agriculture, however this has actually declined considerably as Mesa's suburban areas reached out and joined the Phoenix city.

Although it was established by Mormons, and its population is still about one tenth Mormon, the flood of Easterners and Midwesterners into the location after World War II has actually changed the face of Mesa to a terrific degree. A 2006 census indicates that the population of the city is presently 67% non-Hispanic whites; 26% Hispanic; 3% Black; 2 Â 1/2 % Native American, and 2 Â 1/2 % Asian. The 2001 census estimated the total population of Mesa at over 440,000, with over 3,100 people per square mile. Mean household earnings was over $42,000, and mean household income over $49,000. Per capita earnings averaged $19,600, with about 9% of the population living listed below the hardship line. Therefore Mesa can be thought about to be a reasonably thriving Arizona Air Conditioner neighborhood.