Southern Arizona — Diverse and Fascinating

Southern Arizona is a region of extremes. Elevation ranges from barely above sea level where plant, animal and human life struggle against the desert elements to lofty pine-covered peaks frequented by heavy snows. It is a land of 200-year-old missions and modern high-rise, steel and glass apartment buildings. Papago Indians southwest of Tucson practice ancient religious rites. In their midst, atop Kitt Peak, astronomers use the most advanced and sophisticated equipment available to probe space. Ranching is still a thriving industry. Within sight, actors and stuntmen attempt to recreate the west that was. It is a region known for its four national monuments - Chiricahua, popular for its bizarre rock formations; Tumacacori, the remains of an 18th century mission, and Organ Pipe and Saguaro national monuments, where abundant stands of cactus enthrall the visitor. Southern Arizona is the land of Cochise and Geronimo, famed Apache leaders. It is where Pancho Villa alternately frightened and entertained early Arizonans along the Mexican border. And where Wyatt Earp, Doc Holliday and Johnny Ringo played their reckless drama. Aviation installations have flourished in the area since the 1940's due in part to the predictably-excellent flying weather. Now soaring and hang gliding enthusiasts have taken to the air, but there is still plenty of room up there. It is a land once called "worthless" by Congressmen examining Arizonans' bid to become the 48th state. Today it is one of the most popular areas for retirement living, vacationing and year-around sports. The region also provides impressive quantities of citrus, vegetable and beef products, and produces much of the nation's copper from massive open pit mines and underground installations. The area, along with the Phoenix metropolitan district to the north, is the fastest growing section in the United States. Not bad for being a "worthless" area. Southern Arizona is truly a region of temperature extremes. Winter temperatures atop some of the area's 9000-foot-plus-peaks slip down to minus 20 and 30 degrees. (Yes, there is one ski facility!) But on the desert floor, summer temperatures of 110-degree-plus are common. Parker and Fort Mohave, in southwestern Arizona, hold the state's high record at 127 degrees. And it has its share of unusual names identifying towns and villages: Ajo, Salome, Cowlic, Kansas Settlement, Double Adobe, Charco, Covered Wells, Queens Well, Paradise, Why, and of course, Tombstone. That's Southern Arizona! Tom C. Cooper

Fascinating and Diverse Southern Arizona