ARIZONA STATE HISTORIAN

The office of Arizona Historian was authorized by the territorial legislature in 1909, upon motion of the president of the council, George W. P. Hunt. The department was continued upon establishment of the state government in 1912. Biennial appropriations of the state legislature support the work of the Arizona Historian and the department consists of the historian and secretary, both appointed by the governor.

The activities of the Arizona Historian may properly be divided into three main heads: Research, publication and historical marking. The first is facilitated by a valuable library of books on Arizona and the southwest, both new and rare old works, and by an extensive file of newspaper clippings, pamphlets, manuscripts, photographs and other items, which are grouped either according to Subject or as part of the individual files of pioneers and their families. Authors and research students from many parts of the United States have taken advantage of these sources of Arizona historical material, both by personal visits and by correspondence. The mail inquiries compose a large portion of the duties of the office.

By EFFIE R. KEEN, Historian Publication is in the form of a quarterly magazine issued since 1928 by the Arizona Historian, and books published periodically, the latter being initiated by the eight volume of "History of Arizona", written by Thomas E. Farish while occupying the office of Arizona Historian. The Farish History was published by this office between 1915-1918. It is today out of print and constantly in demand as the only detailed history of Arizona in existence.

In 1921, Col. J. H. McClintock, then Arizona Historian, published from the office his "Mormon Settlement In Arizona", a voluminous account of Mormon pioneering here which is alone in its field. Other publications are the "Legislative History of Arizona 1864-1912", by George H. Kelly, written while Major Kelly was historian and published by the department in 1926; and "Prehistoric Irrigation in Arizona", by Dr. O. A. Turney, published by the office in 1929. This last work has become the archaelogical authority on the visible network of canals left by the prehistoric inhabitants of the Salt River Valley, an account of Mormon pioneering here which is alone in its field. Other publications are the "Legislative History of Arizona 1864-1912", by George H. Kelly, written while Major Kelly was historian and published by the department in 1926; and "Prehistoric Irrigation in Arizona", by Dr. O. A. Turney, published by the office in 1929. This last work has become the archaeological authority on the visible network of canals left by the prehistoric inhabitants of the Salt River Valley, an account.

Aqueduct system now largely leveled and obliterated by farms and buildings but accurately and painstakingly preserved in the Turney work.

In April, 1928, Major George H. Kelly, with the approval and aid of the then governor, George W. P. Hunt, published the volume one number of the "Arizona Historical Review". Such magazines are printed officially by every state in the union, and Major Kelly had many examples from which to draw a form to supply the lack of an historical magazine in the State of Arizona. The "Arizona Historical Review" has been published continuously since 1928, and is now in its fifth volume. One thousand dollars is appropriated annually by the legislature toward support of the magazine. The remainder of the expense of printing, which is again as much as the appropriation therefor, is raised by subscription and advertising.

The official nature and prestige of the "Arizona Historical Review" has drawn to it a distinguished group of editors among whom are authors of note, with the result that contributions to the magazine are of