Tucson, Arizona

TUCSON, ARIZONA T ucson is a city in, and the county seat of, Pima County, Arizona. It was originally founded in 1775 as a military fort by the Spanish, in an area near the Santa Cruz River that was part of Mexico after it gained independence from Spain in 1821. The U.S. acquired Arizona, south of the Gila River, via treaty from Mexico in the Gadsden Purchase on June 8, 1854. Under this treaty, Tucson became a part of the United States of America. It was incorporated in 1877, making it the oldest incorporated city in the territory. During the territorial and early statehood periods (Arizona became the 48th state in 1912), Tucson was Arizona’s largest city and commercial center, while Phoenix was the seat of state government and agriculture. Much of Tucson’s modern economic development has been centered on the development of the University of Arizona (UA), originally founded in 1885, and which today, with approximately 46,000 students, is the largest employer in the city. Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, on the city’s southeastern edge, also provides many jobs for Tucson residents. Its presence, as well as the A place for entrepreneurs