Did you know Mesa was home to a thriving wine industry in the late 1800s? Or, that Mesa’s livestock industry once included ostriches? Mesa’s fascinating history, along with more than 200 vintage photographs, can be found in a new book “Mesa” which is now on sale. Arcadia Publishing is releasing the book in their “Images of America” series.Two of the authors are City of Mesa employees: Tom Wilson, Director of the Arizona Museum of Natural History, and Alice Jung, Educational Services Coordinator of the Arizona Museum of Natural History. The other authors are Lisa Anderson, President and CEO of the Mesa Historical Museum, and Jared Smith, Collections Manager of the Mesa Historical Museum.
The authors have researched the history of Mesa from its pioneer beginnings in 1877 to its resilient agricultural community to its transformation into a tourism and manufacturing destination. The book also captures the everyday life of Mesa residents over the years. The photographs are primarily from the collections of the Arizona Museum of Natural History and Mesa Historical Museum. Some of the photographs have never been published before.
Copies of “Mesa” are on sale at the Mesa Historical Museum, the Arizona Museum of Natural History and at bookstores throughout the area. The book, which retails for $19.99, can also be purchased online at www.mesahistoricalmuseum.com or www.arcadiapublishing.com. Copies of the book will also be sold Saturday January 26 at Mesa’s 8th Annual Historic Home Tour from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Both museums will benefit from the sales.
