Although the first school in Mesa started in 1879, few children went to school past the age of 12 or 13. Mesa didn’t start a high school class until 1899. They held the class in the upstairs of the Old North School. Mesa Union High School District…

Double Butte Cemetery is located in southwest Tempe on land that once belonged to Niels Peterson. It was located far from what was Tempe in 1888 due to health concerns. The cemetery is part of the “Rural” cemetery movement, but has its…

Completed in 1892, The Niels Peterson House was designed by James Creighton. At the time of construction, the Tempe population was roughly under 1,000. After arriving from Denmark in 1871, Niels Peterson homesteaded 160 acres of the Salt River…

In the late 1880s, when horses pulled carts and delivered mail in Tempe, Mill Avenue was a nascent hub of commercial activity. What became known as the "Andre Block" was among the first buildings constructed along Mill Avenue. According to…