A Journey along the Light Rail
Journey along the Light Rail, from Mesa to Phoenix and back. Stop and explore the history panels at various stations. Stop and shop at a local store or restaurant. Follow the valley's and Arizona's history as you ride.
Gilbert Road Station
Farming East Mesa
East Mesa's history was one of a thriving farming community. In the 1950s, one of Mesa's popular farms was "Jack Adam's Alligator Farm," a major tourist attraction. By the late 1980s, most of Mesa's farming industry died out due to development.
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Stapley Road Station
In Honor of O. S. Stapley
O. S. Stapley was a Mesa businessman who was monumental in shaping Arizona's farming community through his hardware and farm supply stores. The city of Mesa still honors Stapley's legacy today.
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U.S. Post Office (Downtown Station)
Finished in 1930, the U.S. Post Office in downtown Phoenix was built by private architects who designed typical federal buildings from the 1920s and 1930s. The art that is found inside the building is quite unique. The murals reflect the economic and social downturn of the depression and represent…
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Mesa Drive Station
Religion and railroads played a prominent role in the settlement of Mesa. Mormons played a prominent role in settling multiple communities that grew together into Mesa, including the Lehi & Stringtown communities. The presence of a Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormon) Temple in…
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Country Club Station
Citrus played a prominent role in Mesa's history. Along the Southern Pacific Railroad tracks near Creamery Road (present-day Broadway) sat a packing house for citrus. C.H. McKellips' plant washed and waxed citrus fruit before it shipped across the country. Buiilt in 1934 at a cost of approximately…
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Alma School Station
Settled by Mormon pioneers in 1880, “Stringtown” emerged as one of Mesa's earliest settlements-a linear district running south for a couple of miles along present-day Alma School Road.
Settlers dug an extension of the Mesa Canal canal bringing Salt River water to their farms. In 1883 they…
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Sycamore Station
Farming gave Mesa its early identity. The legacies live on in street names, such as Dobson Road. Cliff Dobson co-owned the Baseline Cattle Company and Sheep Springs Sheep Company that was started in the early 1900s. The companies, known as Dobson Ranch, were bounded thousands of acres in Mesa and…
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Center Street Station
The intersection of Main and Center street has been at the heart of Mesa's history for over a century. Now home to the Mesa Arts Center, conceived
Mesa's firs shopping center was built in 1908 by A.J. Chandler on the corner of Main and MacDonald. It was a U-shaped Spanish-Revival…
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