White House Blogs
 Official Podcasts |
Government
|
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| Arizona |
|
Â
 #   Entered Union  Year Settled 48th      Feb. 14, 1912     1776  Nickname Grand Canyon State  Rank     Population 14th      6,500,180  Rank     Square Miles 6th         113,998  State Bird State Flower  State Tree  State Motto  Ditat Deus           God enriches  The "Grand Canyon State," Arizona, was the 48th state to join the U.S. in 1912-- the last of 48 contiguous (connected) states to join the Union. The state's name comes from arizonac, from two Papago Indian words meaning "place of the young spring." Arizona has a very dry climate and is known for its cactus plants.  How far would you travel for silver and gold? After Arizona became a separate territory on February 24, 1863, New Englanders searching for gold came to Arizona and founded the town of Prescott.  When silver was discovered at Tombstone, Arizona, in 1877, nearly 7,000 people came to the territory. Four years later, the rough frontier town became the site of the famous gunfight at the O.K. Corral. By the 1880's the Arizona territory was bustling with fortune seekers from all around the world.  In 1912, no longer a lawless frontier, Arizona became a state, but precious metals and gunslingers were only a part of Arizona's heritage.  Native Americans have always maintained a strong presence in Arizona. When President Theodore Roosevelt visited Arizona in 1913, the Hopi Indians honored him with a demonstration of the ritual Hopi snake dance.  Today, fifteen distinct tribes, including Navajo, Hopi, Papago, Apache, and Pima live on seventeen reservations in the state.  The Grand Canyon is an immense steep valley in northwestern Arizona. Do you know what led the first European to go there?  GarcÃa López de Cárdenas a Spanish explorer, was the first European to see the Grand Canyon, in 1540. He stumbled across it in his search for fabled cities thought to be filled with treasure and riches -- the Seven Golden Cities of Cibola. His journey was considered a failure because he never found the gold he sought.  Native Americans, called the Anasazi, lived along the Grand Canyon long before Europeans ever set eyes on it. The Anasazi, who are thought to be the ancestors of the present-day Hopi, lived in caves and pit houses along the edges of the canyon in pueblos (towns). The Hopi believe the Grand Canyon is a Sipapu, a place from which all people emerged from another world into this one.  Grand Canyon Mule Trail Rides Would you like to take a trip into the Grand Canyon? Then, hold on to your horses -- or better yet, your mule. That's right, mule. Mules are well suited for traversing the Grand Canyon. They are three times as strong as a horse, more sure-footed, intelligent, and trainable. They are known for having a stubborn nature, but this is due to their strong sense of self-preservation.  Riding into the canyon, "is not a pony ride at Disneyland," according to Ron Clayton, manager of the Grand Canyon Mule Operation. He prepares people who want to take the trip for a tough, yet satisfying, experience.  Riders have a choice of two separate trips leaving the South Rim of the Canyon: the first is a one-day ride down Bright Angel Trail to Plateau Point, where the mule riders can look out over the Colorado River. The second is an overnight ride that ends at Phantom Ranch, where riders can spend one or two nights exploring the bottom of the Canyon. Are you ready to saddle up  |
866-275-5816
