The Arizona Historical Society (AHS) announces the departure of Executive Director W. James Burns after three years with the agency. Burns will assume the role of Executive Director of Western Spirit: Scottsdale’s Museum of the West in the fall of 2021. Burns’ departure from AHS will be coordinated to ensure a smooth transition to new […]

A new coordinator, new rules, a new rubric, and a virtual contest? This National History Day (NHD) cycle couldn’t have been more different if we’d planned it! Despite all that, Arizona students had a strong finish in the National History Day Contest this year. The theme for 2021 was Communication in History: The Key to […]

As summer temperatures heat up, Arizonans begin to anticipate our annual monsoon season. The summer monsoon season starts when the winds shift and produce a radical change in the state’s moisture starting around June 15. From afternoon Flagstaff showers to billowing dust storms near Casa Grande, every Arizonan has a monsoon story. Although this weather […]

When you think about Chinese people in Arizona or the West, what comes to mind? Perhaps it’s the iconic Dragon Gate marking the entrance to San Francisco’s Chinatown. Maybe you recall something from an Arizona history class in high school about how the Chinese helped build the railroads. Or maybe it’s a glimpse of Chinese […]

As early as 1905, Japanese immigrants moved to Arizona with the intent to farm the land. They first planned to establish a sugar beet farm; but this crop would fail to thrive in the heat, and many Japanese farmers left the state by 1915. Despite the difficulty, new farmers continued to arrive, including Kajuro Kishiyama […]

As more and more people receive the COVID-19 vaccine, we can’t help but think of a particularly important artifact housed at the Pioneer Museum in Flagstaff, the iron lung. This early ventilator saved many lives when a previous epidemic spread across America. Polio left many children and adults paralyzed, some temporarily and some permanently. In […]

“Ready to Launch: Arizona’s Place in Space” opens May 20, 2021   Start the countdown! “Ready to Launch: Arizona’s Place in Space” is coming to the Arizona History Museum in Tucson. This new exhibition investigates the impact that the people, landscape, and universities in Arizona have played in space exploration. “Ready to Launch: Arizona’s Place […]

And that’s a wrap on NHDAZ 2021! Despite a challenging year, Arizona’s students had an impressive showing, as always! Students tackled this year’s theme, Communication in History: The Key to Understanding, with gusto, choosing diverse topics that covered World War II, racism and racial violence in the United States, women’s political and civil engagement, ancient […]

The Arizona Heritage Center at Papago Park is excited to announce a new exhibition featuring the photography of contemporary artist Katharine L. McKenna. During her gap year from college in upstate New York, McKenna spent the summers of 1977 and 1978 volunteering at the Museum of Northern Arizona in Flagstaff. While there, she assisted the […]

April 6, 2021, is a big day — so save the date! We’ll be participating in #AZGivesDay, a 24-hour day of statewide giving, and would appreciate your support. Please help us spread the word — or, even better, make an early donation now at https://www.azgives.org/arizonahistoricalsociety! The COVID-19 pandemic forced the Arizona Historical Society to close […]