Sahuarita Mattress Store

Sahuarita, AZ Tidbits

Located south of the area where a local indigenous group lives is the town of Sahuarita. During the 2010 census, it had only 25,259 residents. Although Sahuarita was only founded in 1911 and later incorporated as a town in 1994, its history started before American settlers came to area.

It was first inhabited by an ancient indigenous culture that was well-known across what is now Arizona and Mexico thousands of years ago. According to research, many of the early towns in Arizona had made use of the irrigation system and canals that these prehistoric people had left behind. This group of people and were fond of trading with other Mesoamerican tribes.

Another group of indigenous people inhabited the area from 1400 to 1900. They had settled in the southern part of the Santa Cruz area. In 1691, an Italian cartographer and explorer passed by the Santa Cruz River and met the Sobaipuri leaders. Spanish explorers had then arrived at established mines where many locals were employed. Later on, a structure was constructed at a place called Bac, which was just a few kilometers away from Sahuarita.

During the later part of the 18th century, the Spanish settlers started towns in the area. One of those places was Tucson. After that, Mexico owned the Arizona region and sold it to the United States of America. Sahuarita was incorporated into the Arizona Territory in 1863. The town's name traces its origins to a German map in 1875 that marked a town as "Sahuarito". Years later, the United States government created their own map and marked the town as "Saurita" in 1879. The latter was used many times in succeeding maps.

In a 2016 article in a local newspaper, a historian revealed that the town name "Sahuarito" comes from "Saguarito" or "little saguaro", which refers to a cactus species commonly found in the Arizona deserts. According to records, the name first appeared in documents that date back to as early as 1821. The founder of the town had settled in the area in 1867 and named a ranch after the saguaro catci.

When new owners purchased the ranch in 1868, the name "Sahuarita" was changed to "Sahuarito". The first post office bore that name in 1882 until 1886. A new postal office emerged in 1915, and this time it was called "Sahuarita". Ever since then, the town had carried that name.

One of the man-made natural places in the area is the Sahuarita Lake, which was completed in 2001. Just beyond the town is the Italian cartographer's structure, which stands on a local reservation. Built between 1783 and 1797, it is considered the oldest European structure in the state of Arizona. More than 200,000 people visit the site every year since it can be accessed by foot or by horseback.

The park surrounding the lake is composed of 15 acres of land, with 10 acres of lake and grassy areas. There's a one-mile pathway surrounding the lake. At the park, there are picnic tables and benches, as well as exercise equipment. Aside from private gatherings, there are also town celebrations and festivities held at this park. One 11-acre park is located right next to a school at a historic trail. The park has two softball fields and one soccer field. There are also two lighted basketball courts and two tennis courts, as well as a playground, picnic areas, and a restroom. Although not as large as other towns, Sahuarita has enough to satisfy its locals and visitors.