In 1871, the Territorial Legislature designated 5,324 miles of some of
Arizona's prime land as Pinal County.
Pinal County was formed out of portions of Maricopa and Pima Counties on February 1,
1875. Florence, Arizona was established in 1866, was designated as, and has
remained, the County seat. Arizona became a state in 1912. It has
flown the flags of Spain, Mexico, the Confederacy and the Union.
It derives its name from the Pinal Apaches or "pine groves in the mountains."
There are four Indian Nations - the Maricopa-Pima (Ak-Chin), Gila River, Tohono O'Odham and
San Carlos Apache in Pinal County. They occupy twenty-three percent of the county.
This area which housed America's first civilization, the capitol of the Toltecs,
the Walled Cities of the Aztecs, the father of American irrigation, and the
friendly Pima Indians now has vast farming areas and grows such things as cotton, vegetables, and
fruit. A lot of migrant workers made their homes in Pinal County. Also,
Pinal County had a lot of copper mining but most of the mines have closed now. These
mines brought in a lot of workers in the early 1920's.
The Arboretum founded by the late William Boyce
Thompson is unexcelled in its collection of desert and cacti floral
gathered from all parts of the world. The mighty mysterious
Superstition Mountains with the tales of the Lost Dutchman Mine, the
Apache Trail, Coolidge Dam, Box Canyon, Pinal County's baby Grand
Canyon, Table Top Mountain area, The Iron Door, a famed mine, the cabin
and mine being the workings of William F. "Buffalo Bill" Cody,
and the caverns of Oracle Cave.
Picacho Peak State Park (25 miles south of Casa Grande on I-10) -
site of the only Civil War battle fought in Arizona. On April 15, 1862,
12 Union soldiers defeated 17 Confederate soldiers.
Florence (County Seat) - one of AZ's oldest towns, founded 1866 by Levi
Ruggles, named by Territorial governor Richard McCormick after his
sister, Florence.
Eloy - founded in 1919 as a farming community.
Superior - founded 1880s, prior to 1900 known as Hastings.
Silver King Mine - southwest of Superior, incorporated in 1877, produced
$6 million dollars in silver by 1888 (richest silver mine in AZ).
San Manuel - main employer Magma Copper Co.
Coolidge - settled in 1926 after Coolidge Dam was authorized on the
upper Gila River named for President Calvin Coolidge (who had signed the
bill for the dam.