Founded by Mormon agricultural pioneers, Mesa today is growing like a weed. Far enough from Phoenix to retain its small town feel yet near enough to the big city to encourage the growth of technological and manufacturing industries, Mesa has become more than a retirement community and has evolved into a tourist mecca in its own right. Layers of native, frontier, and Mexican history have combined to form a city of eclectic tastes and offerings, from the prehistoric farming canals deep in the ground to the aviation businesses that take to the skies.