Pinal County Historical Museum
An ad from an old Arizona newspaper advertising clothing designed to combat heat.
Despite all the attributes of being the country’s fifth largest metropolis, what Phoenix is really known for is the heat. The Show series Hot Town explores the Valley’s hotness in all its forms.
Air conditioning is an expensive proposition and is certainly uncomfortably pricey for many Arizonans, but try to imagine living in the desert when air conditioning wasn’t anywhere.
Not only did residents not have it in their houses, it obviously wasn’t available for a quick cool down in a restaurant or hotel or other local business.
Chris Reid, a writer and researcher with the Pinal County Historical Society, makes regular presentations as part of the AZ Speaks program hosted by Arizona Humanities. Her next one, called, “They Beat the Heat: How Arizonans Survived the Desert Heat in the Days Before Air Conditioning,” is coming up Sept. 18 at the Glendale’s Foothills Library.
Reid’s presentation focuses on three different kinds of approaches residents used to deal with the heat: external, internal and mental. The Show spoke with Reid about all the ways early Arizonans cooled off.
Pinal County Historical Museum
Kids play outside of an Arizona school, all wearing hats. Hats are essential to keeping cool in the desert, according to Chris Reid.
