Lehi, Mesa facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Lehi
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city_region
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Old Lehi School,
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 Lehi
Location in Maricopa County, Arizona
Lehi
Location in Arizona
Lehi
Location in the United States
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Lehi is a community located in Mesa, Arizona. It was a separate settlement before it became part of Mesa. Lehi joined the much larger city of Mesa in 1970. Today, it marks the northern edge of central Mesa.
Lehi is next to the Salt River on its north side. The Consolidated Canal is to its south. A part of Arizona State Route 202 also runs through the area. Lehi shares a border with the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community. They have a long and shared history.
An important building in Lehi is the Old Lehi School. This school was added to the National Register of Historic Places in August 2001. It is now home to the Mesa Historical Museum.
History of Lehi
Lehi was settled in 1877 by members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. They were led by Daniel W. Jones. Jones had been asked by Brigham Young to start a new colony. This colony was to be in the Salt River Valley of the Arizona Territory.
The group of settlers left St. George in the Utah Territory. They arrived at the Lehi site in March 1877. Daniel W. Jones invited local Native Americans to live with them. This idea caused some disagreement among the settlers. Because of this, about half of the first group left. They moved on to start another settlement called St. David, Arizona.
Lehi was first known by other names. These names were Jonesville and Fort Utah. The name Lehi was not given until 1883. At that time, Brigham Young, Jr., a leader in the LDS Church, suggested the name. He recommended naming the settlement after the prophet Lehi from the Book of Mormon.
