It’s been one month since Sun Devils came back to campus after nearly 16 months of remote learning. To celebrate our return to in-person learning, our September Map of the Month is this 1980 illustrated map of Tempe, Arizona. It highlights many of Tempe’s community landmarks and provides a look at just how much Tempe has changed in only 40 years.
From the 1970s to early 1980s, Tempe experienced a period of great population growth. Within 10 years, the population had increased by over 40,000 people and was continuing to rise. The city itself had little room to expand given its proximity to Chandler and other nearby cities, so instead it began developing the land it already had. From new housing developments and apartment complexes to new parks, community buildings, and local businesses, Tempe grew more lively each day, and soon, maps like this one were created with the goal of enticing tourists into the city by highlighting the fun and welcoming community.
Tempe is now the eighth most populous city in Arizona and is one of the top 200 most populous cities in the United States, but at the time of this map’s publication, it’s smaller population and resulting small-town feel led companies to portray a tightly knit and friendly community when promoting the city. This map includes several cartoons and good-natured caricatures of locals such as these direction markers that are drawn in a way reminiscent of a local giving directions. The result is a map that illustrates Tempe’s local color just as much as it illustrates the streets and landmarks.
The Arizona State University campus is featured almost front and center on this map. It occupies multiple blocks and many of its most recognizable buildings are shown, including Grady Gammage Memorial Auditorium and Sun Devil Stadium. Although ASU’s Tempe campus has expanded and modernized regularly over the past 40 years, many of its historic buildings still stand and are shown on this map, such as the Manzanita and Palo Verde residence halls and the Memorial Union. The University’s studious and recreational sides are also shown off here with caricatures of diligent students and impressive student athletes.
One of the most significant features of present-day Tempe that is absent on this map is the Tempe Town Lake. This is because construction of Tempe Town Lake did not begin until 1997 and finished in 1999. Before the Lake was created, the space it now occupies was taken up by the Salt River bed, which varied depending on season and yearly rainfall between a dry riverbed and an irregularly flooding body of water (as shown on the map). Tempe Town Lake’s construction helped to mediate the irregularity and danger of floods, as well as creating a space for even more tourism and local recreation.
We hope you enjoyed this look at our September Map of the Month! If you would like to get a high resolution scan of the map or schedule an appointment to explore the collection in person, please submit a service request to the Map and Geospatial Hub.
- Kelsey Kerley, Map and GIS Assistant