Graham

Graham County, formed in 1881 by the 11th Territorial Legislature, was created from parts of Apache and Pima counties.  The Legislature broke with the tradition of naming Arizona counties after local Indian tribes when the new county called "Graham" was named after the 10,516-foot Mount Graham.  The mountain, had been named after Lt. Col. James Duncan Graham.

Safford was the first county seat, but it was moved to Solomonville after two years.  In 1915, after an election, the county seat was returned to Safford where it remains.

Graham County was almost twice its present size prior to the formation of Greenlee County.  The county now measures 4,630 square miles, of which 22 square miles are water.  The San Carlos Indian Reservation covers approximately one-third of the land, with San Carlos Lake a popular site for its excellent fishing and camping.  Recreation and tourism follow farming and ranching as the principal industries in Graham County.

Individual or corporate ownership accounts for 9.9 percent of land ownership; the U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management, 38 percent; the state of Arizona, 18 percent, Indian reservations, 36 percent. All of Graham County is an Enterprise Zone.