Within a few years of 1912—the year Arizona became the 48th state admitted to the Union—families began to settle on homesteads 30 miles southeast of Phoenix. These early settlers were primarily farmers of diverse heritage and faith. San Tan Mountain provided the backdrop for the arduous task of clearing cactus and thorny scrub brush from the desert. As irrigation water was pumped from drilled wells, crops took root on newly cultivated fields, and the communities of Rittenhouse, Higley, Combs, and Chandler Heights were established. Rittenhouse later became the town of Queen Creek. These communities were influenced—like many others across the Southwest—by war, the Depression, and immigration, all of which challenged and enriched the area.