St. David, Arizona
Population 1,699 (2010 Census)
St. David was established as a result of the Mormon Battalion having earlier passed through the San Pedro River valley in 1846. One of the founders of St. David, Philemon C. Merrill, was a member of the battalion. The Mormon settlers of 1877 were part of a group that originally was to settle Lehi, Arizona. The town was named after David W. Patten, an early Mormon apostle that was killed in the 1838 Battle of Crooked River in Missouri. The early St. David settlers played an important role in establishing the subsequent surrounding settlements, such as Fort Huachuca and Tombstone, as they did much of the logging in the Huachuca Mountains to provide lumber for the construction of those locations.
As a tight-knit Mormon community, St. David managed better than other small towns in Cochise County during the Great Depression.
An influx of non-Mormons, principally from Oklahoma and Texas, occurred when St. David became the site for Civilian Conservation Corps Camp SCS-19-A from 1935 to 1940. Works included soil erosion and flood control projects.
The first natural gas lines brought into Cochise County were brought into St. David.
--From Wikipedia.org
Vail, AZ
Population 10,208
Vail is a census-designated place (CDP) in Pima County, Arizona, United States. It is twenty-four miles southeast of Tucson. The population was 10,208 at the 2010 census, up from 588 in the 2000 census. The area is known for the nearby Colossal Cave, a large cave system, and the Rincon Mountains District of Saguaro National Park, a top tourism spot within Arizona.
Vail was originally a siding and water stop on the Southern Pacific Railroad. It was located on the last section of flat land before the train tracks followed the old wagon road into the Cienega Creek bed. Vail was named after pioneer ranchers Edward and Walter Vail, who established ranches in the area in the late 19th century. Vail deeded a right of way across his ranch to the railroad. Vail owned the Vail Ranch, his brother Walter Vail owned the nearby Empire Ranch, now part of the Las Cienegas National Conservation Area. In 2011 the residents of Vail began the process of incorporation to become a town.
Duncan, AZ
Population 799
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Duncan is in the Gila River valley, 4 miles (6 km) west of the Arizona-New Mexico border. The town limits are on both sides of the Gila, but the primary portion of the town and the entire downtown area lie on the south side of the river. Duncan was founded in the mid-19th century, and the land was added to the United States as a part of the Mexican Cession. The town of Duncan has been destroyed twice by flood and once by fire.
The town and area are primarily populated by ranchers and miners (especially from the Freeport-McMoran copper mines in southeastern Arizona and southwestern New Mexico). Surrounding smaller towns such as Franklin and York in Arizona and Virden, New Mexico, use Duncan public works and public schools. The Duncan area along the Gila River is renowned for Native American artifacts such as arrow heads, pottery, burial sites, cave paintings and other remnants of the Anasazi and other pre-historic cultures, as well as artifacts from garrison camps of the expedition of Francisco Vázquez de Coronado.
U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor was born in El Paso, Texas, but grew up near Duncan on the Lazy B ranch, which straddles the border between Arizona and New Mexico. The Day family ran the ranch for many years until selling it; it continues to be run as a ranch. O'Connor later wrote a book titled Lazy B: Growing up on a Cattle Ranch in the American Southwest about her childhood experiences on the ranch with her brother H. Alan Day. ---From Wikipedia
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One interesting thing is that Katie's great aunt and uncle lived in Virden, NM which is in her area. Also, the closest grocery store is a 40-minute drive away. Katie said that she estimates around 70% of the people belong to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She also said that all of the religions are friendly to each other. When the bishop took Katie and her companion to a Catholic mass, the people had the missionaries introduce themselves and then they all applauded. The different religions come together and do activities throughout the year.