Oral history interview with Ray Killian, 2006 March

Killian recounts his childhood in Concho, Arizona, where his parents owned Concho Mercantile Company. He describes his schooling in Thatcher, Arizona, his successful studies, and the opportunity he was given to train in the banking industry. He talks about his activities in the Mormon Church, including a mission to Hawaii, his experiences as a banker during the Great Depression, and his early married life with his wife, Jesse Ellsworth. Killian tells about moving to Mesa in 1935; he describes the town, and names some businesses and prominent citizens. He talks about his service as executive secretary of the Arizona Interstate Stream Commission and gives a great deal of information on the history of the state's water supply including all the work that went into establishing the Central Arizona Project.