Multimedia Report: Heat - then and now

Multimedia Report by Rebecca Jackson, Sharon Nolan and Denice Westover

Wet towels. Swamp coolers. Misters. Air Conditioners. Pools. Attitude.

The heat in Arizona can be difficult to tolerate in June, but local Phoenix residents have always found creative ways to endure the blazing sun.

As early as 1895, Phoenix residents have had to learn how to handle the heat.

“Most houses in the Victorian Era had transoms over the doors because they didn’t have air conditioning,” said Erin Kesser, director of education at the Rosson House. “They also hung wet sheets so they created a faux swamp cooler system.”

Current times demand similar creative techniques for surviving the high temperatures.

“Personally, I’m an air condition fiend, so I have fans running all the time and air conditioning as low as I can get it,” Kesser said.

Besides the obvious solution of staying indoors where there is air conditioning, other methods of staying cool include wearing light clothing, drinking lots of water and spending time in the pool.

Many Phoenix businesses have also found ways to keep both their employees as well as customers comfortable during the summer months.

“We have some misters that keep the customers cool and they always have the option to sit inside if they want,” said Renee Egan, server at Hooters of Phoenix.

Regarding working in the heat, Egan added, “It’s difficult to keep cool especially when you’re outside all the time, but we try and drink a lot of water and stay inside as much as possible.”

Lee Goode, DPR construction manager, also spends most of his day working in the sweltering Phoenix sun.

“You try to make the best of it, try to have a positive attitude,” Goode said.

The Rosson House, built in 1895 (photo by Denice Westover)

A cooling fountain on ASU's Downtown Phoenix Campus (Photo by Denice Westover)