Documents telling the history of GIS in Arizona and the role the Arizona State Land Department took to help grow the system throughout the state are now available in the Publications and Documents section of the AGIC Resources website.  The History of GIS in Arizona Document goes into details on how GIS started in the state in the 1970s with a few state Departments and grew into a collaboration between multiple agencies and companies from state, federal, tribal, and local governments as well as the private sector.  There is also an accompanying presentation available that helps summarize the document into a slide deck.