The town takes its name from General Watts Kearny, who during 1846 passed through the area on his way to California. He referred to it as a hostile and uninhabitable landscape. However, despite this, later in 1959 the town was officially incorporated as a planned community by the Kennecott Mining Company for employees of the local copper mine and their families. Although primarily known as an economic town, the surrounding areas are particularly interesting to explore if you are planning on renting a motorhome in Kearny, thanks to the mining history of the region, the desert landscape, and the Pinal Mountain range that can be seen from the town.