A Spanish woman living with her family in a fort on the northern frontier of New Spain tells of her terrifying experience during the Second Battle of Tucson. On May 1, 1782, hundreds of Apaches attack the lightly-guarded Presidio San Agustin de Tucson. The civilians and soldiers of the Tucson … Continue reading
On a perfect Saturday in February, our friends from New York, Susan & Charlea, went with Ms. Karen, Molly Dog, & me to Catalina State Park in Oro Valley. After paying the $7 entry fee, we found a pleasant picnic area and fortified ourselves before hiking the archeological site on the ridge across the road.
Continue readingThis is the main commercial district of Tucson Arizona in 1887. Here you see Congress Street looking west toward the Santa Cruz River and Sentinel Peak (now A Mountain).
Continue readingIn no particular order, here are our recommendations for The 4 Best Downtown Tucson Museums: (1) Jewish History Museum; (2) Tucson Museum of Art; (3) El Agustin de Tucson Presidio; and (4) Arizona Historical Society Downtown Tucson Museum; (5) Southern Arizona Transportation Museum
Continue readingJim Turner, retired from the Arizona Historical Society, is a professional Arizona historian, author, and public speaker whose talks both educate & entertain a range of audiences: retirees, teachers, service clubs and professional & business conferences & conventions. His range of knowledge and informative talks also include broader subjects, such … Continue reading
Despite the fact that yesterday, June 15, 2012, the official daytime temperature at Downtown Tucson was 104 degrees, last night was downright chilling. Allow me to explain. I had signed up for a ghost tour of Downtown. Mounted on Zippy, my trusty red scooter, I met our ghost host, Jean Pierre, at the appointed time […]
Continue readingTucson was the capitol of the Confederate Territory of Arizona between March 20, 1862, when the flag of the Confederate States of America was raised over Tucson and May 20, when the Union Calvary of the California Volunteers drove the last Confederate soldiers out of the City.
During that short period, 50 miles NW of Tucson, an engagement was fought between a Union cavalry patrol and a party of Confederate pickets from Tucson. Every year in March, dedicated men & women from all over come together at Picacho Peak State Park to reenact the western-most battle of the American Civil War: the Battle of Picacho Peak.
Continue readingOld Tucson has served as a movie studio for over 300 Westerns, TV productions and commercials. Today, it’s an Old West theme park that is both entertaining and educational. In April 2012, I attended the Western Music Festival & Art Show there and took these photographs. Old Tucson is closed to the public during the hot summer months, but is open October – May.
Continue readingIn January 1965, while picnicking on the southern face of Huerfano Butte south of Tucson in the Santa Rita Mountains, Tani Bahti found an incredible cache of Hohokam jewelry dating to about 1100 CE. She originally thought she had discovered a small grinding stone. But it was a pottery jar containing: 1,212 beads 240 pendants […]
Continue readingVeinte de Agosto Park is an acre of grass & trees in the heart of downtown Tucson at the point where Congress & Broadway split into one-way streets. “Veinte de Agosto” is Spanish for 20th of August. In late 2011, the park became the tent camp of Occupy Tucson protesters. … Continue reading
