This sycamore tree, estimated to be over 200 years old, grows along Harshaw Creek. Artwork by Angie Soto Jessup 

The grand sycamore still flourishes in the peaceful landscape, standing tall and wide along Harshaw Road off the banks of Harshaw Creek. It is estimated to be around 200 years old. 

Our father affirmed this tree being fully grown when he was young. He remembered his parents—Nana and Tata Soto—celebrating their 50th anniversary under its wide branches. For the event, a pit was dug and a cow was slaughtered. It was then slowly cooked underground in hot stones and embers, the tender meat becoming a plate of barbacoa for the guests. 

Tata Mariano, born in Picket Post in 1880, was a cowboy, miner and rancher. He and his brother Miguel raised cattle during the years of the Arizona Territory and early Arizona Statehood, when the area was still open range. Josefa, our grandmother, was born in Tubac but grew up in the Harshaw area, where the two met and later married. 

Today, motorists passing by on the road can see slats of wood between large branches on the sycamore where in someone’s young life a treehouse had been built for them. Those days are long gone. A mystic quiet now exists. Generations have come and gone, each with their own history. Each with their own memories of their time under the grand tree. 

Many years ago, when my daughter was about eight years old, we spent the weekend in Harshaw. Years before then Dad had built the family a small weekend home for us to be able to visit with our own families and enjoy our ancestral land. On one of our visits my daughter and I were sitting across the way at our home. As she pointed across the road towards the tree to a black and white figure that doesn’t move, she says, “Aw, look, the cow is stuck.” Well, that black and white figure she saw was cowhide hung over the fence to air dry. But to her, from afar, she saw a cow stuck on the fence. 

As Dad envisioned, the family home keeps bringing us back to the homeland. The sycamore, like a mother with her branches embracing her children, is visible from the front porch across the road, connecting current times with the spirit of the past. It symbolizes a colorful yesteryear. Its presence reminds us to have gratitude for our ancestors, and deepens our admiration for our dad. It represents generations of family unity. In nature’s beauty, it is strong and peaceful in its surrounding environment. Through its seasonal changes, we marvel at our tree’s beauty and strength. 

Previously in “Great Trees of Eastern Santa Cruz County”:

“The Contorted Oak of Piper Gulch” by Wayne Tomasi

“The Mesquite on Santa Rita Ave.” by German Quiroga

“The Cottonwood at the Lochiel Schoolhouse” by Angie Soto Jessup

“A Most Magnificent Cottonwood in Canelo” by Bill Steen

“Elgin’s Movie Star Cottonwood” by Sue Downing

“The Wise Old Emory Oak of Mowry” by Perin McNelis

“A Pleistocene Juniper” by Jim Koweek

“The Leaning Pine of Duquesne” by Bekki Jaynes

“The Hollow Tree of Harshaw Townsite” by Cassina Farley

“The Mexican Blue Oak of Sonoita Creek” by Vince Pinto

Do you know a great tree? Submit photos (or artwork!) and text about your favorite tree to prtadast@gmail.com. It can be any tree on public or private property in Eastern Santa Cruz County. (You don’t have to disclose the tree’s exact location unless you want to.) Tell us what makes the tree great: maybe it’s the tree’s size, shape or age; or its leaf color; or the animals and insects who inhabit it; or the special events or family traditions associated with it; or perhaps something more personal. Whatever it is, share it with us. Let’s celebrate our area’s natural splendor and heritage!