On Aug. 22, 1876, Walter L. Vail and Herbert Hislop completed the purchase of a 160-acre ranch from Tucson businessmen Edward N. Fish and Simon Silverberg. The Empire Ranch Foundation invites one and all to join it on Saturday, Aug. 22, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. for a birthday celebration to commemorate the birth and achievements of the historic Empire Ranch.
At 9 a.m. Rick Collins will present “Danger Road, the Perils of Travel through the Sonoita Valley.” Learn about the dangers and sometimes deadly encounters experienced by 18th and 19th century travelers on the Sonoita Road, from Calabazas on the west to the modern 1-10 on the northeast.
Starting at 10 a.m., docents stationed in several rooms of the Ranch House will share stories about the ranch’s people, buildings and remarkable history. A new exhibit of movies filmed in Empire Ranch territory will be on display, and Ken Brown and John Anderson will provide strolling musical entertainment throughout the morning. Alison Bunting and Gail Corkill will be on hand to sign their books about Empire Ranch history.
The celebration concludes at noon with commemorative remarks, followed by the cutting of a birthday cake — a fitting way to honor 150 years of Empire Ranch history and the people who have helped preserve its legacy.