Flag raising at the Empire School, 1950’s. Photo courtesy Empire Ranch Foundation From 1932 to 1936 the “Empire Merry Makers,” contributed articles for an Arizona Daily Star column reporting on 4-H Club activities in Pima County. 4-H in Arizona began in 1913 with a club in Chandler. The University of Arizona Agriculture Experiment Station organized 12 […]
Alison Bunting
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Glimpses Into Our Past – March 2019
This 1907 government survey map records the location of the 160 acres Arthur Crepin homesteaded in Section 6 of Township 22S, Range 16E. It was located on the west side of 1st Ave. between Sonoita and Pennsylvania Avenues. Photo courtesy of Bureau of Land Management, General Land Office Throughout 1918 the Santa Cruz Patagonian featured […]
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Glimpses Into Our Past: The 3R Mine
Arthur Crepin and Rollin Rice Richardson at the 3R mine, 1900s. Photo courtesy Patagonia Museum Throughout 1918 the Santa Cruz Patagonian featured a column about mining on the front page of each issue. The Dec. 13 issue reports on negotiations for the sale of the 3R Mine to Magma Copper Company. On Dec. 20 the […]
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Glimpses Into Our Past: Pierce and Gardner
Throughout 1918 the Santa Cruz Patagonian featured a column about mining on the front page of each issue. The December 6 issue included an exciting announcement: “Pierce & Gardner Make Rich Silver Strike at Harshaw.” The December 27 issue notes: “The vein of high grade ore which was but 5 ft. wide at the beginning […]
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Glimpses Into Our Past: World’s Fair Mine
A view of the World’s Fair Mine outside of Patagonia. Throughout 1918 the Santa Cruz Patagonian featured a column about mining on the front page of each issue. Most often the column reported on mine operations in the Patagonia district and occasionally provided in-depth coverage of one mine or a significant ore discovery. Some of […]
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Business Owners of Patagonia, Circa 1918
J.W. Miller’s arrival in Patagonia around 1915 did not go unnoticed—he was reputed to be “the tallest, best natured man in Patagonia.” By 1920, he was manager of the Patagonia Lumber yard.
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Glimpses Into Our Past: The Borderland Highway
When Arizona became a territory in 1863 it lacked any organized system of roads. Counties were responsible for roads with no legislative funding and little oversight. “All ‘able-bodied men’ in the county were required to either pay a $6 annual road tax or donate two days of labor to road work. Property taxes designated for […]
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Youth Re-enact Mormon Trek on the Cienega
Participants in the three day reenactment of the Mormon trek to Salt Lake City walk into the headquarters of the Empire Ranch February 24. Photo by Alison Bunting Over 190 youth from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (Tucson South Stake) spent four days of their school break re-enacting a Mormon pioneer […]
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Glimpses Into Our Past: Food Rationing During Wartime
Local newspapers featured stories with recipes and advice—and poems— for coping with the restrictions and the rationing.
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Glimpses Into Our Past – The Homefront During World War I
A membership application for the 100% American Club was printed in the Border Vidette in 1918. By 1918 the U.S. was fully involved in World War I and anti-German sentiment ran high. Early that year the Alien Enemy Act was codified by Congress, authorizing the President to “apprehend, restrain, secure, and remove as alien enemies […]