‘Tribal Elders’—senior citizens who grew up in Patagonia—gathered in Richardson Park on May 17 to share stories with Cassina Farley’s PUHS art class about growing up in Patagonia, as part of the community mural project.
Joe and Gilbert Quiroga, Leslie Schupp, Bob Bergier, and Cynthia Matus-Morriss told stories about growing up when the train still came through town, most of the roads were dirt, cattle were driven into town to be loaded in railcars, and people had to buy blocks of ice to keep their food fresh.
The mural features a tree, in part to honor the ancient tree that fell last year in the park.
“How many things did that tree see?” asked Farley. “Who came here? Why did they come? Who’s still here? Let the tree tell their story.”