Educational and living history programs bring early American West history to life at Tubac Presidio SHP

For early Western America history buffs, a visit to Tubac Presidio State Historic Park will offer a look into the early days of what was then called New Spain, when Jesuit Father Francisco Kino established the Tumacacori mission in 1691. The area included what was then a small Pima village but soon became a farm and ranch to support the mission. 

Luis of Saric, a Pima chief stirred by many grievances against the Spanish, led a bloody revolt late in 1751, destroying the small settlement. Following a major battle, and subsequent surrender of the Pimans, the Presidio San Ignacio de Tubac was founded in June of 1752.  

Spanish colonists began moving in in the 1730s to farm and raise cattle, sheep, and goats on this northern frontier of Spain's new World. It was from Tubac that Juan Bautista de Anza led a group of several hundred colonists on an expedition overland to the Pacific which resulted in the founding of San Francisco in 1776.

You can learn more about Tubac, Tumacacori, and early California history through the various programs offered at the park. These include:

January 12, 18, & 20: Tubac Presidio SHP
Frontier Printing Press Demonstration
Jan. 12: 11 am - 3 pm; Jan. 18: 9 am - 1 pm; Jan. 20: 11 am - 3 pm. Professional printer and teacher James Pagels demonstrates the Washington Press used to print Arizona’s first newspaper in 1859 and answers questions about hand press printing, type setting, and other aspects of this marvel of industrial engineering. Included with park admission $5 adult, $2 youth 7-13, children free.

January 17: Tubac Presidio SHP
Rock Art of the Southwest
2 pm. Learn the difference between a pictograph and petroglyph with rock art enthusiast Sharon Urban. Urban worked for the Arizona State Museum, retiring after 32 years as the Public Archaeologist. An expert on prehistoric shell artifacts and the study of pictographs and petroglyphs, she has interpreted rock art sites and given presentations to schools and groups around Arizona. $7.50 adult, $4.50 youth 7-13, children free.

January 18: Living History: Tubac Presidio SHP
Foods of the Spanish Colonial Period
12:30 - 3:30 pm. Volunteers dressed in period clothing reenact the daily lives of Spanish soldiers and civilians who lived in Tubac during the Spanish Colonial period (1752-1776). Featuring a special display of the bounty of foods from the Old World, New World and surrounding desert used by Tubac cooks, plus cooking demos with samples. $5 adult, $2 youth 7-13, children free.

January 23 - Tubac Presidio SHP
Guided Tour of the Barrio de Tubac Archaeological Site
10:30 am. Special tour by local experts of the Spanish colonial archaeological site just south of the Park which preserves the remains of the original Tubac town site, including residence foundations, plaza area, refuse area and partial irrigation ditch. Meet at the Park’s Visitor Center. Tour involves a walk of about 1-1/4 miles. Bring walking shoes, sunscreen and hat. $7.50 fee includes admission to tour the Presidio Park. Tour limited to 15; call for reservations, 520-398-2252.

January 25 - Tubac Presidio SHP
Walking Tours of Old Town Tubac
10:30am-12 noon. Guided tours of the “Old Town” section of Tubac with Alice Keene. Explore the original adobe buildings and discover the rich heritage of Arizona’s first European settlement. Learn about early Native American inhabitants, Spanish explorers, mining booms, Apache attacks, kidnappings, duels and other episodes in Tubac’s colorful past. Meet at the Park’s Visitor Center. Allow 1-1/2 hours for the tour and bring walking shoes, sunscreen and a hat. $7.50 fee includes admission to tour the Presidio Park. Tour limited to 20 people; reservations encouraged.

January 25 - Tubac Presidio SHP
Living History: Medicine of the Spanish Colonial Period
noon - 3 pm. When the Spanish soldiers and their families settled Tubac in 1752, there was no doctor or surgeon among them. It was the responsibility of the women to treat their family's physical complaints and wounds. Medicine was basic and dependent on herbs and plants known for their healing properties. This living history program features a display of medicinal herbs and plants, and knowledgeable commentary by an herbalist who will tell visitors how these plants were used by “curanderas” (healers) to treat illness and injuries. $5 adult, $2 youth 7-13, children free.

January 25 - Tubac Presidio SHP
Fiber Arts Friday
10:30 am - 3 pm. When the Spanish soldiers and their families settled Tubac in 1752, there was no doctor or surgeon among them. It was the responsibility of the women to treat their family's physical complaints and wounds. Medicine was basic and dependent on herbs and plants known for their healing properties. This living history program features a display of medicinal herbs and plants, and knowledgeable commentary by an herbalist who will tell visitors how these plants were used by “curanderas” (healers) to treat illness and injuries. $5 adult, $2 youth 7-13, children free.