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All things Historical
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Jewish History in Nogales
By John Blake, Pimeria Alta Historical Society and Museum
By John Blake, Pimeria Alta Historical Society and Museum
The Pimería Alta Historical Society and Museum is embarking on another collaboration. This time, our partner is the Jewish American Society for Historic Preservation. The project? A bilingual metal monument honoring the Russian-Jewish immigrant Jacob Isaacson, who established the first store in Nogales. The monument will be installed near the museum, and we hope to have it in place in time for a Hanukkah celebration.
Jacob Isaacson (1853–1928), a Jewish itinerant peddler, was born in Gulding, Russia. He was one of the first settlers and founders of Nogales, arriving in 1880. He had learned that the Sonora Railway from Guaymas, Sonora, Mexico, and the Arizona & New Mexico Railway from Benson, Arizona Territory, would meet at Nogales. Isaacson homesteaded a plot of land with his older brother, Isaac, where they built a mud hut that became a general store. Jacob was named U.S. Postmaster on May 31, 1880, and the new community became known as Isaacson.
Isaacson grew to about 150 people, with two stores and ten saloons. Small as it was, the town was regarded as a city of the future. Much to Jacob’s dismay, Isaacson was renamed Nogales (“walnut trees”) on June 4, 1883, following a petition from its citizens to the U.S. Postmaster General. Shortly thereafter, Jacob left the town for which he is credited with founding. Traveling by horse-drawn wagon with jingling bells attached, Jacob carried merchandise to peddle in his new home of Los Angeles.
Adobe Workshops in Old Historic Tubac
Participants in the Hands-On Historic Adobe Preservation Workshop at the Historic Pennington House in Tubac’s National Historic District helped restore the old adobe building that has been at the center of Tubac community life for over 175 years. New owners, Diane Janssen and Kirk Gilliam, invited the community again to participate in sustaining this Tubac Heritage Treasure. They sponsored a series of adobe restoration workshops that helped participants learn skills to restore adobe buildings while helping to preserve the Historic Pennington House. After two days of training, the participants demonstrated their newly acquired adobe brick-making and preservation skills Friday, Oct. 24 during the Anza 250th Commemorative activities.
The Historic Pennington House adobe preservation workshop team. From left to right: Top Row Richard Bowen, Kirk Gilliam, Rick Espe. Middle Row. Steve Piepmeier, Diane Janssen, Anna Marie Spain, Rondi Kutz. Bottom “Ya-Ya” Castro, Jessica Castro. Far Right, Instructor Alex Lim.
Photo by Steve Piepmeier
The Tubac Presidio
Wrightson is Right Here
This updated exhibit is a tale of twos. Showcasing two revolvers, sharing the story of two brothers – John and William Wrightson – all translated into two languages.
William is remembered for directing the Santa Rita Silver Mining Company while John served as ranch supervisor in Tumacácori. The exhibit also investigates two separate accounts of John’s temperament. John was found murdered by vaqueros, or cowboys, close to the Tumacácori mission in 1859. John is buried where St. Ann’s Church stands today – right here.
Visit this exhibit located next to the 1859 printing press that William is credited with bringing to town.
Thank you to Jeffrey and James Edward Phillips, descendants of John Wrightson, for donating the 1851 Colt Navy and Allen & Wheelock side hammer revolvers. Thank you also to Rick Collins for providing extensive research and guidance and to Donna Leonard for assisting staff with exhibit installation.
TUBAC PRESIDIO HISTORIC STATE PARK
The Pimeria Alta Historical Museum in nogales.
The Pimeria Alta Museum is housed in the Old Nogales City Hall which was constructed in 1914. The museum provides information on the history of the Pimeria Alta and welcomes visitors to the border area.
The Pimeria Alta Historical Society (PAHS) was formed in 1948, when a group of 28 concerned citizens got together to preserve the rich and exciting history of the area. Since its inauguration, the mayor, and city council of Nogales have supported the society, turning over the first floor and basement of the Old City Hall to PAHS for use as a museum in 1980.
The Tubac Presidio Museum and Historic Park.
Experience our history at The Tubac Presidio Museum and Historic Park. Come see the location of the 1752 Spanish Presidio (fort), the Griffin Museum where exhibits bring to life the millennia of human history of this region, the oldest printing press in Arizona, the 1800s Rojas adobe row house, several interpretive gardens and the 1885 schoolhouse that served the community until 1965. Located in the heart of historic Tubac, we are the first state park in Arizona and a must-see when visiting. For more information and a calendar of events, visit www.tubacpresidio.org
MAY HOURS:
Sunday: 9am-3pm
Monday: Closed
Tuesday: 9am-3pm
Wednesday: 9am-3pm
Thursday: 9am-3pm
Friday: 9am-3pm
Saturday: 9am-3pm .
Tumacacori National Historic Park & MISSION
Tumacácori Mission sits at a cultural crossroads in the Santa Cruz River valley. Here O’odham, Yaqui, and Apache people met and mingled with European Jesuit and Franciscan missionaries, settlers, and soldiers, sometimes in conflict and sometimes in cooperation. Follow the timeworn paths and discover stories that connect us to enduring relationships, vibrant cultures, and traditions of long ago.
Patagonia Historical Museum
100 School Street, Patagonia, AZ
By Germán Quiroga, The Patagonia Museum
The Patagonia Museum, a member and volunteer-supported nonprofit organization, is dedicated to preserving, collecting, and exhibiting the history and culture of eastern Santa Cruz County. The Patagonia Museum proudly stewards the historic schoolhouses in Patagonia and Lochiel.
The schoolhouse in Patagonia, which houses the museum, served students for 100 years and is the longest continuously utilized elementary school building in Arizona from 1914 to 2014. The Lochiel Schoolhouse a one-room adobe nestled on the fringes of the San Rafael Valley, was built before 1905 and serves as a respite for travelers and tour groups today.
Besides hosting regular and by-appointment visiting hours at The Patagonia Museum, the organization sponsors a guest speaker series in conjunction with member meetings at the Patagonia Public Library, conducts quarterly highway cleanups along Highway 82 near Patagonia, maintains U.S. flags on veteran’s gravesites at the Patagonia Cemetery, and collaborates with local organizations and individuals to keep our history alive.
Call for hours # 520. 343. 5641
Patagonia photos by Diane Jewkes
And just outside the Patagonia History Museum
Rio Rico History Museum
1149 W Frontage rd
Plaza de Anza, rio rico, AZ
520-394-7745
Call ahead to confirm they are open.
web: rioricohistroicalsociety.org
WELL WOTH THE VISIT !
Please consider donating to help pay for their costs.
501 (c) #3 non profit.
Coronado- The New Evidence
Sunday is the perfect day to watch Coronado: The New Evidence ---now on youtube!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=98kkS1HG5lw
This film was directed by local Tubac Director Frances Causey. She is an Emmy award-winning documentary filmmaker, journalist, and TED contributor with 15 years experience as a Senior Producer at CNN and previous work hailed as a New York Times Critic's Pick.
Expansion of the BORDER CHECKPOINT in TUBAC
rescind the vote of approval - our community requests input!
February 21, 2026
County Supervisor Luis Carlos Davis, District 1
County Supervisor Rudy Molera, District 2
County Supervisor John Fanning, District 3
Santa Cruz County Complex
2150 N. Congress Drive
Nogales, AZ 85621
RE: Opposition to the County’s Action Approving a Right-of-Entry with the United States Custom and
Border Protection Department of Homeland Security for Parcel No. 111-14-005 for a Period of 12
Months. (January 21, 2026)
Dear Supervisors Davis, Molera and Fanning:
My name is Mary I. Vanis, I am the President of the Santa Cruz County Citizens Council, and I am writing on behalf of our Board and over 450 Members who reside in Santa Cruz County. We have recently become aware that County Manager Valdez recommended via Consent agenda, and the Board of Supervisors approved without any input or public discussion from the community, a Right-of-Entry
Agreement with the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Department of Homeland Security for 12
months for Parcel No. 111-14-005. This parcel is along I-19 and immediately north of Tubac and our
surrounding communities. Our understanding is that this time is to review the property for construction of a permanent CBP Checkpoint. We are asking that you rescind the vote of approval to allow public discourse on the matter.
Tubac and our surrounding communities strongly oppose the construction of a permanent CBP
Checkpoint on I-19 on this property in lieu of the temporary checkpoint that now exits. While we
greatly appreciate the work of the Customs and Border Patrol in our community, we feel that the
expansion to a much larger permanent facility should reside at the border in Nogales, Arizona, rather
than 26 miles north of the border. The current Checkpoint in Nogales needs upgrades and resources
should be utilized to support that facility. Our understanding is that border crossings and crime has been substantially reduced with the current configuration thus bringing into question the need for a
permanent facility 26 miles north of the border.
2.
Our community has expressed substantial concern about the level of expansion that is being discussed
because of the potential reduction of our property values, concerns impacting our security and safety,
devastation to our tourism, the impact on any continued economic development and the increased
lighting which would jeopardize our International Dark Skies designation.
I appreciate your help and ask that you rescind the action taken to provide the Customs and Border
Protection Department the Right-of-Way approval and ask that they provide more information and
transparency as to what their intent is with their consideration of Parcel No. 111-14-005 or other
adjacent property. We also ask that our community be provided an opportunity for input and a “seat at
the table” in the discussions for a permanent checkpoint North of Nogales, Az.
Sincerely,
Dr. Mary I. Vanis, President
Santa Cruz Valley Citizens Council
13 Western Saddle Court
Tubac, Arizona 85646
Email Address: maryvanis23@gmail.com
Phone: 602-531-6253
Cc: Santa Cruz County Manager Jesus Valdez
Richard Bohman. SCVCC Board Director at Large
Gary Brasher, Russ Lyon Sotheby’s International Realty
SCVCC Board of Directors
The Beautiful Mural at the Tubac Community Center Unveiled
What was and who was - here before us.
Miguel Grijalva Artist & Project Manager and his family. His wife was the model for the woman in the river. This beautiful Mural was painted by Rio Rico High school students after school. It represents the culture of the Hohokam people and the beauty of the valley and river. Beautiful night with beautiful people at TCC last night.
Thank you to Tubac Weekly's generous Sponsors !
Big Thank you to Ned Allen, Andi Mirtelli &The Tubac Community CENTER for website & business costs.
Doug & jane of verde valley ranch inn
DR. alex foor OF tubac dental
gale Thomssen of cactus wren art gallery
Loving Springs Farms Landscape Service
jen prill of tubac art & gifts
coogan & Martin, tubac law firm
Local BCA EVENTS
Upcoming Events & Tours
Wednesday, April 29, 8am-3pm
Borderlands Day Tour: Amerind Museum Tour
A private two hour docent-led tour of this extraordinary museum, art gallery, and research center dedicated to archaeology, Indigenous cultures, and western art. The Amerind Museum is located in Dragoon, Arizona and is surrounded by the spectacular boulders of Texas Canyon. Bring your own picnic lunch to be enjoyed at the picnic grounds amongst the amazing boulders of Texas Canyon on site. Tour fee: $95/BCA member; $105/non-member includes transportation from Tubac. Sponsored in part by a grant from the Arizona Community Foundation. Click to register
Save the Date:
Summer 2026 Borderlands Ambassador Intern Final Presentations
Monday, July 27, 3-4pm
at the United Methodist Church of Green Valley and on Zoom
Friday, July 31, 4-5:30pm
at the Tubac Center of the Arts (reception at 4pm, presentations at 4:30pm)
2026 Borderlands Literature & Film Circle:
Join us on the second Wednesday of each month on Zoom!
Wednesday, May 13, 10-11:30am
Carolyn Niethammer, A Desert Feast: Celebrating Tucson's Culinary Heritage
Carolyn Neithammer is a celebrated Tucson-based author who has spent decades documenting the intersection of food, culture, and nature in the Southwest. Her work is deeply rooted in the Sonoran Desert, earning her a reputation as a leading voice in regional culinary history. Niethammer takes readers on a 4,000 year journey through the Santa Cruz Valley, exploring why Tucson became the first U.S. city to be designated a UNESCO City of Gastronomy. This award-winning book is a vibrant "food pilgrimage" that traces the lineage of desert agriculture, from the early irrigation canals of the Hohokam and the ancient cultivation of maize to the transofrmative arrival of Spanish missionaries and the rugged traditions of ranch-style cowboy cooking. This a free event, $10 suggested donation. Click to register
Wednesday, June 10, 10-11:30am
Daisy Hernández, Citizenship: Notes on an American Myth
Hernández's book explores our country’s ongoing debate about who belongs, and provides fresh ways of thinking about citizenship, exploring the challenging questions of belonging, identity, and the intricate immigrant experience in America. This a free event, $10 suggested donation. Click to register
Wednesday, July 8, 10-11:30am
Craig Childs, Tracing Time: Seasons of Rock Art on the Colorado Plateau
Childs' book is a journey through the ancient Southwest, interpreting the petroglyphs and pictographs that map the history of the Colorado Plateau. Click to register. This is a free event, $10 suggested donation. Click to register
Wednesday, August 12, 10-11:30am
Katherine Gaia Barbaree, Borderlands Restoration Network
Katherine will discuss articles and videos of vital environmental work being done to restore desert ecosystems and support binational wildlife corridors. This is a free event, $10 suggested donation. Click to register
Wednesday, September 9, 10-11:30am
Álvaro Enrigue, Now I Surrender
Álvaro Enrigue will discuss his bold, visionary novel that reimagines the history of the Apache Wars and the surrender of Geronimo. Both historical and fictional, this work radically recasts the story of how the West was “won.” This is a free event, $10 suggested donation. Click to register
Wednesday, October 14, 10-11:30am
Lydia Otero, Storied Property: María Cordova's Casa
Lydia Otero will discuss this powerful look at the intersection of urban renewal and the erasure of Mexican American history. Centered on a historic home in Tucson’s center, the book highlights themes of displacement and investigates how history is written and who gets remembered. This is a free event, $10 suggested donation. Click to register
Wednesday, November 11, 10-11:30am
Alberto Ríos, Every Sound Is Not a Wolf
Arizona’s inaugural Poet Laureate shares a collection that finds the extraordinary in the everyday, weaving together memory and the borderlands of the Sonoran desert. This is a free event, $10 suggested donation. Click to register
Wednesday, December 9, 10-11:30am
Carrie Gibson, El Norte: The Epic and Forgotten Story of Hispanic North America
Carrie Gibson will discuss her sweeping historical account that chronicles the Hispanic influence on the North American continent from the Spanish arrival to today. This is a free event, $10 suggested donation. Click to register
