Kitt Peak
National Observatory
Founded 1958
The observatory’s objectives are to
strengthen basic research and education
in astronomy throughout the United States, its
territories and possessions. The observatory is
available to . . . — — Map (db m102813) HM
Steward Observatory
90 inch Reflector
University of Arizona
Erected 1967
Board of Regents
Jack Williams Governor · George W. Chambers President · Elwood W. Bradford · Sarah Folsom · Wesley P. Gross · Leon Levy · Norma Barr Rockfellow · . . . — — Map (db m102921) HM
This drawing shows the interior of the McMath solar telescope. You are looking at only part of telescope which is above ground. The tunnel for the light beam and the observing rooms where the scientific work is done are buried under the mountain. . . . — — Map (db m102919) HM
The accompanying picture shows a cross section of the solar vacuum telescope. This facility, built in 1973, is used to study the evolution of sunspots and other solar magnetic fields. It is operated daily by the National Solar Observatory (NSO) . . . — — Map (db m102918) HM
The octagon-shaped building that you see in the distance is the enclosure for the telescope of the WIYN Observatory. Completed in 1994, WIYN is owned and operated by the University of Wisconsin, Indiana University, Yale University, and the . . . — — Map (db m102920) HM
Side A:
We were those whom
others did not want to be.
We went where others feared to go and did
what others feared to do.
June 25, 1950 – July 27, 1953
Side B:
The United States Marines
Sgt Raul B. Babasa • Sgt . . . — — Map (db m83243) WM
Catholic, Protestant, Jewish
Interfaith in Action
Lt. Goode – Lt. Poling
Lt. Fox – Lt. Washington
Sacrificed their lives for men of all faiths
February 3, 1943 — — Map (db m66998) WM
Top row:
Pfc. Corbett B. Robertson, Pfc. Emilio A. Ramirez, Pfc. Raymond C. Hubbard, Sgt. Jesus R. Carrasco, Pfc. Richard L. Nickles, Pfc. Joe M. Valenzuela
Bottom Row:
Sgt. Johnson McAfee, Pfc. Manuel H. Moreno, Sgt. Raul B. . . . — — Map (db m67152) WM
This Property
is Listed in the
National Register
of Historic Places
By the United States Department of the Interior
St. Philip's in the Hills
1936 — — Map (db m31524) HM
Below this 2900-foot peak the Santa Cruz valley was farmed by the Hóhokam Indians as early as 800 A.D. When the Spaniards arrived in the 17th century, the Hóhokam had vanished and settlements of Piman people dotted the valley. One called . . . — — Map (db m83216) HM
This monument represents the first sighting of Europeans by the O'odham who lived on the traditional sacred ground at the base of Chuk Shon (known today as Sentinel Peak). The O'odham and their ancestors, the First People of the Tucson Basin, have . . . — — Map (db m75931) HM
Solomon Warner, a pioneer merchant who came to Tucson in 1856, constructed a two-story flour mill here in 1875. To the south, he built a dam across the Santa Cruz River, creating a small lake. From there, a flume ran along the base of the mountain . . . — — Map (db m26344) HM
Mission San Xavier del Bac was founded by the Jesuit missionary, Fr. Eusebio Kino in 1692. The present church was built under the direction of the Franciscans. Construction began in 1783 and was completed in 1797.
The church continues to . . . — — Map (db m83206) HM
Mission San Xavier del Bac was founded by Father Eusebio Kino as a Catholic mission in 1692. This Baroque architecture style building is the oldest intact European structure in Arizona. Construction began in 1783 and was completed in 1797. The . . . — — Map (db m84279) HM
Erected by the Bishop of Tvcson A.D. 1908 The fiftieth anniversary of the wondrovs apparitions of the Blessed Virgin Mother of God at the Grotto of Lovrdes — — Map (db m84278) HM
On November 30, 1944, at 7:40 A.M. 18 airmen from Davis-Monthan Army Air Field died following a mid-air collision between two B-24 Liberator Bombers over the Pantano Wash. This bridge is dedicated to those brave men who lost their lives while on a . . . — — Map (db m100761) HM WM
Dr. William Austin Cannon had this house built during 1904-1905. He was the first resident botanist with the Carnegie Desert Laboratory in 1902, and worked there until 1926. Dr. Cannon sold the house in 1913 to Dr. Andrew Ellicott Douglass, an . . . — — Map (db m83014) HM
Dr. Smith built this house in 1904 in anticipation of his marriage to Maud North, a Tucson teacher. The house, which he designed, was the first building on the north side of Speedway. Dr. Smith was a University of Arizona professor of engineering . . . — — Map (db m83035) HM
From here west to the intersection of Craycroft and Fort Lowell Roads stood 2 cavalry barracks, 20 by 145 feet, and 1 band barracks, 20 by 92 feet. The 21 troops of the 2nd, 4th, 5th, and 6th cavalry regiments lived here. The band barracks housed . . . — — Map (db m100691) HM
A tiny chapel, built here in 1915, served the Barriada del Rillito, a community now called El Fuerte. The fifteen immigrant Mexican families of this village gathered outside under mesquite trees to hear Mass. In 1917, Señora Josefa de Mule donated . . . — — Map (db m83018) HM
Planted shortly after Fort Lowell was established in 1873. The trees were irrigated by acequias or open ditches with water diverted from Pantano Wash. The beautiful shade trees made Fort Lowell an oasis in an otherwise barren area. After the fort . . . — — Map (db m26197) HM
The military post, established in 1862
near downtown Tucson, was moved to
this location in 1873. One of many
active forts on the Arizona frontier,
Lowell served also as a major supply
depot, influencing the economy and
social life of the . . . — — Map (db m83031) HM
Largest of the early Arizona military installations
this was the supply base for military posts in southern Arizona during the long warfare against the Apaches. Built in 1873, it was Gen. Nelson A. Miles' headquarters in the final campaign against . . . — — Map (db m83032) HM
The army originally established Camp Lowell in 1866 on the outskirts of Tucson. Because of unsanitary conditions there, in 1873 the army moved the post here, 7 miles northeast of Tucson. Fort Lowell, so designated in 1879, boasted four companies of . . . — — Map (db m100687) HM
Adjutant's Office
The nerve center of Fort Lowell was the 56-by-56-foot adobe building. The post commander and post adjutant made their offices here. When the regimental commander and his staff were on post, they lived in the building. It . . . — — Map (db m100693) HM
The infantry barracks (no longer in existence) were 75 feet north of the hospital. The one-story building, like all of the barracks at Fort Lowell, had walls 20 inches thick, a dirt roof, and a wooden porch. The barracks were 20 feet wide and 145 . . . — — Map (db m100689) HM
The officers of Fort Lowell and their families lived in 7 adobe homes-officers' row. During peak periods of military activity, up to three families lived in each building. After 1889, two smaller houses for married non-commissioned officers were . . . — — Map (db m100712) HM
The post surgeon was the cornerstone of army medical care. He was either a medical officer or a local civilian. At Fort Lowell, 21 men served in this capacity, assisted by enlisted hospital stewards. The surgeon maintained the health of all military . . . — — Map (db m100688) HM
Fort Lowell was a major supply depot for forts around southern Arizona Territory. The Quartermaster and Commissary Depot in on private property directly west, across Craycroft Road and north of Fort Lowell Rd. The Quartermaster Department supplied . . . — — Map (db m100692) HM
Lest we forget those rugged pioneer
soldiers who tamed the west,
this memorial is erected
to perpetually remind us of their service. — — Map (db m28419) HM
This statue was erected in February 1991 to honor the enlisted men who served in the Southwest during the Apache Wars in the 1870s and 1880s. It was cast in bronze by Desert Crucible, Inc., of Tucson. One and one-half times life-size, it stands . . . — — Map (db m100695) HM WM
The flagstaff has been the one constant feature of all military establishments since the creation of the U.S. Army in 1784.No matter what era or architectural style, the flagstaff has remained at the center of the parade ground and at the center of . . . — — Map (db m100713) HM
Dedicated to the enduring memory of the men and women who faithfully served in the military forces of the United States of America and in grateful acknowledgment of their contribution to this nation, which in time of peril, found in them its . . . — — Map (db m28932) HM
The view from this hill has changed a lot over the years. In the 1930s, this was the most spectacular cactus forest in Arizona. But no one knew that these aging giants were near the end of their lives. Today we speculate that mild weather in the . . . — — Map (db m85357) HM
Originally named “Street of Joy” during Tucson’s Spanish period. In 1869, its name changed to Congress Street, derived from Charles O. Brown’s Congress Hall Saloon. In 1867, Arizona’s territorial capital was moved to Tucson and Brown’s . . . — — Map (db m69810) HM
The venerable Hotel Congress, designed by well-known architect, Roy Place, is the last surviving historic hotel in downtown Tucson. This three-story landmark was built in 1919 with exposed masonry construction and marble details. The hotel, south . . . — — Map (db m83200) HM
The Sonoran Desert can be described as a “desert jungle” because more than 200 species of animals and 600 species of plants live here. Saguaros---with their branching arms and accordion-like pleats—dominate this scene. Intermixed with these cacti . . . — — Map (db m83147) HM
DeGrazia Gallery
in the Sun
has been placed on the
National Register
of Historic Places
October 12, 2006
by the United States
Department of the Interior — — Map (db m29479) HM
This famous track on the banks of the Rillito River was the birthplace of many racing innovations still in use today. The Southern Arizona Horse Breeders Association, the organization that pioneered Quarter Horse Racing in Tucson, had been hosting . . . — — Map (db m83215) HM
The first members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to enter what is now Arizona were remnants of the Mormon Battalion. They arrived in the Valley of the Tucson Basin December 17, 1847, prepared for battle. However, the Mexican . . . — — Map (db m94443) HM
Why Put A Prison On A Mountain?
Honor Camp prisoners built the Mt. Lemmon Highway
In the early 20th century, the only road to Mt. Lemmon began at the town of Oracle and snaked up the north face of the mountain.
Construction . . . — — Map (db m83017) HM
The saguaro cactus before you owes its existence to the foresight of local residents. In the 1920s grazing and development threatened the saguaro's future. Saguaro forests began to disappear as mature cactuses were chopped to make way for new . . . — — Map (db m85355) HM
Standing like desert sentinels, mature saguaros start life as tiny black seeds. These seeds usually germinate under nurse plants but only a few survive to become mature saguaros. Look for young saguaros growing low to the ground. Those that are . . . — — Map (db m83146) HM
Below is the dry bed of an intermittent stream called a desert wash. For a short time, during desert thunderstorms, flash floods rush down the mountain slopes and through desert washes to nearby rivers. However, beneath the wash’s sandy surface, . . . — — Map (db m83148) HM
Santa Cruz Church
built by
Manuel G. Flores
Construction began November 13, 1916
under
His excellency Henry Granjon
Bishop of Tucson
Established as parish February 12, 1919 — — Map (db m84224) HM
Safford Freeman and his family settled in this area in the early 1930s after applying for a patent under the Homestead Act. They were granted 640 acres to farm, graze, or mine. Here Mr. Freeman constructed a three room adobe home, along with several . . . — — Map (db m83024) HM
You can still see part of the cattle tank that was installed in 1938. It sat on a concrete base and was used every summer as a swimming pool before the water was released to irrigate the surrounding gardens.
The Porters had their own well, as did . . . — — Map (db m84176) HM
The Historical Gardens show a gardening style that was popular in Tucson from the 1880s through the 1940s. The landscape choices of those days aimed for a green retreat from the desert and helped keep homes cooler in the decades before . . . — — Map (db m84175) HM
Like many Tucsonans in the 1920s, Bernice Walkley and Rutger Porter were transplanted easterners – she from Connecticut and he from New York. Rutger met Bernice while doing landscape work for her father in Tucson.
In 1929 Rutger bought the . . . — — Map (db m84199) HM
Douglas C-54D Skymaster Transport 1942-1975
On loan from the National Museum of the United States Air Force
2nd Plaque
Douglas C-54D
This aircraft served in the Berlin Airlift in 1949 and is painted as such (despite . . . — — Map (db m185679) HM
