Fred Harvey, the Harvey Girls and the Santa Fe
Railroad
Fred Harvey was
an entrepreneur who developed the Harvey House restaurants and hotels which served rail passengers on the Atchison,
Topeka and Santa Fe Railway
starting in the late 1800s. He was also a leader in promoting tourism in
the American Southwest with his “Indian Detours.” We will take a
look at this man along with his girls.
Monday, Feb 6, 10:00 – 11:30 am
at OASIS- #135; $10 plus $12 processing fee.
Call them at 322-5627 or sign up online at www.oasisnet.org
Wednesday, March 7, 2012, Noon
to 1:00 pm and 2:00 – 3:00 pm at Western National Parks Association (12880 N. Vistoso Village Dr);
please call 622-6014 during business hours: Mon-Fri, 9:30 AM to 5:00 PM,
beginning one week prior to the event for reservations. Free
Not Just a Pretty Face and a Pompadour: Teen Idols of the
1950s
Tuesday, Feb 21st, 10:00 – 12:30 pm at OASIS-
#238; $10 plus $12 processing fee.
This is the
seventh talk in a series on the history of popular music. In the early days of rock ‘n’ roll, a number
of attractive performers were known as teen idols. We will take a look at the musical careers of
a number of them including Ricky Nelson, Paul Anka, Ersel Hickey, Tommy Sands,
and Sal Mineo. The 2 ½ hour presentation
will be a PowerPoint with videos of early performances and lots of music.
Featured Tour
City Tour of Tucson
Saturday,
January 21st and Saturday, March 17th; $33
9:00
am to about 1:00 pm
This 4 hour tour
will be a combination of the old (history, archeology, and architecture) and
the present (Rio Nuevo, restorations, and recommendations). We will start at the Arizona Historical
Society Museum. After refreshments,
we’ll board our coach and head downtown
which has an abundance of stories – Wyatt
Earp, John Dillinger, arrival of the railroad in 1880, Hotel Congress, the new
4th Avenue underpass, the trolley, recent development, the Fox
Theatre, Pioneer Hotel, site of St. Augustin’s Church and convent, Pancho
Villa’s statue, Daniel’s Clock, and the old Valley Bank.
Next we are off
to the top of “A” Mountain and
stories of early U of A football and Pop
McKale. On our way back to town, we will pass by the site of the Convento (1770), the Gardens, and Warner’s
Mill on Mission Road. Then it’s off
to the Barrio Viejo with its El Tiradito
shrine, adobe homes, Lalo Guerrero, and the Hernandez murders. El
Presidio neighborhood with homes of early Tucson residents Fish, Hereford,
Franklin, Hughes, Stevens, Herring, and Steinfeld as well as Old Town Artisans (our
one restroom break) and El Charro is
next. Our route takes us to Miracle Mile and the Ghost Ranch Lodge
before heading to Armory Park with the
Charles Blenman home, Carnegie Free Library, Scottish Rite Cathedral, Safford
School, and the Temple of Music and Art. The University of Arizona’s
historic section including the old
Library, the State Museum, Centennial Hall, and Old Main will be our last
stop. .
Tours
Organ Stop Pizza and the Dutton Family in Mesa AZ
Saturday, February 4, 2012 SOLD OUT
Walking Tour of the Mission San Xavier del Bac
Thursday, February 9th and Monday,
March 12th ; 9:00 – 11:00 am; $18
March 12th Tour SOLD OUT
To get to the
Mission, take exit 92 off of I-19 and follow the signs. At the stop sign in front of the Mission,
turn left and then take an immediate right into the gravel parking lot. Meet at the tree in the middle. After coffee and coffeecake, I’ll talk about
Father Kino, the history of the church including the 1887 earthquake, the
Jesuits, and the Franciscans. Next we
will look at the façade, the interior art and symbolism, and the
restoration. We’ll finish with a tour of
the grounds, the museum, and the adjacent hill and grotto. Each tour limited to 20 people. Reservations required, but pay when you get there. Cost
includes a $3 donation to the Mission. You may want to allow time afterwards for the gift shop, the adjacent
gallery, the 30 minute video, and lunch.
Florence Historic Home Tour
Saturday, February 11, 2012; $78
Today we have the opportunity of hearing the stories and actually going inside a number of historic homes and buildings in Florence. Lunch will be at Mount Athos Cafe. In the afternoon we'll visit the Pinal County Historical Society Museum and hear a talk by Jim Turner.
Downtown Heritage District Walking Tours
Part I: Tuesday,
February 14th, 10:00 am to 12:30; $15
We’ll start at the 1907
Southern Pacific Railroad Depot on Toole just north of the Hotel
Congress. After hearing about Tucson’s early train history and
what the Earps were doing on this site, we are off to the newly-completed
4th Avenue Underpass. No tour of Congress street would be
complete without a stop at the Hotel Congress to hear their ghost
stories and the role the Hotel played in the Dillinger capture (No, John
never stayed here) and then on to our next stop across the street at the Rialto
Theatre. Stops at the 1929 U. S. Federal Court House, the new
Unisource Building (site of the demolished Santa Rita Hotel), and the
new Scott Avenue restoration including the Griffin will complete the
tour.
Part II: Wednesday,
March 14th, 10:00 am to 12:30; $18
The main highlight of this tour
will be the docent-led tour of the Fox Tucson Theatre.
Another highlight will be the 1929Consolidated Bank Building (better known as the Valley National Bank and
now as Chase Bank) The interior is amazing. Other buildings
or sites we will visit include the Congress Street School, the original San
Agustin’s Church, the Palace Saloon Shoot-out, Daniel’s Clock, and the statue
of Pancho Villa. On our return via Pennington Street , we’ll visit
the Pioneer Hotel (scene of Tucson ’s worst disaster).and the sites
of the Heney-Handy gunfight and Steinfeld’s and Jacome’s department stores.
Frank Lloyd Wright - Taliesin West,
Arizona Biltmore, &PAM – Feb 25
The Tohono O’odham Nation - TBA
Arizona Opry and Shamrock Dairy – March
10, 2012
La
Cage aux Folles – May 19, 2012
Santa Fe Opera & Folk Art Market –
July 12-16, 2012
Laguna Beach Pageant of the Masters
& Catalina Island – Aug 1-5, 2012
Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta & Acoma
Pueblo – Oct 10-15, 2012
