Arts and Culture of Ancient Southern Arizona Hohokam Indians

Sierra Vista Public Library 2600 E. Tacoma St., Sierra Vista, AZ, United States

The Hohokam archaeological culture flourished in southern Arizona as early as the sixth century. Hohokam artifacts, architecture, and other material culture provide clues allowing archaeologists to identify where the Hohokam lived, interpret how they adapted to the Sonoran Desert for centuries, and explain why their culture collapsed in the mid-1400s. This presentation illustrates Hohokam material […]

Free

Business Not as Usual: Arizona’s Early Women Entrepreneurs

Sedona Winds Retirement Center 405 Jacks Canyon Rd., Sedona, AZ, United States

Women have always been in business of one type or another. Meet five of Arizona’s early female entrepreneurs. Prospector Nellie Cashman established restaurants in towns across the territory. Sarah Bowman, a shrewd businesswoman with a tarnished reputation, operated dining establishments for the soldiers of Fort Yuma. Trading post owner Louisa Wetherill replicated intricate Navajo sand […]

Free

The Vulture Gold Mine

Litchfield Park Branch Library 101 W. Wigwam Boulevard, Litchfield Park, AZ, United States

Discovered in 1863 by Henry Wickenburg, the Vulture Gold Mine was the first big gold mine in Arizona.  The mine and its colorful cast of characters, along with the town of Wickenburg, were instrumental in stimulating considerable growth and development in Central Arizona. This presentation will share the multi-layered story of the gold mine, thus […]

Free

Cowboys and Cowgirls: Icons of the American West

Phippen Museum 4701 U.S. HWY 89N, Prescott, AZ, United States

Few symbols have been more durable than the American cowboy. This program will give an overview of this populist figure, whose image was first defined by painters Frederic Remington and Charles M. Russell. Also important to the story are brave cowgirls and the Mexican vaqueros. Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show showcased mythic cowboy culture, with […]

Free

How Wild Was It? Crime and Justice in Arizona Territory

Sharlot Hall Museum 415 W. Gurley Street, Prescott

Arizona’s territorial era has the reputation of being a violent and crime-ridden place with ineffective criminal justice institutions.  This presentation provides an overview of crime and justice in Arizona Territory.  Based on data from court cases and newspapers, it describes the types of crimes most commonly committed and the justice system’s response to them.  Contrary […]

Free

Resistance: Untold Stories of Jewish Partisans

Cutler-Plotkin Jewish Heritage Center 122 E Culver St., Phoenix, AZ, United States

Join the Cutler Plotkin Jewish Heritage Center in downtown Phoenix for a screening of Resistance: Untold Stories of Jewish Partisans During World War II. Visit their website for more information and to RSVP. This event is funded in part by an Opportunity Grant from Arizona Humanities.

Free

Winslow’s La Posada: The Life, Death, and Rebirth of a Harvey Grand Hotel

Heard Museum 2301 N. Central Ave., Phoenix, AZ, United States

The Fred Harvey and Santa Fe Railway companies vigorously promoted tourism to the Southwest through Harvey's grand hotels along the Santa Fe line. Winslow’s proximity to natural and cultural sites made it an ideal tourism destination, and so La Posada opened there in 1930. After the hotel closed in 1957, the building served as Santa […]

Free

The Billingsley Hopi Dancers

Dragon's View Restaurant 400 N. Bonita Ave, Tucson, AZ, United States

In 1921 the Hopi were told that “church people” petitioned Congress to stop their “pagan” dancing. A platform was erected on the U.S. Capitol steps where both Houses of Congress assembled with their families to see the Hopi dancers. Following the performance, Congress passed a Resolution giving the Hopi permission to carry on their dancing […]

Free

POP-Pourri: Pop Culture in Arizona

Post-war Arizona really popped and added to the pop culture known as Americana. The housing pop for the returning military personnel who were moving to Arizona changed the landscape. Iconic restaurants such as KFC, McDonald’s, and Bob’s Big Boy owe Arizona for their POP culture status. Vestiges of these post-war days are still around and […]

Free

Ancient Landscapes of the American Southwest

La Posada Hotel 303 E. Second St., Winslow, AZ, United States

The American Southwest is world-renown for its colorful, modern landscape, but you’ll be amazed to learn what it used to look like. The Grand Canyon, Monument Valley, the Superstition Mountains, and the Petrified Forest hold clues to the fascinating story of how the Southwest was once the site of tropical seas, Sahara-like deserts, coastlines stalked […]

Free

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