February 2018
Sheep Ranchers and Herders of Arizona – Yuma
Sheep ranching has been greatly overlooked in the history of Arizona. While it never will compete with the five “C’s”, it added a great deal to the economic diversity in the state. Many different ethnic groups settled here and raised sheep for a living weathering the economic downturns as well as the prosperous years. They often weathered the storm better than cattlemen. These men and women raised their families on the frontier and left a lasting impact on the economic…
Find out more »January 2019
Along the California Trail – Wellton
An ancient set of Indian paths and the natural flow of the Gila River created a major artery for travel through pioneer Arizona. The Gila provided a route for the earliest traders, including Toltecs of Mexico, who traded with the Anasazi and Hohokam. The intrepid Padre Francisco Garces, performed missionary work during six excursions along the trail. U.S. surveying expeditions, immigrants—such as the ill-fated Oatman family—and seekers of the California gold fields join the list. The journals, stories, songs and…
Find out more »January 2020
The Gila: River of History
Six hundred miles long from its source in the mountains of southwestern New Mexico to its confluence with the Colorado River above Yuma, the Gila has been an important avenue for the movement of birds, animals, plants, and peoples across the desert for millennia. Many cultures have sprung up on its banks, and millions of people depend on the river today—whether they know it or not. Gregory McNamee, author of the prizewinning book Gila: The Life and Death of an…
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