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We have had the opportunity to explore downtown Tucson on several different occasions recently. The downtown area is roughly broken into two main sections, the Presidio District north of Broadway Boulevard and the Barrio District to the south. We toured the Presidio District first and since it is the oldest part of town (not including the Native American history) we’ll start there.

The Presidio District takes its name from the Spanish word for fort. On August 20, 1775 the Presidio San Agustín del Tucson was established by a man with a not-so Spanish sounding name, Colonel Hugo O’Conor (much confusion exists over his actual rank and the spelling of his name; suffice it to say he was the man in charge at the time). As you might have guessed, O’Conor was an Irishman serving in the Spanish army. The eleven acre fort was purported to be the largest one built by the Spanish in North America.

The Presidio remained the center of activity until it was handed over to the U.S. in 1854 following the signing of the Gadsden Purchase. Since the Presidio was no longer needed it was decommissioned and soon it was dismantled. The Presidio was not torn down, instead parts and pieces were removed and reused by the resourceful citizens of Tucson, made up of Anglos, Mexicans and Native peoples.

Recently the grounds of the fort were excavated and a surprising number of artifacts were recovered that help to tell the story of Tucson’s early days. The city rebuilt the part of the Presidio’s walls and the area is now an open air museum called the Presidio San Agustín del Tucson Heritage Park. The museum helps the visitor link modern day elements of Tucson with its past. Like reminding us that an earlier name for “A” Mountain was Sentinel Peak because the Spanish posted lookouts up there. The sentinel’s job was to watch for the dreaded Apache warriors and warn the Presidio’s soldiers so they could protect the peaceful tribes of the valley.

The park is part of a multi-site Tucson Origins Heritage Park that is still under development. The part I know the least about and am looking forward to is the San Agustín Mission which was located across the Santa Cruz River from the Presidio near the base of Sentinel Peak. Hopefully that section of the park will be open by the next time we visit Tucson. After visiting many other cities across the country and exploring their history I am thrilled that Tucson is finally recognizing, celebrating, and sharing her story too.

The Barrio District may not be nearly as old as the Presidio area yet it is just as full of interesting history. After the Gadsden Purchase, when the American forces entered Tucson, the low adobe row houses—inhabited mainly by Mexican settlers—became known as the Barrio Libre. This quote from the 1880s sums it up quite nicely:

This designation was given by the Mexican residents to that quarter of the city… It means Free Zone, and in earlier times was allowed to remain without legal restraints or the presence of a policeman. Here, the Mescalian could imbibe his fill, and either male or female could, in peaceful intoxication, sleep on the sidewalk or in the middle of the streets, with all their ancient rights respected. Fandangoes, monte, chicken fights, broils, and all the amusements of the lower class of Mexicans were, in this quarter, indulged in without restraint; and to this day much of the old-time regime prevails…

While the Barrio District has fortunately retained its strong cultural and ethnic ties to its Mexican roots in the recent past the area was not looked upon favorably. In the late 1960s and into the 1970s the area was under threat from city planners. Several blocks, including 260 houses and businesses in the Barrio, were razed to make way for the new convention center and other sections were threatened with destruction by a freeway. Thankfully, residents were able to convince the city that the Barrio is an important part of Tucson’s history and should be preserved.

One of the gems in the Barrio that was threatened is El Tiradito (Spanish for the castaway), the only shrine in America dedicated to a sinner. The “wishing shrine” was created in memory of Juan Oliveras, a shepherd who lived in the Tucson area in the 1800s. He met his end for his part in a forbidden love affair with his mother-in-law. The church refused him a proper burial so he was interred where he fell, on unconsecrated ground—a terrible fate for a Catholic. Believers still flock to the shrine to light candles and leave their wishes for help with troubles of the heart. It is said that if your candle stays lit through the night your wish will be granted. Thankfully, the shrine still stands and since 1971 has been listed on the National Registry of Historic Places.

After paying our respects to the shrine we walked over to the area once known as Elysian Grove where a natural spring fed a small lake. Around the lake the residents of Tucson created a small oasis replete with shade trees, gardens, and a band shell. Thankfully, pictures exist of this area to prove how different things were back then. Back when surface water was a central part of the existence of Tucson, there were small lakes and ponds and of course, the Santa Cruz River still flowed.

Leaving the Elysian area we headed west, wandering the narrow streets lined with low adobe buildings. Some are connected in row houses while others are freestanding but they all front the street. In typical Mexican style, the houses had private, rear courtyards where much of the entertaining and cooking took place throughout most of the year. Many of the houses are in remarkable shape considering their age and that they are built of mud.

Thankfully, it doesn’t rain that often in Tucson and when it does the homes have tin canales that drain the water from the flat roofs and away from the walls. The buildings are well suited for the desert as the 18” thick walls help keep the interior cool in the hot summers. Many of the buildings have been painstakingly restored and while some are used as offices many more are private residences. One of my favorite things about the buildings in the Barrio is the use of color. Bright, joyful colors are everywhere not just on the trim but often times on the entire house.

As you might expect, any place with this much history is bound to be full of surprises and we see something new every time we visit the area. We are looking forward to learning more about Tucson’s history as the city itself uncovers more information. One of the many reasons we love Tucson is that there is never a shortage of things to do.

Photos: View our photographs from Tucson Presidio and Old Barrio.

Notes: We visited the Presidio and Barrio in Tucson on December 8th and 16th, 2007.