Historical Society Features The Early Settlers

Before Oro Valley, there were the early settlers

Early settlers and homesteaders were important to the growth of Oro Valley almost 200 years ago. Prior to their move north of Tucson, our Town didn’t exist – no Catalina State Park (it was a glorious landscape of trees, grass, cactus, and water); no Oracle Road, of course, just a dusty, rutted, gravel road between Mammoth and Tucson; and certainly no Steam Pump Ranch until George Pusch came along in the 1870’s. 

Francisco Romero--the first non native settler

The first non-native settler to our community was Francisco Romero, who was part of an old Tucson family that had come to Tucson to be a part of the Spanish army around the 1820’s. He envisioned that a part of what is now Catalina State Park would be the perfect place for a cattle ranch, and he built his home in what had been a Hohokam village. 

Perhaps you have seen Romero Ruin while hiking in Catalina State Park. Now, it is hard to believe that area was selected as a great place to raise cattle and crops and have a home. Because of Apache attacks, Francisco did not stay in this area for very long, although his son did return to the area to build his own home which must have been a testament to how valuable the property was at the time.

Then...Sutherland, Marin, Aragon and Elias
And the Romero family wasn’t alone. Other early residents of the Oro Valley area during that time were William Sutherland, (ever heard of Sutherland Wash in Catalina State Park?), Francisco Marin, Francisco Aragon, and Jesus Elias, who acquired land grants from the Mexican government in the 1870s and 1880s. These homesteaders contributed to the development of ranching and farming in our area. 

Our January Exhibit...

And you can learn more about them and others who lived their dreams of being prosperous ranchers unnerved by the Apache concerns at the time! The Oro Valley Historical Society’s January exhibit at the Pusch House Museum in historical Steam Pump Ranch is all about the early settlers and homesteaders in our area. Come see why and how these courageous, energetic families chose Oro Valley as their new home…probably for way different reasons than we did!

A "shout out" To Intelligent Office
We would like to thank Intelligent Office for their recent support and donation to our mission. Located in Innovation Park, the company provides individuals with office space to call your own now that so many of us have gone to remote work. You have offices, meeting space, someone to answer your phone, executive assistants, and a mailing address. What more could you ask for in this busy world? https://www.intelligentoffice.com
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Are you looking for something to do? Want to make a difference?

We are currently looking for enthusiastic volunteers who are interested in becoming docents at the Pusch House museum and for Steam Pump Ranch tours. A training session is scheduled for January 10 at 10:30 a.m. in the Pusch House Museum. We hope to hear from you. Contact: Tina at tinhow@comcast.net 

In addition, we could use some help with social media, fundraising, and gardening – there’s something for everyone because history loves company!

About Us

The Oro Valley Historical Society is a 501 (c) (3) non-profit volunteer organization, whose mission is “To promote research, preservation, education, and dissemination of historical information related to the greater Oro Valley area.” We invite you to become a supporter and/or a volunteer. Visit us at ovhistory.org and help keep Oro Valley history alive!



Meet the Marin Family: Homesteaders Circa 1880

This article is part of our continuing series by the Oro Valley Historical Society. Future OVHS articles will appear on LOVE every other Thursday.
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Francisco Marin marries Mercedes Ruelas
Francisco Marin was born in 1847 in Tucson. At a young age, he was captured by Apache Indians and spent three years in the Sierra Madre Mountains until he was able to escape.

Francisco married Mercedes Ruelas in 1876 when he was 29 and she was 22 years old. They had five children; one son and four daughters.

Circa 1880, he established a ranch on the west side of North Oracle Road. It was located opposite of the present day Catalina State Park entrance and one mile north of Steam Pump Ranch. He homesteaded 160 acres of property and received full title in 1908.

Francisco owned and operated several stagecoach stations on the Tucson-Oracle run. One was at the base of Marin Hill presently the area between Catalina State Park and Tangerine Road. The Marin Hill station was a good watering and switching point for horses and stagecoaches before continuing north due to the steepness of the terrain.

On the 1902 General Land Office survey plat map of the area, the Marin property was referred to as the “Mexican Ranch."  The Marin property was purchased by the parents of Buster Bailey in 1920.

Mercedes died in 1913 followed by Francisco in 1923. At the time of their deaths, they lived on Carmen Street in Tucson.

Teodoro Marin
Teodoro was born in 1880 and was the son of Francisco and Mercedes. He established a 160 acre homestead near his father’s property at the entrance to Catalina State Park and gained title to it in 1913. During his lifetime, Teodoro worked as a rancher, as a stagecoach driver, and for the Southern Pacific Railroad. He died in Tucson in 1961.

Members of the Marin family still reside in the Oro Valley area.

Source: Claiming the Desert: Settlers, Homesteaders and Ranchers in Oro Valley, Arizona 1865-1965 by James A. Williams. (This book can be purchased through the Oro Valley Historical Society at the Pusch House Museum or on Amazon.)
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WE WANT YOU! The Oro Valley Historical Society is a 501 (c) (3) non-profit volunteer organization, whose mission is “To promote research, preservation, education, and dissemination of historical information related to the greater Oro Valley area."  We invite you to become a member or volunteer. Visit us at ovhistory.org and help keep Oro Valley history alive!

We are currently looking for enthusiastic volunteers who are interested in becoming docents at the Pusch House museum and for Steam Pump Ranch tours. Training sessions are being scheduled in October. We hope to hear from you. Contact: Teri at tcolmar@comcast.net