It’s September, and the Oro Valley Historical Society is back at the Ranch – Steam Pump Ranch, that is!
New Exhibit at the Pusch House Museum
The Pusch House Museum will open on September 7 from 9 a.m. to noon to welcome visitors with the new exhibit – The Santa Catalinas: Our Magnificent Mountains. This exhibit will be available for viewing every Saturday until October 12 and will include information about the geology, settlers, mining, and Catalina State Park. You will surely be amazed at the details you’ll learn about the beautiful mountains we are lucky enough to see every day.
Ranger Talk: Catalina State Park’s History and Future
In conjunction with the exhibit, we are fortunate to have an opportunity to hear from an actual Catalina State Park ranger on Tuesday, September 10 at the Oro Valley Public Library. Mr. Pat Damiani will speak to us about Catalina State Park: Past, Present, and Future at 2 p.m. Both the talk and the exhibit at the museum are free, with donations gladly accepted.
Do you wonder what we do over the summer months? Well, here’s a snapshot...
Engaging Oro Valley Students During History Week
In June, our docents had the opportunity to show Oro Valley students the Steam Pump Ranch and Pusch House Museum during history week, celebrated by the Oro Valley Parks and Recreation Department’s summer camps. The Town team did a great job introducing the Ranch and its early inhabitants, while students could tour the museum’s exhibits to answer some of the questions that came up.
Honoring Henry Zipf with a Memorial Bench
That month, we also had the opportunity to honor Henry Zipf, a past president, lifetime member, and great-grandson of George Pusch, at a dedication ceremony for the memorial bench purchased with donations received after his passing last year. The timing was beautiful, as we dedicated the bench on what would have been his 68th birthday. Come to the Pusch House Museum to see where it sits today, overlooking the Pusch House and the beautiful Pusch Ridge!
A Presentation from Local Historian Roxy Johnson
But not everything we did in June was at the Ranch. Another of our past presidents, and daughter of early homesteaders in Oro Valley, Roxy Johnson, gave a presentation to residents of the Country Club of La Cholla about her family’s life long before we became the Town of Oro Valley. Just a reminder – Society docents are very willing to give presentations to all groups and can even arrange private tours of the Ranch for interested parties. Use the Contact link on our website (https://www.ovhistory.org) to make arrangements.
Ongoing Projects and Updates
Throughout the summer, we have been busy cataloging some of our journals to make research easier, working with the Town’s Communications Department to edit oral history videos that will be on our website soon, designing a protective frame for a silk shawl owned by Gertrude Pusch, daughter of George and Mathilda Pusch, replacing an informational sign that went missing during the season, adding a permanent informational sign at the Steam Pump Building, meeting with the Town about our lease agreement, and collaborating with Home Depot on upgrading our Heritage Garden. More to come on all of those!
Join Us This Season at Steam Pump Ranch
We hope to see you at the Ranch this season – remember, volunteers are always welcome, tours of the Pusch House Museum are complimentary, and donations are gladly accepted!
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