Oro Valley Historical Society

Be part of the team!  The Oro Valley Historical Society is an independent, 501(c)(3) all-volunteer organization with no personnel expenses. We depend on our volunteers and supporters to accomplish our mission and vision.  Our members and volunteers act as docents and speakers, provide education and maintain and organize our extensive collections.
Contributions are used to support our activities, organizational costs and to help preserve and restore the Steam Pump Ranch Historical Park.
Won’t you join the effort to preserve the past for the future?

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Come celebrate the Arizona’s 112th birthday at the Pusch House Museum at the historic Steam Pump Ranch

February is Arizona’s birthday! Come celebrate the 112th birthday at the Pusch House Museum at the historic Steam Pump Ranch, 10901 North Oracle Road.
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Barbara McIntyre (Pusch’s Family)

George Pusch's Great Granddaughter
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Decking the Pusch House with Boughs of Holly!

OVHS has decked the Pusch House Museum with boughs of holly for the December exhibit! “Traditions, Toys, and Trains” opens on Saturday, December 2 from ...
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Celebrating Oro Valley’s Golden Anniversary!

Oro Valley will celebrate it’s 50th birthday on April 15, 2024!  This season’s Speakers Bureau will focus on discussion on Oro Valleys history from a ...
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October is German-American Heritage Month

Congress, by Public Law 100 – 104, designated October 6, 1987, the 304th anniversary of the arrival of the first German immigrants in Philadelphia, as ...
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OVHS Celebrates Hispanic-American Heritage

Arizona is heavily influenced by  Indigenous People and Hispanic roots.  This month the Oro Valley Historical Society is focusing on Hispanic-American Heritage.  See the Hispanic ...
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Tootsie’s Steamer Trunk – Beauty revisited

Check off another item on the OVHS “to do” list.  Collections Chair, Sue Chambasian, had the restoration of Tootsie’s steamer trunk on her wish list.  ...
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OVHS New Program Year!

Summer’s over and OVHS is BACK! After taking a summer break, Oro Valley Historical Society is ready to welcome visitors to the Pusch House Museum. ...
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In Memory of OVHS President Henry K. Zipf

  The Oro Valley Historical Society (OVHS) Board members are saddened to announce the passing of our friend and President Henry K. Zipf.  Henry was ...
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Spring Newsletter

Oro Valley Historical Society Spring Newsletter George Pusch at the Pusch House! Thank you to Franz Fauley for his portrayal of George Pusch on February ...
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Thank You to our Event Sponsors!

The Oro Valley Historical Society greatly appreciates the support of the Lisa Bayless Team at Long Realty for contributing to the “Ain’t No Mountain High ...
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The Road to Arizona Statehood!

The Road to Arizona Statehood was a long trek!  On Valentine’s Day, February 14, 1912 it became the 48th State of the Union and the ...
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Fundraising Event: Wynne Brown Presentation

  Don’t miss a great opportunity to hear a great presentation! “Ain’t no mountain High Enough!” How Sara Plummer Lemmon Reached New Heights Mount Lemmon ...
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Traditions, Toys and Trains!

Get into the holiday spirit and visit the Pusch House Museum.  Beginning December 3, the Oro Valley Historical Society will feature “Traditions, Toys, and Trains” ...
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Steam Pump Ranch Walking Tours!

You might have driven along Oracle road and passed Steam Pump Ranch a thousand times and wondered….what is that?  You might have visited the Heirloom ...
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Native American Heritage Month

It’s a new month and a new exhibit!  November OVHS celebrates Native American Heritage Month.  Explore Native American history and culture that is part of ...
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October Exhibit!

New Month, New Exhibit! It’s October and that means there is a new exhibit at the Pusch House Museum at Steam Pump Ranch – Where ...
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READ ALL ABOUT IT!

Check our “News” link and “Event” link for the latest news, upcoming exhibits and the monthly schedule of events! Visit Steam Pump Ranch, a National ...
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OVHS Wants You! We Really Do!

Do you have a few spare hours a week?  Do you love history…local history?  Do you want to share Oro Valley’s rich past with other ...
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TOURS OF THE STEAM PUMP RANCH PROPERTY

The Oro Valley Historical Society is happy to announce that our popular Steam Pump Ranch Property Tour will resume on Saturday, September 17.  Tours begin ...
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Grand Opening – New Season! Saturday, September 10

We are thrilled to announce that our new program year is around the corner!  We have been busy during the summer planning for an exciting ...
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THIS IS IT!

THIS IS IT!  It has been a spectacular OVHS program year from September through April.  On Saturday, April 9 the Oro Valley Historical Society (OVHS) ...
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Annual Membership Meeting

Come One, Come All, The Annual Meeting of the Oro Valley Historical Society (OVHS) will take place on Thursday, March 24 at 3:00 p.m.  It ...
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New Exhibit Celebrates Women’s History in Oro Valley

WONDER WOMEN OF ORO VALLEY AND BEYOND! Don’t miss this! March is Women’s History Month and Oro Valley Historical Society has a great new exhibit ...
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February Pusch House Exhibit/Outdoor Tour

A New Month a New Exhibit! This month the Oro Valley Historical Society’s exhibit will focus on Black History. Discover Black traditions and the origins ...
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Meanwhile Back at the Ranch!

It’s a new month and that means a new exhibit!  “Meanwhile Back at the Ranch” shows some of the aspects of ranch life.  For both ...
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OVHS Recap 2021! What a Year!

This past fall, we were given the “go ahead” to reopen the Pusch House Museum.  And that we did! In September we traveled back in ...
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It’s Not Too Late to Donate!

It’s not too late for you to play Santa!  Do you have any end-of-year giving to complete?  We would love for you to stuff the ...
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Let’s Talk Railroads!

On Wednesday, December 1 at 2:00 p.m. we will have a talk on the history of railroads in our area..the Narrow Gauge.  The talk will ...
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Pusch House Museum Exhibits

The Pusch House Museum is Back in Business!   The Pusch House Museum reopened in September after a long hiatus due to….well you know. In ...
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We’re Back!

  After a long, hot, rainy summer the Oro Valley Historical Society is back!  After a long ,weary, year and many months of COVID, we ...
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Annual Meeting

Please note that the OVHS Annual Membership Meeting will take place at Steam Pump Ranch (10901 N. Oracle) on Thursday, March 25 at 2:00 p.m. ...
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A “Garden of Earthly Delights”

A  “Garden of Earthly Delights”! You might remember this tag line from Clairol Herbal Essence shampoo from the 1970s (it smelled wonderful!) but it could ...
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Quarterly Newsletter

Newsletter February 2021 Save the Date! The OVHS annual meeting will take place on Thursday, March 25 at 2:00 p.m. Assuming that COVID protocols will ...
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A Unique Specimen! What Is It?

One of the many questions that come up during the recent tours of Historic Steam Pump Ranch, is what kind of tree is that?  The ...
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Steam Pump Ranch Tours

Come Out, Come Out Wherever You Are!   If you are looking for something to do OUTDOORS, look no further!   The Oro Valley Historical ...
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December Newsletter

Oro Valley Historical Society Newsletter December 2020 MEANWHILE BACK AT THE RANCH! It’s been a LONG 2020! But we are happy to announce that the ...
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Parks and Recreation Master Plan Concepts

  The Town of Oro Valley (TOV) Parks and Recreation Division is currently working on Master Plans for area parks.  This includes Historic Steam Pump ...
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MEANWHILE BACK AT THE RANCH….TOURS!

MEANWHILE BACK AT THE RANCH!   It’s been a LONG 2020!  But we are happy to announce that the Oro Valley Historical Society (OVHS) will ...
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ANNUAL MEETING: NOVEMBER 12

Hello Oro Valley Historical Society Members! The Board of the Oro Valley Historical Society (OVHS) planned to have the Annual Meeting way back in April! ...
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Fall Newsletter!

Dear Members, The current OVHS Board of Directors for your information: President……………Roxy Johnson orovalleylady@comcast.net Vice pres ……………Henry Zipf Henryzipf30@gmail.com Secretary……………Teri Colmar tericolmar@comcast.net Treasurer …………..Paul Loomis ...
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A Special Donation!

Sincere thanks to Walter Pusch (Great-Grandson of George/Mathilda Pusch) for these two special donations to the OVHS Collections.  Walter donated a Pima/Papago and Apache Burden ...
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Letter to the Town of Oro Valley

The following letter was delivered to the Town of Oro Valley Mayor and Councilmembers (others as noted) on May 26, 2020. (Formatting may be slightly ...
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TOV Council Study Session

Tentative Council Budget Study Session.  Check the TOV website for viewing information www.orovalleyaz.gov
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The Pusch Family Crest

Do you like to sleuth?  Our Collections Committee often has to don their Sherlock Holmes deerstalker hats to get to the bottom of historical mysteries.  ...
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It was $$Priceless$$!

Just before “social distancing” became the norm, OVHS was able to showcase its fundraising event, $$PRICELESS$$, at the Oro Valley Country Club.  Guests brought in their ...
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Oro Valley Country Club Estates Hike March 26 – CANCELED

  THIS EVENT HAS BEEN CANCELED!   Did you know that Oro Valley Country Club Estates was one of the first developments that launched Oro ...
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Don’t miss this Special Event! It’s $$Priceless$$

  So you’ve taken on the task of cleaning out the storage unit and have come across that “thing” handed down from generation to generation. ...
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Thank you KVOI 1030AM WakeUp Tucson

Where were you Monday, February 24 at 7:00 a.m.?  Peg O’Connell and Teri Colmar were at the KVOI 1030AM studios with Chris DeSimone!  Chris graciously ...
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TOURS AND HIKES AND EVENTS….OH MY!

If you haven’t checked the Oro Valley Historical Society (OVHS) calendar lately you might be missing something special!  For all upcoming activities and details check ...
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SaddleBrooke’s Phantom Gold

Local historian, Bob Simpson, will discuss “Mining Law and Saddlebrooke’s Phantom Gold”.  Bob is a published author and has been a very popular speaker at ...
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This is $$Priceless$$

So you’ve taken on the task of cleaning out the storage unit and have come across that “thing” handed down from generation to generation.  Is ...
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History Hike – Elias Homestead

Wednesday, February 19 – NW corner of Catalina State Park. Meet: 8:30 am – Equestrian Center, Catalina St. Park   What a great way to ...
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“Letters from an Army Airman” – February Exhibit

The Pusch House at Steam Pump Ranch will feature an exhibit; “Letters from an Army Airman”.  Capturing a bit of February’s theme of Valentine’s Day ...
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Ticket Sales Begin for “$$Priceless$$

IT’S TIME!!  You can now buy tickets to our special event: “$$Priceless$$ – An Antiques Appraisal Event” to be held on Thursday, March 12 at ...
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Thank You for Supporting OVHS!

We wish to thank all of you volunteered at the Christkindlmarket booth, visited the Pusch House, purchased items from our booth and gave donations!  We ...
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History Hikes!

History Hikes for January – March 2020 Oro Valley Historical Society   Wednesday, January 22 – Honey Bee Canyon and Homesteader Ruins. Meet:  8:30 am ...
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What’s in a Name?

On Wednesday, November 12 the Oro Valley Historical Society featured a talk by Arizona Star columnist, David Leighton.  David discussed the origins of many Tucson ...
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Christkindlmarket Booth at Steam Pump Ranch

  Many cities around the world have adopted the festive Christkindlmarket during the holiday season.  The fairy-like Christkind (grounded in German culture) visits children, bestowing ...
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November Library Display

If you missed the Romero display at Steam Pump Ranch, there’s still time to catch it at the Oro Valley Public Library.  Francisco Romero and ...
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When Rocks Are Not “Just” Rocks!

ROMERO RUIN HIKE – OCTOBER 25, 2020  What a great morning it was for a hike!  How many times have you walked over a pile ...
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Meet Tootsie!

Did you see the question on our Facebook page? Here’s the answer! Tootsie was a turn of the century doll from the Henry G. Zipf ...
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Romero Ruin Hike

Romero History Hike  Oro Valley Historical Society     Friday, October 25, 2019 Registration: Contact Sue Chambasian at   schambasian@gmail.com no later than noon on October 23. Limited to 20 people ...
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Have a Funtastic Day!

Now that fall is here and cooler temperatures are on the horizon (?), things are in full swing at Steam Pump Ranch! Come from 9am ...
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An Easy Way to Help OVHS

Don’t forget this easy way to help OVHS! Oro Valley Historical Society is a 501(c)3 non-for-profit organization . Our exhibits, events, and activities depend on ...
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Sow, What’s New in the Heritage Garden?

The Heritage Garden at Steam Pump Ranch participated in the “One Seed Pima County” community project. Joyce Rychener cultivated the seeds of the Black Russian ...
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It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas….What?

Here it is, August, and at the Oro Valley Historical Society we’re already thinking about the holidays! Our fundraising team is busy at work getting ...
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Where have YOU been?

No matter where I travel I’m always searching out the local historical society or museum. The Gothenburg Historical Society (Nebraska) purchased this building (a former ...
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Come on down!

Members, volunteers and interested parties!  We invite you to our Quarterly Information Meeting at 1:00 pm, on Wednesday July 10, 2019 at the Pusch House, ...
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On the Road!

Summer vacation calls many to explore heritage sites. One of the best ways to learn about the roots of our country is to visit Historical ...
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Stop by and say “Hi”!

June heat can’t keep Twink Monrad, Paul Loomis and Randy Blades from setting up the OVHS booth at the Saturday Heirloom Farmer’s Market at Steam ...
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Summer Fun at SPR

Summer time and the livin’ is easy and fun!  Several Oro Valley Historical Society members shared their expertise at the ART + STEM = STEAM@STEAM ...
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Out and About

With warmer weather on the horizon, many Tucsonans will be seeking cooler climates.  If you find yourself headed north, you might want to take a ...
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Summer Library Display

While you visit the Oro Valley Public Library to pick-up your summer reading, browse our new display.   Continuing the “Celebrate Oro Valley” theme, the ...
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Jim Williams to talk on Compelling Characters in OV

Local author and historian, Jim Williams, will present a talk on “Compelling Characters in Oro Valley History.  There were more than a few so if ...
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Volunteer Open House!

Calling all volunteers!  If you would like more information on volunteer opportunities and/or receive guides for docent positions at Steam Pump Ranch, drop by Carol ...
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Summer Library Display

  If you’re preparing your reading list for the upcoming “lazy days of summer” and find yourself at the Oro Valley Public Library, be sure ...
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Membership Raffle!

Now’s the time to become a member of Oro Valley Historical Society!  Renew or join now through May 11 and you will have the opportunity ...
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OVHS at Celebrate Oro Valley!

We hope you didn’t miss all the activity at Steam Pump Ranch on Saturday! It was a picture perfect day…the crowd will attest to that. ...
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BIG Events THIS week!

It’s a busy week for Oro Valley Historical Society (OVHS)! On Wednesday, April 10 there’s a volunteer/member gathering at Steam Pump Ranch. Be there at ...
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