Jim Kriegh: A Legacy of Discovery
A man whose vision, curiosity, and leadership helped shape the community we know today. As a co-founder and former President of the Oro Valley Historical Society, Jim played a vital role in preserving and promoting our town’s heritage.
Marjorie Kriegh, along with her children Kevin and Kathy, strongly supported Jim’s vision for incorporation. While working for an attorney, she confirmed it was indeed possible. Marjorie then began saving newspaper articles throughout the process, ultimately filling three large scrapbooks. She later became the Town Historian and continued documenting the journey to successful incorporation.
Jim was also instrumental in the Town of Oro Valley’s acquisition of Steam Pump Ranch, ensuring that this historic site would be protected and shared with future generations.
Henry “Hank” G. Zipf and Jim Kriegh at the Society’s first fund raising event held at White Stallion Ranch
Read more about how the Oro Valley Historical Society: Who we are, a description of the Pusch House Museum, and how the dream to preserve Oro Valley history began with three people, Jim Kriegh, Dick Eggerding, and Pat Spoerl.
The Sheraton Resort / El Conquistador Tucson, A Hilton Resort
Opened in 1982 as Tucson’s first major resort, the Sheraton Resort—now El Conquistador Tucson, A Hilton Resort—sits along Oracle Road at the base of the Santa Catalina Mountains.
Fast-tracked through Oro Valley’s early permitting process, the project was overseen by Jim Kriegh, whose engineering expertise ensured its successful completion. The resort quickly became a vital source of tax revenue for the newly incorporated town, helping fund essential services and facilities.
In 2003, Hilton Hotels acquired the property. The 1980s marked a period of rapid growth for Oro Valley, including the 1986–87 annexation of more than 8,600 acres—over 7,000 of which became Rancho Vistoso.
Mural at James D. Kriegh Park.
Jim’s Advice to YOU: Dream it, then do it!
Dedicated on April 18, 2001—Oro Valley’s birthday—James D. Kriegh Park honors our town founder. A nature lover, Jim often walked the park’s trails with his dog and was deeply moved by the recognition. The park is located at 23 W. Calle Concordia, near his former home.
Memorial Rock at James D. Kriegh Park.
Memorial Rock Plaque at James D. Kriegh Park.
Did you know?
Freedom’s Steadfast Angel of Love sculpture created by Lei Hennessy-Owen
The park features a 9/11 Memorial honoring both the national tragedy and Christina-Taylor Green, a CDO softball player and victim of the 2011 Safeway shooting. Born on September 11, 2001, Christina is remembered with an angel statue overlooking the softball field, which includes an I-beam from the Twin Towers, metal from the Pentagon, and a boulder from the Pennsylvania crash site. Explore Freedom’s Steadfast Angel of Love and other public art in Oro Valley.
Discover Oro Valley’s public art program – how it began, the people behind it, and a fun self-guided tour of five sculptures at Steam Pump Ranch and Steam Pump Village!
Visit the Pusch House Museum to View Jim’s Meteorite Collection from Around the World.
A civil engineer and retired University of Arizona professor, Jim combined a deep respect for the past with an insatiable passion for discovery. That same spirit led him to an extraordinary find:
In 1995, while metal detecting for gold, Jim Kriegh discovered one of the world’s largest meteorite fields in Gold Basin, Arizona. Analysis by the University of Arizona’s Lunar and Planetary Laboratory identified the fragments as L4–5–6 chondritic meteorites, about 4.5 billion years old.
Jim, along with John Blennert and Twink Monrad, recovered over 2,000 meteorites, believed to have fallen up to 15,000 years ago.
Announced at the 1998 Tucson Gem and Mineral Show, the discovery made Jim a local celebrity. He traded and collected meteorites from around the world, later donating part of his collection to the Oro Valley Historical Society. Learn more on our Meteorite Page, where you’ll find interviews, videos, and details about Jim’s historic Gold Basin meteorite discovery.
Oro Valley owes much to Jim’s dedication to both science and history. His work reminds us that exploration doesn’t just happen in faraway places — sometimes, it begins in our own backyard.
OTHER RESOURCES: LOVE: Let Oro Valley Excel: James (Jim) D. Kriegh – Oro Valley Founding Father and Much More