Arizona weekly citizen., 1888-09-01
TUBAC
A Brief but Interesting Account of the Ancient pseblO. by Prof J. r. Black.

A Brief but Interesting Account Of the
 Ancient PsebIO. by Prof, J.. F. Black.
 The name of Tubsc is of Indian origin. I. is situated In Pima County on the Santa Cruz river, about 32 north latitude and 34 west longitude Washington Merl- dian. Itis g miles from Tucson. the county seat, and l2 miles from Calabss- gs the nearest railway station. IL IS about 300O feet above sea level. The winter extreme of the thermometer IS abcu: J0 above zero and the summer ex- treme rarely passes sJ,
 There Is no record of rainfall kept. Snow seldom falls in the valley but the mountains on either side are often man tied with & light covering. At this place ths Santa Cruz flows due north, and IS bounded on the east by the Santa Rita mountains and GU the west blythe Tumo- cscori range,
 The PapaRo Indians have a reservation to the north whose nearest line IS SS miles distant. They are frequent visi- tors to this place and are always peace ful and law abiding.
 The Apache Indians are about lOO miles to the east. They sometimes come into the valley but have so far proved very unWelcome visitors.
 The principal occupation in the valley is stock raising and farming; although the mining interest in the mountains and foot hills WAX and wsne ID turn.
 The date of the first settlement Is SO remote that It IS shrOuded n mystery. There seems to be no history except tra- dition and 1t would require much invest igatiOn to enable one to give anything like an authentic statement, We are evidently liyiog on the ruins of an an- cient or st least remote civilization. Suffice that local tradition says that the Tumocscori church (distsnt 21 miles) was built some SIX or seven generations ago, by the missionary fathers of the catholic chnrch snd that Tubso was sub seQuently built as a garrison for the same ID which the Mexican government stationed troops, The Indians in time became very troublesome and danger ous; Eud the priests were forced to aban- don the mission and in their flight they took away the records and probably mis- laid or lost them; so that now Il IS eI- tremely doubtful fl any authentic record exists. The walls and the dome of the old church still stand however, a monument 10 the religious zeal and devotion which inspired the missionaries in their at tempt tO civilize and subdue the law less tribes of the waste. There are no churches except the ruins of the old catholic edifces. The school house IS the only building of nodern architecture and is very credi,sble affair. All the other buildings some twenty ID number were built many years ago and most of them are crumbling m decay. The old tower which wss used Bs an outlook against Indians Is in tolersble state of preservation. All the buildings are made of 'adubes" or sun dried bricks; usually Is inches long 9 inches wide aud 1 inches thick. Few of thsse buildings exceed II f. ot wide, but may be of any length, When the walls were erected to the height of 10 or r. feet, large beams were lad across the narrow way and on these beams they put brush and on the brush they put straw and on the straw loose earth was thrown until II formed a gentle incline SO that the roof would turn & moderate amount of rain with ont leaking. Much of the land is irrig- able but it il not now titled. The con troverted titles preventing Remains of large squsducis show that the desert once blossOned like the rose. But its glory is departed like that of the Alhsm- bra.
 Respectfully Submitted
 J. F. BLACK,
 Tubac Diet. No. ?. Pima Co. Arizona.