The border vidette., 1932-12-10
NOGALEs. LONG AGO
(By G. r. Michaels, Secretar!
Nogales Chamber of Commerce

issue Of Pressive Arizona Maya
zine.
A century before the Pilgrim
fathers landed on Plymouth
Rock the hills about Nogales
were echoing to the tread of the
mail clad warriors of old Spain.
One hundred years before the
first constitutional convention
was in stormy session a sturdy
Jesuit. Padre Kino. was laying
the foundation for his beloved
mission of Tumacacori. While
the shining lure of gold drew
thousands to the California hills.
sleepy Nogales nestled ia her
walnut groves. drenched in the
sunshine of two centuries.
1t was barely recognizable as
a city in that past time. for it
was collection of adobe huts
surrounded by a wall Of ocatillas
mudplastered. Bat it thrived on
the American explorers, miners,
and ranchers Of the next few de
cades, became a central trading
post during the nineteenth cent
ury, and in 1898, the town was
incorporated and called Nogales,
which is the spanish word for
walnuts, because 10 the early
days of travel the shade of "los
nogales" made a grateful camp
shelter. Now the city of Noga
les is the largest border city on
the United States NJ x c o n
boundary, and is the center of
number of large farming and
mining enterprises. The person
al freedom of its laws, and its
delightful informality of enter
tainment, coupled with its nun
erous surrounding spots of scenic
interest. have made of Nogales
a favorite resort aud vacation
center.
Only eighteen miles north, on
the Old Spanish Trails Highway,
is the1Mission San Jose de TIA
macacori, once called San Caye
tano de Tumacacori. One OF the
eleven missions in Sonora. Mex
I leo Tumacacori was one of the
first Of the series of missions
which dotted the trail of the in
| trepid Jesuit missionaries of old
| Spain from the Rio Grande to
the Pacific Coast.
This site was first visited by
Padre Kino in 1887. Leaving
the Jesuit headquarters in Dolo
res in Mexico late in the fall of
the year. be was accompanied
by the Father visitor of the
society. The two travelled north
by way of Pueblo de Maria Mag
dalena and a land which they
called Ell Tupo, coming finally
to the Mission Of San Pedro y
San Pablo de Tubutama on the
Altar River. From there they
went to Saric and Tucubavi, in
the same vicinity. Here they
were met by delegation of 10
dians of the Soaipuri tribe, who
had come from the region where
the present Tumacacori mission
is located. The natives asked
the father to visit them and
establish a church. This be did
probably travelling with them by
way of the site Of the present
city of Nogales to Guevavi and
thence to Tumacacori.
The nation wide interest at
tracted by the dilapidated monu
ment to the pioneers of the
Southwest resulted in the mis-
sion Of Tumacacori belng pro
claimed a National Monument by
the United States government in
1908, and plans have since been
for mulated to protect the ruins
and landscape the ten acre park
in which it stands.
A few miles. north of Tubac,
settled by the Spaniards ia 1928.
from which in 1874 a military
expedition under captain Juan
Bautista de ANA marched to
San Francisco Bay. founded the
Preside there and named it the
City OF the Golden Gate" The
first mining claim flied in Ari
zona was sent from Tubac and
here also was set up the state $
first printing press.
From the Spanish conquest
until 1864 the territory about No
gales belonged to the Spanish
crown. At that time the Gads
den Purchase acquired for the
United States what is now Santa
Cruz county, Arizona. The es
"a ablishment Of Camp Moore and
Fort Mason shortly ward
| added the final stamp of owner.