TUMACACORI TURNS 100

Tumac‡cori National Historical Park has been celebrating its Centennial year with gusto, and Monday’s “Founder’s Day” event was no exception.

A live band played old-time country tunes as visitors perused native crafts demonstrations and savored freshly made tortillas before beginning guided tours of the museum’s several new exhibits.

The Friends of Tumac‡cori even provided a cake for the celebration — an impressive (and tasty) scaled-down replica of the mission building.

Though the site is over 300 years old — it was first settled in 1691 by Franciscan missionaries — it was designated a National Monument in a proclamation by President Theodore Roosevelt on Sept. 15, 1908, the same year as the Grand Canyon. Tumac‡cori was redesignated a National Historical Park in 1990.

“The first act of the National Park Service was to put up a barbed-wire fence surrounding the mission,” said Tony Schetzsle, Deputy Regional Director of the National Park Service, describing Tumac‡cori’s humble beginnings under federal protection.

Initially, only the mission building itself was protected. The park now consists of 360 acres in three separate units.

“I think of National Parks as large cultural centers, where Americans come to see themselves,” Schetzle said, adding, “This place is a touchstone of history.”

Other speakers included Lisa Carrico, Park Superintendant; John Maynard, Santa Cruz County District 3 Supervisor; "Big" Jim Griffith, University of Arizona folklore specialist; and Jesus Garcia, Education Director for the Arizona Sonora Desert Museum.

Garcia described the site’s many pomegranate and quince trees, which originate in Europe and Asia and were introduced to the area by the Spanish missionaries, as “living history.”

Some of the trees in the Tumac‡cori orchard are estimated to be around 150 years old, he said.

Along with the many cultural benefits the park brings to the community, County Supervisor John Maynard said Tumac‡cori was an “economic engine” for the area as one of the county’s main tourist attractions.

“We’re grateful for the many things [the park] does for Santa Cruz County.”

Several events are planned for the remainder of the year, including “Old Timer’s Day” this Friday, Sept. 19. The celebration will feature a guest lecturer, special guided tours, craft demonstrations and a free pit barbecue.

More information can be found at http://www.nps.gov/tuma/parkmgmt/centennial-initiative-2016.htm.

jrichardson@gvnews.com | 547-9726