Celebrating Tucson's 248 years with historic photos
Happy 248th birthday, Tucson! Today, we are looking back at more than a dozen historic photos taken in and of the Old Pueblo.
Many of these photos have been featured in the Tucson Time Machine newsletter, which explores interesting pieces of Tucson's past.
If you would like to see more historical Tucson photos delivered directly to your email every week, subscribe to Tucson Time Machine here.
Congress Street
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Aug. 20, 2023 is Tucson's 248th birthday and we are taking a trip down memory lane to celebrate!
This snapshot of Congress Street in the 1880s captures the old western aesthetics of the time with the wooden patios lining storefronts, the dirt road stretching out towards the desert and the striped barber's pole outside of the brick building on the left.
Tucson had been around for over 100 years at this point, after it was founded as the Presidio of San Agustín del Tucson on Aug. 20, 1775. Arizona later achieved statehood in 1912.
Photo credit: Tucson Citizen.
"Arizona" world premiere, 1940
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Did you know Tucson was home to Arizona's first-ever world premiere of a film? Crowds flocked to downtown Tucson for a parade, seen above, that happened just before the Nov. 15, 1940 premiere of the movie "Arizona."
It was the first full-length movie filmed at Old Tucson Studios and was shown at five different locations on opening night: Rialto Theatre, Lyric Theatre, Fox Tucson Theatre, the Temple of Music, and the State Theatre, according to the Arizona Daily Star's archives.
"Arizona" cost $2.5 million to make and Columbia Pictures had a replica of Tucson in the 1860s built, since that was when the movie's plot took place.
Photo credit: Tucson Citizen 1940.
Downtown Tucson, 1949
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Downtown Tucson, looking southeast from the Old Pima County Courthouse in 1949.
The historic Valley National Bank building towers in the background. At the time, it was the tallest building in the city.
The back of the Fox Theatre is in front of the Valley Bank building. At right is the St. Augustine Cathedral.
Sabino Canyon Recreation Area, 1951
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People fish in the lake at Sabino Canyon north of Tucson in May 1951, after it was stocked with trout for the first time. Photo credit: Arizona Daily Star
Tucson firefighters, 1956
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These Tucson Firefighters are working on a vintage 1928 pumper at a city fire station in 1956. This photo is even more fun if you imagine the four men are performing "Greased Lightnin'," which they obviously are not. Sadly.
The Tucson Fire Department was founded in 1881 and was entirely made up of volunteers until the early 1900s. By 1916, all Tucson firefighters were being paid for their work. Photo credit: Tucson Citizen.
University of Arizona campus, 1959
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Some things just don't change on the University of Arizona campus. The crowd of students walking to their next class, cars stopped by pedestrians in crosswalks and even the potential jaywalkers seen in the top left of this photo from 1959 are all still familiar sights.
UA was founded in 1885 and opened for classes in 1891, to the dismay of some Tucson residents who wanted the property to house Arizona's capitol or even a state asylum.
In 1930, Arizona's first university had just over 1,900 students enrolled, according to the Arizona Daily Star archives. Today, UA's total enrollment is over 53,000 and the campus area is booming with businesses, nightlife and of course, sports fans ready to "Bear Down."
Photo credit: Tucson Citizen.
John F. Kennedy visits, 1960
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When Sen. John F. Kennedy arrived at Tucson Municipal Airport in April 1960, a crowd of 150 people were there to greet him, many waving signs that read "Viva! Kennedy," according to the Tucson Citizen. Here, he is seen being gifted a sombrero.
The future U.S. President made the stop in the Old Pueblo as part of his presidential campaign, attending several events around town that week. Later in 1960, Lyndon B. Johnson, Kennedy's running mate, also visited Tucson while campaigning and spoke to young voters at the University of Arizona.
Ronald Reagan, Barry Goldwater, Richard M. Nixon and Hubert H. Humphrey were among other famous politicians who visited Tucson in the '60s and '70s. Photo credit: Tucson Citizen.
Tucson Rodeo Parade,1964
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The Tucson Rodeo Parade has been a long-running tradition just like the yearly La Fiesta de los Vaqueros it ushers in. A Tucson police officer is seen here with kids watching the 1964 parade as it moves through downtown Tucson.
Members of the Tucson community, from mayors and local business leaders to high school marching bands and nuns from St. Mary's, have been a part of the parade for almost 100 years.
The first Tucson Rodeo was held in 1925 and lasted three days. Photo credit: Tucson Citizen.
A-10 Thunderbolt II, 1975
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Tucson has a long history with aviation. Here, Air Force officers check out a Fairchild A-10 Thunderbolt II during a special showing at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in June 1975.
The Air Force is planning for a new wing of its Special Operations Command at D-M that will replace the A-10 mission as the renowned “Warthog” close air-support jet is retired over the next several years. Photo credit: Bruce Hopkins/Tucson Citizen.
La Placita Village, 1977
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A quiet day at the hospitable confines of La Placita Village in 1977.
The village, located near Broadway and Church, was originally built in 1973 and featured around 90 shops, offices and restaurants.
Eventually, La Placita Village was demolished in 2018 to make way for residential apartments. Photo credit: Tucson Citizen.
Tucson Meet Yourself, 1981
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Music and dance have long been key elements of Tucson Meet Yourself, as these Leikarring dancers illustrate at the 1981 festival in downtown Tucson.
A Tucson Citizen story from that year stated visitors would hear a wide array of music, "from contemporary Papago polka tunes to old-time fiddling," along with Mariachi music, Scottish bagpipes, and traditional African singing.
As for dancing, the Norwegian dance troupe shown above was joined at the festival that year by Greek, Mexican, Scottish, Cuban, and Indian dancers showing off traditional moves. Photo credit: Joe Vitti/Arizona Daily Star.
The Loft, 1981
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The audience at the "Rocky Horror Picture Show" cover their heads as rice is thrown at the New Loft Theatre, 504 N. Fremont Ave., in January 1981. Photo credit: Jack W. Sheaffer / Arizona Daily Star.
McDonald's on Speedway, 1982
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What is that contraption at the counter? It's the cash register at the McDonald's restaurant at Speedway and Campbell, as shown here in September 1982. Photo credit: Tucson Citizen.
Foothills Mall, 1983
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The line for the opening of the Star Wars film, "Return of the Jedi," at the Foothills Cinemas at Foothills Mall on May 24, 1983. Photo credit: Jim Davis / Arizona Daily Star.
Biosphere II, 1987
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Raising their glasses in celebration, Margret Augustine and Carl Hodges toast the groundbreaking for the Biosphere II project in Oracle on Jan. 30, 1987.
The complex was built as a self-sustaining environment for humans, and in 1993, eight “biosphereans” ended a two-year stint living inside its sealed ecosystem. Photo credit: David Sanders / Arizona Daily Star.
