Collection: Big grab bag of historic photos of Tucson
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Rick Wiley
Photo editor
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Photos of Tucson as far back as the 1870s the archives of the Tucson Citizen and Arizona Daily Star. Information for many of the photos was handwritten on the back of the prints or taken from stories in both newspapers.
Many of the photos are courtesy of the Arizona Pioneer Historical Society (now Arizona Historical Society). The state-funded AHS is an excellent resource for researching history of Tucson and Arizona. Many photos that originally appeared in the Arizona Daily Star or Tucson Citizen are now at AHS. Many of the images in this gallery are from the Buehman Collection at AHS. For more information, go to arizonahistoricalsociety.org
Another good resource for Southern Arizona history is the Special Collections of the University of Arizona Libraries, the repository for images taken by famous Arizona Daily Star photographer Jack W. Sheaffer. For more information, go speccoll.library.arizona.edu
Fred Fleishman & Co. Druggists, ca. 1880s, at Congress St. and Court Ave. in Tucson. Charles A. Meyer owned the original apothecary and hired Fleishman in 1882, who then married the boss's daughter and assumed the family business. It closed in 1935.
"The Wedge" on Congress Street in downtown Tucson, roughly flanked by Meyer and Church avenues, ca. 1900. It was also the red light district.
The trolley on Congress Street, Tucson, ca. 1900.
Congress Street at Stone Avenue, Tucson, looking east. Probably 1920-1930s.
Stereoscopic view of Tucson as seen from Sentinel Peak ("A" Mountain) ca. 1880, by photographer Carleton Watkins.
Stereoscopic view of Tucson from the Palace Hotel, ca. 1880, by photographer Carleton Watkins.
Palace Hotel, Tucson, ca. 1880s by photographer Carleton Watkins.
Congress Street, looking west near Church Street, Tucson, 1884.
Tucson Stable on the northeast corner of 6th Ave. and Congress St., Tucson, ca. 1900. The lot is now the Ronstadt Transit Center.
A patriotic parade float in Tucson on July 4, 1899.
Adolph Steinfeld and others at the American Grocery Co., ca. 1880. Steinfield was on the Tucson Fire Department Pioneer Hose Company in 1887.
"The Mexican Quarter" in Tucson, taken from the pumping station tower. Undated
Plaza de la Mesilla and the second San Agustin church (La Catedral San Agustin), ca. 1880s. The church, completed in 1868, was demolished after the current cathedral, further south on Church Ave, was completed in 1897.
The Old Corner saloon (Frank B. Cory, proprietor) with "billiards and ice cold lager beer" at the northeast corner of Court Ave. and Maiden Lane (roughly where Pima County Superior Court now stands) in Tucson's red light district. Photo ca. 1880.
Stereoscopic photo of the Park Brewery and entrance to Levin's Park on the west end of Pennington Street, Tucson, ca. 1880. The business starting making beer in the 1860s. Tucson's first theater was at right.
Consolidated National Bank, Tucson, in 1903.
Saloon at 94 W. Congress St., Tucson, in 1902. It's now the intersection of Congress St. and Church Ave. Thick mustaches were popular.
A couple of gentlemen at Charles O. Brown's Congress Hall Saloon, ca. 1880. (Note: The water closet is down the hall to the right.) The building was constructed using timber from the Santa Rita Mountains. Guards were used during construction to protect workers from Indian attacks. Congress Street is named for the business.
Soldiers arriving at the downtown Tucson train depot for duty at the Tucson U.S. Army airport – probably Davis-Monthan field – in May, 1941. The other two Army air fields, Ryan Air Field and Marana Air Base, would be hastily constructed after the attack on Pearl Harbor later that year.
The Tucson Elk's Lodge under construction at the northwest corner of Court and Pennington, Tucson, in early 1899.
The 12-bed St. Mary's Hospital, Tucson, in 1880, the year of its dedication. It was established by the Seven Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet, who came to Tucson from Missouri.
Doby Town in Tucson, 1908. Doby is probably reference to "adobe," the mud-clay mixture used to make adobe bricks. Adobe was the building material of choice in the Mexican-American neighborhoods. Easterners found out adobe doesn't burn and it's a good insulator against the desert heat.
Doby Town in Tucson, 1908. Doby is probably reference to "adobe," the mud-clay mixture used to make adobe bricks. Adobe was the building material of choice in the Mexican-American neighborhoods. Easterners found out adobe doesn't burn and it's a good insulator against the desert heat.
Picnic party in Sabino Canyon, 1890
Second Church of San Agustín (La Catedral San Agustin) at Church Avenue and Congress Street after it became a hotel, ca. 1890
Tucson residence, ca. 1898.
Undated photo of U.S. Post Office at Stone Ave. and Pennington Street, Tucson.
Carrillo Gardens on S. Main Ave., Tucson, 1887. Leopoldo Carrillo created the park with a pond, rowboats, a restaurant and a dance hall. Oh, and ice cream. Carrillo Elementary School on Main is named after Leopoldo.
Tucson military plaza (foreground), the former Camp Lowell, in 1891. It's now known as Armory Park. The first armory in the state of Arizona was built on the site in 1914. City of Tucson is in the background.
Undated photo (probably ca. 1900) of the Palace Saloon in downtown Tucson. Note the spittoons at the base of the bar. The owner of the bar, Marcus Nevares, is second from left standing behind the bar.
Congress Street between Church Ave. and Meyer St., looking west, ca. 1880.
The Congress lodging house on the north side of Congress Street between Stone and Scott, Tucson, in 1891. Capt. Johnson, proprietor, is second from left.
N. Stone Ave. between Pennington Street and Alameda, Tucson, in 1903. Church at the far right is now the site of the Pioneer Hotel. Dark building at upper right is the San Xavier Hotel, now the historic Southern Pacific train depot.
Electric street cars replaced horse-drawn street cars in Tucson, 1906.
Pennington Street looking from Meyer Street, Tucson, in 1887. The parade honor Gen. Nelson A. Miles, who defeated the famous Native American chief, Geronimo, in Arizona. The Tucson Opera House is at right. The original Pima County Courthouse is in the background.
Cordova Bros. Smoke Shop at 173 N. Meyer in 1951. It was built in 1850 using 24-inch adobe and Saguaro-beamed ceilings, according to he photo caption.
San Xavier Hotel, Tucson, probably about 1879. It was located where the historic Southern Pacific train depot now stands.
Congress Street, looking west from Stone Ave, Tucson, ca. 1884.
Tucson's first electric plant in 1893. Frankenstein-ish, but workable.
A freight wagon train in Tucson, 1880.
View from the Palace Hotel, Tucson. Date unknown.
South Meyer Ave., Tucson, ca. 1900.
Wing Sing Laundry opposite the Southern Pacific RR Depot, Tucson, probably in 1880s.
S. H. Drachman's cigar store, Tucson, about 1911.
A&L Zechendorf Store on Main Street at Pennington, Tucson, in 1887, decorated for a parade honoring Gen. Nelson A. Miles for capturing the Native American Apache leader, Geronimo.
Bar in the Park View Hotel, 157-163 W. Pennington St., Tucson, ca. 1900. It was originally built as the Reid Opera House in 1886 and converted to a hotel in 1902. The hotel was remodeled in 1948 and demolished in the early 60s.
Looking across Pennington Street in Tucson from the porch of the Park View Hotel, about 1911.
The Cosmopolitan Hotel at Calle Real and Cale del Arroyo (N. Main and Pennington St.), Tucson, in 1888. S. Katzenstein, proprietor.
The Legal Tender Saloon at 94 W. Congress St., in 1902. Ezra A. Bartlett, proprietor.
Downtown Tucson parade during the world premiere of the movie "Arizona" in 1940. It was the first full-length movie filmed at Old Tucson Studios.
Cabinet Saloon, Congress and Church, Tucson, about 1907.
La Bonanza, 90 W. Congress, Tucson. in 1895. Carlos Jacome is at left.
The Occidental Hotel, Tucson, in July, 1899.
Tucson, ca 1890. Second Church of San Agustín (La Catedral San Agustin) is at left.
Oracle Stage office on Pennington Street between Court and Meyer, Tucson, ca. 1890.
Charley Lee's grocery store in Tucson, probably in the 1880s.
Cabinet Saloon, Congress and Church, Tucson, about 1907.
Congress Street, Tucson, ca. 1897.
Volunteer soldiers pose near the Orndorf Hotel, Tucson, in 1898, before leaving for the Spanish-American War.
"Lake Elmira," the flooded 4th Avenue railroad underpass in downtown Tucson, in 1940.
Federico "Fred" Ronstadt's wagon and blacksmith shop at Broadway and Scott in Tucson, 1897. It was replaced by the Roskruge Hotel, which was demolished in the 1980s. Federico's granddaughter, Linda, became one of the greatest female vocalists of all time.
Congress Street and the "Opera House Block" in Tucson, looking West, likely from Scott Street, in the 1890s.
Tucson's first jewelry store.
City Laundry Co. of Tucson occupied the historic building at right, at 79 E. Toole Ave., since 1915. Prior to 1915, it was a brewery. It was one the oldest buildings in downtown Tucson. The building at left fronting Council Street was built by City Laundry in 1928 and ultimately became the main plant. Both buildings were demolished in 1958 to make way for a parking lot.
Cinco de Mayo parade in Tucson, 1906.
View of the outskirts of Tucson in 1870s, looking northwest from the Palace Hotel at Meyer Ave. and Broadway Road. Today, the old Meyer Avenue roughly aligns with pedestrian overpass at Congress Street.
Rick Wiley
Photo editor
