A fresh, new look brought to you by Oro Valley Historical Society!
We’re still celebrating along with the Town of Oro Valley!
On Wednesday, November 5, 2025, at the Oro Valley Town Council meeting, the Oro Valley Historical Society was honored to receive the acknowledgement and gratitude of the Council for our work sharing Greater Oro Valley’s rich history for 20 years. In attendance were Volunteer Brittnie Smith, Past President Denzil Walker, Special Projects Manager Lynn Zoyiopolous, Volunteer Annette Munoz, Director Sue Chambasian, Founders Pat Spoerl and Dick Eggerding, Mayor Winfield, President Bob Kellar, Secretary Devon Sloan, and Volunteer Kate Cusumano.
We are proud of this recognition as we continue to keep Oro Valley history alive!
This year, OVHS has partnered with several local nonprofits to offer extra space and opportunities to collect donations that benefit our community.
On December 6, 2025, from 9am – noon, the Rotary Club of Oro Valley will be at the Pusch House Museum supporting Edge High School students. They are requesting donations of tangerines, granola bars, assorted chips and snacks, and Haribo Gold Gummy Bears.
Edge High School is a nonprofit public charter school that provides an alternative path for youth who have dropped out or are at risk of leaving the traditional school system. In addition to academics, Edge offers personalized counseling and support to help students succeed and graduate.
Stop by to meet members of the Rotary Club and Edge students. They may even have a holiday card and candy cane for YOU! Happy Holidays! Get all the details about this event! See you on December 6th!
Also on December 6th, Gap Ministries is collecting toys for foster kids – here’s a list of preferred toys.
Don’t forget to visit the museum. Continue reading the next article below to find out about our current exhibit!
‘Tis the season to celebrate, and the current exhibit in the Pusch House Museum at historic Steam Pump Ranch shows how many different cultural traditions we embrace in the Greater Oro Valley area during this time of year. Volunteers at the Pusch House Museum are available to guide your visit and share stories about these traditions. Admission is complimentary, and donations are appreciated to keep Oro Valley History alive!
This exhibit will be available throughout the holiday season and on January 10th is when we begin the celebration of the Semiquincentennial! Come visit to see what that is all about!
Last month we showed you the new interpretive panel in the Pusch House Museum.
We are grateful to Lynn and Dale Johnson for their additional donation along with the Colmar Family Foundation to the Society which enabled us to design, produce, and hang this informative history of George Pusch’s participation in the growth of Oro Valley and Tucson.
Check out our newly added pages as we continue to grow our collection of stories, research materials, and local history on the OVHS website. If you have a story, photo, or fun fact to contribute about the Greater Oro Valley area, we’d love to hear from you—just email info@ovhistory.org.
This month, we’ve expanded our “Other Local Notables” section. Feed your curiosity and explore engaging stories about the suffrage movement, Buster Bailey, the woman behind the name Mt. Lemmon, Marjorie Kriegh, and many others who helped shape our community’s rich history.
Or learn some fun facts about this area in Discover Oro Valley Roots.
Read about some truly colorful characters!
Your generosity keeps Oro Valley’s stories alive.
Here are simple ways to help:
Although this picture doesn’t show produce growth, it does show a brand-new potter’s bench built by Home Depot employee and Oro Valley Historical Society Heritage Garden volunteer, George Weaver. The bench was stained by our President, Bob Kellar, and is a very welcome addition to the Heritage Garden.
A potter’s bench is used for gardening tasks such as potting, transplanting, and weeding, serving as a workbench, allowing for comfortable work while handling pots, soil, and tools. It is also a storage space for garden supplies, making organization much easier.
In mid-November, Secretary, Devon Sloan, attended a Magnet Schools Expo at Tucson High School, where 12 Magnet Schools in the Tucson Unified School District were represented. The purpose was to introduce the Magnet representatives to the offerings the Oro Valley Historical Society could provide to young learners such as internships, speakers, site tours, and volunteerism. It was awesome that 6 of the 12 schools offer gardening programs, so it is our expectation that we will have many younger folks helping our volunteers work in our Heritage Garden!
Just stop in, no sign up needed from 3pm till dusk on December 3, 10, or 17. Hope to see you there!
Learn more about our Heritage Garden
At the Oro Valley Public Library
On November 19, the Meeting Room at the Oro Valley Public Library was filled almost to capacity to hear Mary Jo McMullen speak about the Hohokam, Ancient Sonoran Desert People, and the art and crafts they left behind for archaeologists to discover. Informative, enlightening, and entertaining. Mary Jo is a volunteer at the Tucson Museum of Art and Tohono Chul, so if you ever see that she is speaking at an event, attend it – you will definitely learn and be glad you did!
Click the button below to discover our additional talks which will begin again on January 23 at 3 p.m. to hear from John Adams, Deputy Director and Chief Operating Officer of Biosphere 2.
At this season of gratitude, when our thoughts turn to thanks and gifts and hope, we want to pause and say how deeply thankful we are for each of you.
For our volunteers—whether through time, resources, ideas, or steadfast commitment, you have been the heartbeat of our mission. Because of your efforts, children and seniors alike have been able to connect with the rich history of the place we all call home.
For our supporters-we are especially grateful for the joy and presence you bring to our events at Steam Pump Ranch and the Oro Valley Public Library. Every smile, every conversation, every shared moment reminds us why preserving our heritage matters.
As the year draws to a close, if you are considering end-of-year giving, we would be honored by your support. Your kindness ensures that our story continues to be told for generations to come.
With hope and excitement, we step forward from our 20th anniversary year, carrying the lessons of the past and the promise of the future, as we continue our mission to keep Oro Valley’s history alive.
We appreciate your generosity in any form—whether it’s a monetary gift, sharing your time and talents as a volunteer, spreading the word on your favorite social media platforms, or bringing friends to explore the Pusch House Museum. If you’d like to help fund our exhibits and programs, please consider making a donation today.
