OVHS Newsletter — February 2026
Keep up with all things OVHS!
There’s always something new.
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Easy to Find! Great to Visit!
History Hunters at Steam Pump Ranch
The January meeting for the 8–10-year-old boys’ group Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Coronado Ward featured a hands-on history adventure at Steam Pump Ranch.
Leaders Charlie Cook, Lance Miller, and Jerry Stringham organized a scavenger hunt using OVHS’s permanent interpretive signs installed throughout the property. The boys explored the ranch, located the signs, and answered questions based on the information they discovered.
The activity continued inside the historic Pusch House Museum, where participants searched for additional answers and learned more about the site’s history. OVHS volunteers Bob Kellar and Lynn Zoyiopoulos were on hand to assist and share insights along the way.
The scavenger hunt provided a fun and engaging way for the boys to learn about local history while exploring one of Oro Valley’s most treasured historic sites.
New Exhibits for the Very Special New Year
It’s a celebration of the nation’s Semiquincentennial! Catch the final two weeks (Feb 7th and 14th) of the OVHS exhibit, America’s Semiquincentennial – how the nation was founded, who was involved, and the journey it took to make us the nation we are today.
February 14th also offers two 60-minute guided nature walks with our naturalist, Paul Canez, who shares interesting facts/stories about our unique desert environment. Meet outside the Pusch House Museum.~ Tours begin at 9:1ma.m. andt 10:3 a.mm.
New on the 14th! Join us in the Heritage Garden from 9:30–11:30 a.m. for a hands-on stone tool–making demonstration with archaeologist and garden volunteer John Barthelme. Using obsidian he provides (along with safety gear), kids can watch—and some may try—the ancient craft. Replica human and prehuman skulls, as well as African animal bones, will also be on display. Adults are welcome to observe and participate, too.
Our Tours and Museum visits are free, but donations are greatly appreciated.
February 14th and 21st also provide you with the opportunity to support Gap Ministries Kitchen Supply Drive. Drop off resealable bags, canned vegetables, and dish soap. Click here to view their flyer with all the details.
February 21st begins our new five-week exhibit, Semiquincentennial and Arizona Statehood, traveling through the pivotal years between 1775 and 1900 as America grew, changed, and pushed west. (Feb 21 – Mar 21)
Also on February 21st, OVHS is supporting other non-profits, so we are happy to announce that Habitat for Humanity Tucson will be collecting donations for their HabiStore. Stop by to donate household and building supply items and to learn more about this wonderful organization. Click here For more details about this special collection drive.
February 26th, learn more about OVHS and how you can get involved at our next Board Meeting held at the Oro Valley Public Library at 2:30 pm.
February 27th, OVHS is thrilled to have John Medley of the Oracle Historical Society as our special guest for our Speaker’s Series held at the Oro Valley Public Library at 3 pm. John will share the colorful story of Earl Linwood Francis (1931-1966) – an adventurer, miner, prospector, dreamer, and iconoclast whose spirit still lingers in the hills of Oracle.
Website Dispatch
Friends and Family in Town?
OVHS has plenty for YOU to explore—local history, art, trails, and more!
OVHS has plenty for YOU to explore—local history, art, trails, and more!
OVHS’s Pusch House Museum is proudly located at Steam Pump Ranch, but our reach goes far beyond its historic fences. Discover nearby hikes and trails, the multi-use loop, public art and sculptures, and other great spots just a short drive away!
We’re always adding new pages and stories to the OVHS website. Want to help? Have a story, photo, or fun fact to contribute about the Greater Oro Valley area? We’d love to hear from you— email info@ovhistory.org.
New Videos Posted to our Website and YouTube Channel. Check out:
Celebrating 20 Years – Ribbon Cutting Ceremony 2025, and our Speaker’s Series video with Mary Jo McMullen, Introduction to the Hohokam and Their Craft Traditions.
How Does Our Garden Grow?
All of this beauty is brought to the community by OVHS volunteers. Bring your passion to help us grow and continue to honor the Tohono O’odham and other indigenous tribes’ traditions by tending their customary crops that helped shape this region for generations.
🌱 There’s always something new popping up! 🌱
Join the Fun!
Help make our garden grow at our Wednesday Garden Meetups
Just drop in anytime between 3pm till dusk every Wednesday in February.
No need to sign up; just show up! Hope to see you there!
Joel, with the Town of Oro Valley, demonstrates how to repair the Hohokam pit house replica in the Heritage Garden at Steam Pump Ranch.
We always appreciate Joel’s expertise!
An In-Depth View of Biosphere 2
As part of our Speaker’s Series, the Society had the honor of welcoming John Adams, Deputy Director and Chief Operating Officer of Biosphere 2, to a packed room at the Oro Valley Public Library in January. Mr. Adams oversees all research and operational activities and shares with the group many of the research projects and educational initiatives of this unique unit of the University of Arizona.
One of the most fascinating areas was an area where visiting teams can perform missions simulating time on Mars with a greenhouse, workshop, kitchen, bath, common area, and sleeping quarters. Rovers, pressure suits, and tools can be tested over varied terrain and obstacles and within a synthetic lava tube. Of course, much work needs to be done, but Earth may one day be imitated in space. Extraterrestrial life was not the only thing discussed, as Mr. Adams talked about projects that are being studied to sustain our life on Earth by research students, volunteers, and employees of Biosphere 2. Those interested in participating or visiting are welcome to contact him at 520-621-3955.
OVHS Speaker's Series Free Presentations
At the Oro Valley Public Library
Join us on February 27that 3 p.m. to hear Royal John Medley Oracle Historical Societyshare the colorful story of Earl Linwood Francis – a bold character who chased fortune, defied convention, and left behind a trail of larger-than-life tales. From mining escapades to boundary-pushing dreams, his short but extraordinary life became woven into the very fabric of Oracle’s history.
Find more details about this OVHS special eventon our website.
After visiting the Pusch House Museum on a Saturday morning, continue your journey up Route 77 to the Acadia Ranch Museum (operated by the Oracle Historical Society), open Saturdays, 11-3.
View our Calendar of Events
