The Old Spanish Trail

Reba Wells Grandrud guides you along the Old Spanish Trail, a successful 19th century pack-animal trade route that has been described as "the longest, crookedest, most arduous pack mule trail in the history of America." It connected Santa Fe, N.M., and Los Angeles, Calif., by using foot paths blazed over centuries by American Indians.

In 2002, the Old Spanish Trail was designated by Congress as the nation's 15th national historic trail. It became the second national trail for Arizona: The first was the Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail, authorized in 1990.
This program is made possible the the Arizona Humanities Council.

Since retirement as National Register coordinator for the Arizona State Historic Preservation Office and as director of the Arizona Historical Society Museum in Papago Park, Ms. Grandrud has continued her devotion to the preservation of history: local, state, and regional. She is currently a consultant in historic preservation and oral history.

Bilingual Family Storytime / Hora de Cuentos

This is an opportunity for parents to introduce their children to reading and language in a fun way.

Se presenta en español y en inglés. Es una experiencia excelente en los dos idiomas para niños bilingües y monolingües.

Homework Help

Free tutoring is available on site for all ages. Subjects include math, science, social studies and writing.

Also available: Connect to online Homework Help (2–11 pm every day except major holidays).

The tutor is available Monday-Wednesday after school. Call 520-387-6075 for more information.

Homework Help

Free tutoring is available on site for all ages. Subjects include math, science, social studies and writing.

Also available: Connect to online Homework Help (2–11 pm every day except major holidays).

The tutor is available Monday-Wednesday after school. Call 520-387-6075 for more information.

Birth of a Town

In less than a decade, Ajo changed from a remote spot on the frontier to the most important economic force in Pima County. Sue Rutman, who has long been interested in local history, tells about the birth of Ajo, from its beginnings in the late 1800s to its rise in the early 1900s. See historic photographs that show the mine and processing plant being built, and learn about the iconic buildings that make Ajo the picturesque town it is today.

Sue Rutman is a plant ecologist at Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument and became interested in local history while trying to understand how past residents used the area for subsistence, cattle ranching, farming, mining, and transportation. She has been collecting oral histories, historic photographs and postcards, old newspaper articles, and other paper documents from the area for more than 10 years. She has studied the census records of western Pima County, prepared family trees of the founding families of Ajo, mapped the old road networks from Ajo to Mexico, Phoenix, and Tucson, and investigated the the history of the less well known mines of western Pima County and northern Sonora.

Children's Storytime

Parents/caregivers and children interact through stories, songs, and rhymes. Stories fit the child's attention span. Storytime can last between 20 and 45 minutes.

Homework Help

Free tutoring is available on site for all ages. Subjects include math, science, social studies and writing.

Also available: Connect to online Homework Help (2–11 pm every day except major holidays).

The tutor is available Monday-Wednesday after school. Call 520-387-6075 for more information.

Homework Help

Free tutoring is available on site for all ages. Subjects include math, science, social studies and writing.

Also available: Connect to online Homework Help (2–11 pm every day except major holidays).

The tutor is available Monday-Wednesday after school. Call 520-387-6075 for more information.

Rolfing Importance & Benefits

Sheri Lachance tells about the importance and benefits of Rolfing and how it is different from message. A Certified Rolfer of Structural Integration since 2009, she will dispel common misconceptions about Rolfing. Lachance also is a Licensed Massage Therapist since 2004. Since moving to Ajo, Arizona in October, she has begun accepting clients here, and also maintains her practice in Scottsdale.

Bilingual Family Storytime / Hora de Cuentos

This is an opportunity for parents to introduce their children to reading and language in a fun way.

Se presenta en español y en inglés. Es una experiencia excelente en los dos idiomas para niños bilingües y monolingües.

Homework Help

Free tutoring is available on site for all ages. Subjects include math, science, social studies and writing.

Also available: Connect to online Homework Help (2–11 pm every day except major holidays).

The tutor is available Monday-Wednesday after school. Call 520-387-6075 for more information.