By J.J. Lamb On October 9th 1918, the Arizona Daily Star printed that “Some of those silly people that spread the very harmful lies greatly exaggerated the influenza deaths in the army camps [in Kansas].” Many in the Old Pueblo believed that Tucson would escape the influenza that was spreading rapidly around the world and reached into...
By J.J. Lamb Orange flames rose high into the starlit sky, crackling and hissing, as they consumed the dry planks of the board and batten building that housed Otto Schley & Co. General Store and Post Office. The Southern Pacific Railroad (SPRR) water tank car was the only source of water. Vail had no well in 1908. The SPRR Night Operator at...
By J.J. Lamb, Vail Preservation Society Railroad Matters “In the Cienega a large number of Chinamen are engaged excavating, as they there encounter considerable elevation through which cuts have to be made, and the grade has to be raised a number of feet above the low, marshy ground…” Arizona Weekly Star, April 15, 1880 Chinese settlers were in...
From J.J. Lamb, Vail Preservation Society Our stories, local history, lore, and special places help us connect to each other, find our way, and understand the people whose lives and intentions shaped the places where we live. With the support of Arizona Humanities, The Vail Voice, and building on the 2018 documentary Voices of Vail documentary...
By J.J. Lamb The only Catholic Church in the United States built in honor of a Japanese citizen is right here in Vail. Travelers from around the world visit the Shrine of Santa Rita in the Desert because of its connections to renowned Japanese scientist Dr. Jokichi Takamine and the timeless beauty of its Spanish Colonial Revival architecture...
By J.J. Lamb Our stories, local history, lore, and special places help us connect to each other, find our way, and understand the people whose lives and intentions shaped the places where we live. With the support of Arizona Humanities, The Vail Voice, and building on the 2018 documentary Voices of Vail documentary film, the Vail Preservation...
By J.J. Lamb Ads and articles in newspapers from 1963 and ‘64 touted life in “New Tucson” as having all of the perfect ingredients to make your ‘suburban living’ dream come true. “Ingredients” included a 9-hole golf course, five-years of free country club membership and use of an Olympic size pool, a restaurant, commercial area (all at Corona)...
By J. J. Lamb of the Vail Preservation Society As reported by Andrew Gorski, in his Condition Assessment Report from the Pima County Cultural Resource Office, in 2005, “The 1908 Old Vail Store & Post Office is a physical reminder of the national economic and cultural forces that converged at Vail in the late 19th and early 20th century. All...
By J.J. Lamb Home is a mosaic of comfort, safety, familiarity, understanding, and belonging. Defining the pieces, tangible and intangible, of that mosaic is an important part of building a strong community. Our stories, local history, lore and special places help us connect to each other, find our way in a changing world, and understand the place...
By J.J. Lamb Anticipation began months before “Big Boy,” the largest operating steam locomotive in the world, arrived in Tucson, then steamed through Vail on October 19th. Even before it could be seen, a distant vibration and rumbling, humming sound could be heard by the hundreds that greeted 4014 as it steamed through Rita Ranch and Vail. The...
