Have you ever stopped to think about who walked on these hills before they were SaddleBrooke? Whose ranch was located here? And what was their connection to Johnson & Johnson? Did you know you could have enjoyed waterskiing on a lake near The Preserve? Who made the pottery shards that you can find out in the desert? How much gold was found in these hills?

The answers to these questions, and many more, can be found on the shelves of the SaddleBrooke Community Libraries. Local author, Robert Simpson, has compiled a fascinating, well-researched, two-volume history of our immediate area titled, “From the Canada del Oro to the Tortolitas.” Barbara Marriott’s books, such as the “Hidden History of SaddleBrooke and Beyond” and “Oro Valley” are quick reads full of interesting pictures. Robert E. Zucker’s book, “Treasures of the Santa Catalina Mountains” is an excellent comprehensive history of all the activities that took place out our back door, from Spanish missions to mining to treasure hunting. The story of the Hohokam civilization that lived here from 450 CE before mysteriously vanishing around 1500 is told in “The Hohokam Millennium” edited by Suzanne and Paul Fish.

The area of Romero Ruins in Catalina State Park comes alive in local author Sharon K. Miller’s fictional series of three books. Her Clay Series tells the story through the eyes of three women: a contemporary archeologist, a homesteader, and a Hohokam woman. All three books are available at both SaddleBrooke One and DesertView Libraries.

Fascinating and famous characters populated our immediate neighborhood. Check out Barbara Marriott’s book, “Annie’s Guests: Tales From a Frontier Hotel” about William “Curly” Neal and his wife, Annie, both of African and Native American descent, who built the world-famous Mountain View Hotel in Oracle in the late 1890s. “Buffalo Bill” Cody, Neal’s partner, and his gold mining adventures in Oracle are part of this story.

For more contemporary local history, you can read about the Biosphere, that white dome you can see above the Preserve, in “Dreaming the Biosphere: The Theater of all Possibilities” by Rebecca Reider and “The Human Experiment: Two Years and Twenty Minutes Inside Biosphere 2” by Jane Poynter.

Much can be discovered about an area’s history by exploring the local culture. Your libraries have many books about the art, architecture and local customs of both the Southwest and Tucson in particular. Check out “The Desert Southwest: Four Thousand Years of Life and Art” by Allan Hayes and Carol Hayes and “Navajo Rugs: The Essential Guide.” Did you wonder what the Day of the Dead was all about? Check out Kitty Williams and Stevie Mack’s book, “Day of the Dead” to read how and why it is celebrated.

We have several books on Tucson architecture: “Yesterday’s Tucson Today: Your Guide to Walking the Historic Towns of the Santa Cruz Valley” by Harry Cumins or “A Guide to Tucson Architecture” by Anne Nequette and R. Brooks Jeffery. A fun way to get to know the area might be “Secret Tucson: A Guide to the Weird, Wonderful, and Obscure” by Clark Norton.

If you’re interested in literally exploring our region, DesertView Library has an extensive Travel section, as well as a section on our National Parks, with many guidebooks for Tucson and the Southwest. Hiking and cycling guides are available as well as driving guidebooks.

Learn more about local history by attending SaddleBrooke author Robert Simpson's talk at the FSL Lecture on Thursday, November 11, at 4 p.m. in the DesertView Theater.

If you use the SaddleBrooke Libraries, please support the Friends of SaddleBrooke Libraries (FSL), visit www.sbfsl.org. Funding from FSL enables the libraries to buy new books, DVDs and audiobooks for your enjoyment.


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