Most writers agree that 'Bac' was a word commonly used in conjunction with other names 'San Xavier del Bac'. Tubac appears to have very little history back of 1752, nor does it appear on Kino's maps. In 1752 it contained 41 inhabitants, in 1848, it contained 250. In 1866, California Volunteers had a camp here called camp Tubac.
Hinton says: "Tubac was headquarters for Santa Rita Mining Company, 1860-1863." J. Ross Browne visited Tubac, 1853. He writes: "We found the old town of Tubac abandoned by its Mexican garrison. As the houses were good we occupied them during the ensuing winter, passing the time exploring the country. It had probably 150 silver mines within a radius of 16 miles. They have not been worked for 50 years." He returned, 1863, and wrote: "It is now a city of ruins and desolation.
Pumpelly, who visited it October, 1860, says:"A ride of 14 miles brought us to the old Spanish military post of Tubac. The ruins of the old village were occupied by a small mixed population of Mexicans and Americans, while nearly a hundred or more Papago Indians had raised a temporary camp of well-built reed lodges."
Cozzens was there 1858-1859. He says: "The very elite of Arizona call it their home. It had then some 800 people, one sixth of Arizona. A very attractive place with its peach orchards and pomegranates." There was also a small German Colony near Tumacacori, q.u. The old records of Tubac, kept by Charles D. Poston are now in County Recorder's Office in Tucson. They include original certificates of Poston's appointments as Alcalde, signed by the governor of New Mexico, Tubac then being part of that territory. A weekly newspaper, The Arizonian, was started in Tubac, 1858, printed on a press brought by Wrightson brothers of the Santa Rita Company to Mazatlan and hauled overland from there to Tubac. It was the first newspaper printed there. Ed Cross was editor.
According to Bartlett, Mormons located a colony here, 1851, before the Gadsen Purchase, but did not remain long. He calls it "A God forsaken place of dilapidated huts and buildings an an equally ruinous church." McClintock writes interestingly of this place. Official record at Washington show many changes in Tubac post office. When opened, Tubac was in Dona Ana county, New Mexico. First Post Office established February 21, 1859, Frederick Hulseman, PM. Discontinued October 24, 1860. Re-established January 2, 1861, Theodore Mohrucan, PM. Discontinued again February 14, 1863. Opened July 13, 1865 as in Pima County, Arizona. William E. Herricke PM. These changes due of course to Civil War troubles."
Barnes, Will C. Arizona
Place Names University of Arizona Press. 1997.
pp. 453-454
The name refers to an Indian legend about an attack and the odor of rotting bodies. Fr. Bonaventure Oblasser believes that the Spanish attempt to pronounce the Papago name chuevak is encompased in Tubac. That there was a visita known as Tubac is evident from an entry in the baptismal records of the Guevavi Register, which records the baptism of a child from Tubac on November 12, 1741, when it was generally referred to as "Santa Gertudis de Tubaca." This mission, called San Gertrude, was plundered during the Pima Indian Revolt of 1750. To protect such settlements, a Spanish military post (or presidio) was established in 1752 on the west bank of the Santa Cruz River under the name San Ignacio. It was the first fort in Arizona to be garrisoned with Spanish soldiers. In 1764 Juan Bautista de Anza was given command, which he retained until 1776 when he led an expedition to what is now San Francisco, California. In the same year the garrison was moved from Tubac to the future Tucson. When petitions had no effect on having Spanish troops return to Tubac, the inhabitants established their own garison of Pima Indians. In 1824, four years after Mexico had taken over the area from Spain, a Mexican garrison was stationed at Tubac presidio. In 1828 a silver mine was being worked nearby, a fact which was to have an effect on the future of Tubac. In the spring and summer of 1852, Tubac was the temporary home of Mormons who attempted to settle, but lack of rain forced them to leave. By 1854 it was described as a deserted village where the "wild Apache lords it over this region, and the timid husbandman dares not return to his home." In September 1856 the Sonora Mining and Exploring Company established its headquarters at Tubac. The population consisted of three hundred miners, mainly from Texas. This fact was one result of the Gadsen Purchase and the consequent protection offered by U.S. Troops. These troops, however, were withdrawn in 1861 to take part in the Civil War. The result was a series of Apache depredations that depopulated, not only Tubac, but all of Santa Cruz Valley. In 1871 the Arizona Miner reported a single man living there. Before long the abandoned presidio (which had served as headquarter for the mining company) was in ruins. By 1908 almost all of what had comprised of Tubac had disappeared. Gradually, however, a community again took hold. The American townsite was laid out in c. 1878 by Solon M. Allis. It should be noted that the original location was partially in the extreme northwest corner of Baca Float No. 3, whereas the current town is entirely outside the Float, part of it being "lost" when the Float was surveyed. Tubac was declared a national monument in 1976. Associated names include Tubac Creek and Tubac Range. PO est Feb 21, 1859 Frederick Hulseman pm; disc July 14, 1863; reest July 13, 1864; disc Nov 30, 1942."
Barnes, Will C.; Granger, Byrd (ed.) Arizona's names : X marks the place Falconer Pub. Co. : distributed by Treasure Chest Publications, c1983. P. 630
Arizona Department of Commerce Community Profiles, Tubac Arizona
http://www.commerce.state.az.us/pdf/commasst/comm/tubac.pdf
Local Government Website, Tubac Arizona
http://www.tubacaz.com/
Tubac through four centuries; an historical resume and analysis, by
Henry F. Dobyns for The Arizona State Parks Board.
http://dizzy.library.arizona.edu/images/dobyns/
Tubac Community Library
50 Bridge Rd. P.O. Box 1444 Tubac, AZ 85644-1444
520-398-9814
Green Valley News
http://www.gvnews.com/
Books/Manuscripts found in the ASU Library Catalog
The history of Tubac, 1752-1948 / by Doris W. Bents
F819
.T88 B4x
John T. Smith of Tubac / by Elizabeth R. Brownell ; illustration by
Douglas Cumming.
F819
.T88 B6x
They lived in Tubac / by Elizabeth R. Brownell.
F819
.T8853 A23x
Tubac / by Richard Wormser ; with illustrations by Suzanne Hesselbarth,
and cover photography by Theodora McCurdy.
F819
.T88 W6x
Tubac, the oldest town in Arizona.
F819
.T88 T8x
Tubac through four centuries; an historical resume and analysis, by
Henry F. Dobyns for The Arizona State Parks Board.
F819
.T88 D6x 1959
Tubac - town of 9 lives.
F819
.T88 S65
Last Updated: July 29, 2002
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