Danelle Plaza’s unique disposition represents a local cultural nexus to some and an obstruction to progress to others. By exploring this mid-century retail center’s creation and evolution, we better understand how one of Tempe’s most ‘enigmatic’ places came to be so controversial while also playing a critical role in nurturing the community’s local art, live […]
This presentation highlights a granddaughter’s efforts to put the puzzle pieces of her maternal grandmother’s family in order, using oral history, photographs, sacramental records of the Catholic Church, vital records, and more. The Black Family Genealogy and History Society (BFGHS) is an educational, inclusive organization dedicated to encouraging interest in family history and genealogical research, […]
When Tempe Normal School was established in 1886, it had no Spanish curriculum nor a bilingual professor to teach Spanish to enrolled TNS students, despite the demand to train bilingual teachers to educate Spanish-speaking pupils in Arizona’s elementary schools. They were taught by white teachers who didn’t speak nor understand Spanish. Spanish-speaking children continued to […]
In the late 1940s, America’s postwar boom brought prosperity, which generally meant a new house and a new car for middle class families. This changed everything, here and across the country. New neighborhoods and roads quickly spread out from Tempe in every direction. Look around! Half of Tempe still showcases the new modern mid-century architecture […]
Tempe’s Petersen House has been a local icon since it’s construction as a farmhouse in 1892. Come learn about the various eras of this fascinating home and how it fits into the larger history of our region. Josh Roffler is the Manager of Tempe History Museum. He began his museum career as the onsite staff […]
Louis Carlos Bernal’s “Benitez Suite” photos of 1977 capture Borderlands life against the forces that sought to destroy it. Dr. Huizar-Hernández introduces some of Bernal’s main contributions to Chicano fine art photography, focusing especially on his Benítez Suite. Stop by Tempe History Museum for this free talk presented by Tempe History Society with generous support […]
Victory Acres emerged during an era of post-war prosperity and development. The neighborhood served as a place of resilience and cultural identity even in times of displacement and urban renewal. D.A. Romero, a fifth-generation Arizonan, seeks to reflect on the strength of a community while recognizing the complex history still being written. Stop by Tempe […]
In many Southwestern matrifocal cultures, Indigenous women’s lives are modeled after female heroes and sacred women who exemplify and express courage and kinship values. Laura Tohe, Arizona’s Poet Laureate and former Navajo Nation Poet Laureate, shares how Indigenous women have contributed in significant ways to their tribal nations, and to contemporary American life. Stop by Tempe […]
The driving forces behind Arizona’s wild frontier prior to Statehood were the 5C’s: copper, cattle, cotton, citrus, and climate. Local Award-Winning author Albert Monreal Quihuis takes us through the wild history of Arizona to discover if the 5 C’s remain as important today than they did in the past, and whether new 5 C’s have emerged. Museum for this free talk presented by Tempe […]
Delirium is a change in mental abilities that can develop suddenly and is a medical emergency, especially for older adults. Dr. Johannah Uriri-Glover explains why older adults are at a higher risk for delirium due to normal aging changes in the brain or chronic health conditions, and why early recognition is important for treating the […]
When Mary Lou Gulley, the proprietress of the Mystery Castle, died in her late 80s, she left behind more than a mystery. Dr. Summer Cherland introduces Mary Lou Gulley, a gifted artist, writer, and show-woman in her own words using a collection of rare photographs, documents, artwork, and artifacts newly assembled at South Mountain Community […]
Professor and author Eduardo Pagán will share the story of his book that traces the life of Georgie Clifford through sex work, morphine addiction, and incarceration to uncover a hidden “tumbleweed underworld” of narcotics, gendered violence, and vice in the Arizona Territory. Her story illuminates the early opioid crisis in the United States and its […]