The Patagonia Museum sponsored its fourth bus tour to the Rio Sonora in March 2019.

We entered Mexico through Nogales and had stops in San Ignacio, Magdalena and Cucurpe before arriving in Banamichi for two nights. On the second day we explored downriver towns of Huepac and Aconchi before dining at the working ranch of Rancho Martina where bacanora and tortilla making demonstrations were presented. To close our day, Danza Xunutzi performed a series of delightful dances in the Banamichi Plaza. On day three, we returned to Patagonia, with stops in Arizpe and Bacoachi, crossing back into the USA at Naco.

Rebecca Orozco and Bill Steen provided knowledgeable and colorful commentary during our tour. Thirty-two of us traveled in the comfort of a 49 passenger tour bus from “South of the Border Tours”. Thanks to many of our fellow travelers for sending us their photos for our website gallery.

We’re already putting together plans for our 2020 trip so keep your eyes open for another unique opportunity to experience the Rio Sonoran culture.

Volunteerism is an important part of the mission of the Museum. If you are looking for some exercise in combination with good deeds, here’s what we have coming up this month:

Friday, March 22, join the museum as we pick up litter along Highway 82, starting at Mile Post 19 and Beaty Lane. We will begin at 9am

Thursday, March 28, The Patagonia Museum will host a workday at the Lochiel Schoolhouse, from 10 am to 2 pm. There are tasks for all ages and ability available.

Give us a call if you’d like more info on how you can help.

The Museum is pleased to announce that we are once again hitting the road on a trip to Mexico’s Banamichi and Rio Sonora.

Our motor coach from South of the Border Tours will depart from Patagonia at 8 am on Tuesday, March 12, 2019. We will spend two nights in Banamichi, Sonora enjoying various activities. We arrive in Patagonia on Thursday late afternoon, March 14, 2019.

Our guides will be Rebecca Orozco, Cochise College and University of Arizona History Instructor, and Bill Steen,co-founder of “The Canelo Project”. P.D. Ronstadt & The Company will provide the musical entertainment during our tour

The price per person ( $600 for nonmembers and $550 for members, double occupancy)  covers all meals and gratuities (for the meals), lodging and transportation. There is limited seating for this tour. Please respond as soon as convenient. Proceeds from this fundraising event support our programs and projects.
Banamichi Bus Tour Flyer March 2019

If you would like to join us, please print off the registration form and return it along with a check to PO Box 919, Patagonia, AZ 85624.

Banamichi Bus Tour Registration Form March 2019

Questions should be directed to German Quiroga at 520.343.5641 or via email: german@thepatagoniamuseum.org.

The 2019 trip is scheduled for March 12 – 14th. Details will follow but we can tell you, last year’s trip was a blast!

The Museum board will hold the annual members meeting on January 26, 2019 at 10:30 AM in the Patagonia Public Library meeting room. The brief agenda will include the election of the board members for the upcoming fiscal year.

The candidates are: German Quiroga, President; Bob Ollerton, Vice-President; Maureen De La Ossa, Secretary; Bonnie Maclean, Treasurer; Linda Shore, Curator; Bob Bergier, Member-at-Large; Ralph Schmitt, Member-at-Large.

The business meeting will be followed by a presentation by one of our favorite speakers, Dr. John Langellier. is topic will include the life and times of the Apache Kid, Army Scout and renegade.

The author of dozens of books and scores of articles, as well as a consultant to film and TV, Dr. Langellier shared this preview of his talk with us:

Geronimo’s long bid for freedom had ended. Now he and many fellow so-called Chiricahuas were prisoners of war in far off Florida.  Three of the men who had trailed him and his followers were U.S Army scouts known on their enlistment papers as the Apache Kid, Massai, and Rowdy.  The trio, once comrades in arms, would follow very different paths resulting in one of Arizona’s longest manhunts. Join military historian Dr. John Langellier as buffalo soldiers, Indian scouts, and a host of other military men and civilians attempt to round up the usual suspects criss- crossing the border between Mexico and the United States on this deadly mission.

Please join us for our next member meeting on December 7th at 7 PM in the Patagonia Public Library meeting room. Our guest speaker will be Doug Hocking.

We’re happy to report that our inaugural fundraiser for the Student Docent program was a rip-roaring success. Over 60 people joined us at Old Main for a few hours of food, drink and camaraderie. Congrats to Valerie Neale and Rick Jones (pictured) who won the birdhouse version of the Patagonia Lumber Co.

Our Children Are The Future

The Patagonia Museum is pleased to announce our investment in the future – a new Student Docent Program. This is a service based community learning opportunity that will allow participating Patagonia high school students to qualify for merit-based scholarships.

We hope you will join us at the Museum for our inaugural fundraising happy hour featuring food, drink & a raffle on:

Saturday, November 10th from 4 pm – 6 pm.

Please RSVP to Linda Shore (linda@thepatagoniamuseum.org)

We are pleased to co-sponsor a presentation of “Bisbee 17” at the Tin Shed Theater in Patagonia. This newly released film is a reenactment of an infamous day in Bisbee’s history – the deportation of 1200 immigrant miners as the result of a strike against Phelps Dodge.

Area locals, including Mike Anderson, our guest speaker of 9/15, collaborated to stage recreations of one of the more important events to occur on American soil during the First World War.