A celebration was held on April 2th, 2022 marking the end of a twelve-year-long restoration project. A brief history of how that milestone came about. The Lochiel Schoolhouse is located in Lochiel, Arizona, along the international border with Mexico. This location served as a port of entry until 1983 and was formerly known as La Noria. It was once a thriving community but since the late 20^th century has declined to less than 10 people.

The Lochiel School District can be traced back to 1882 when it was known as the La Noria School District. The schoolhouse building was deeded to the school district in 1911 by Clotilde Carey who owned the homestead where the school building was located. This one-room adobe schoolhouse served the community until circa 1983 when the Lochiel School District was abandoned to the Patagonia Elementary School District. Shortly thereafter the school district offered the property for sale under the condition that the schoolhouse is maintained as a historic building. No offers were received at the time.

In January 2009, the Patagonia Elementary School District called for a special meeting on the Lochiel Schoolhouse after receiving strong recommendations from Maureen and Onofre De La Ossa to do so. Maureen and Onofre lived nearby at the San Antonio Ranch and both attended the school as students. Attending that meeting in January 2009 were Patagonia neighbors German Quiroga and Ralph Schmitt who decided after the meeting to organize a group to preserve and maintain the Lochiel Schoolhouse. Fortunately, there was an organization already established, The Patagonia Museum, whose mission was to preserve and collect the history and culture of eastern Santa Cruz County which included the San Rafael Valley where the schoolhouse is situated. Ralph and German joined The Patagonia Museum as officers in June of 2009 with the intent to preserve the Lochiel Schoolhouse.

The Lochiel Schoolhouse project began in September 2010 when the Patagonia Elementary School District leased the property to The Patagonia Museum. The rental agreement stipulates that the Museum maintain and insure the property as payment for the use of the schoolhouse property.

After signing the lease agreement with the Patagonia School District in September 2010, workdays were established on a monthly basis, usually the last Saturday of the month. Over 200 individuals would volunteer their time to do whatever was required at the time. Initially, there was a lot of cleanup of debris and broken windows.

Windows and doors were installed, stucco was patched, new wood flooring was installed and the work continues today to maintain this historic building for future generations.

We are very pleased to feature the work of Martha Kelly, a potter who has operated her studio in Patagonia since 1981, in our current “Art + History” exhibit.

Martha was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York which is a long way from Patagonia. It was a month-long clay work workshop in Greenwich Village when she was sixteen that began her long journey into the world of clay. In the late seventies, she studied and became an apprentice potter to Barbara Clark at the Cascabel Clayworks outside of Benson, Arizona. Not long after, she moved to the small town of Patagonia where she opened her studio, Shooting Star Pottery.

If you missed opening night, you missed a fun party. The good news is her work will be on display at the Museum until the middle of April.

The museum is open on Thursday – Sunday from 2 until 4.

We are pleased to host a demonstration by the talented Lorenzo and Lucy Mora, artists from Mata Ortiz, on March 11 and 12th from 10:30 to 2 in the Patagonia Town Park.

Artist Lucy Mora at work

They will be demonstrating how they make their beautiful pottery and will have a few pieces available for purchase.

Classic Mata Ortiz pottery

And we hope you will join us on a leisurely tour through historic areas surrounding the Sonora River in Mexico on March 15th – 17th, 2022.

Please join us for a leisurely and flexible 3 day, 2-night tour by South of the Border Tours motorcoach through historic areas surrounding the Sonora River in Mexico. Overnight stays are in the best hotels in Banamichi (Opata word for “ where the river turns”). Two expert guides: Bill Steen and Gary Nabhan will comment on the history of this area. The trio of Bobby Ronstadt, Liz Cerepanya and Don Armstrong will accompany us on our tour providing musical entertainment as we go. Museum staff will accompany our guides to assist with arrangements as the trip progresses.

We depart from Patagonia, in front of the Patagonia Trading Post, 317 Mckeown Avenue, at 8 am Tuesday, March 15th. From Patagonia we proceed to Nogales, stopping in the Magdalena church plaza and Cucurpe for lunch. We then arrive at Banamichi where we stay, enjoying most of our meals at La Posada del Rio Sonora, the former residence of General Padilla. Wednesday morning we explore the local towns on the Rio Sonora and visit a local ranch for lunch. Wednesday evening we enjoy local entertainment by Danza Xunutzi at an open-air plaza. On Thursday, we depart Banamichi for Arizpe, Sonora’s first capitol, and then proceed to Bacoachi for lunch, returning to Patagonia via Naco late Thursday afternoon on March 17th.

The price ($650, double occupancy, museum member) includes transportation via USA licensed motor coach, meals, meal gratuities and lodging for one person. Additional beverages will be your responsibility. There is a $50 non-member fee and a $250 single occupant surcharge due to the limited lodging available.

There are 24 seats available for this tour with double occupancy at the hotels in Banamichi. Full payment secures your seat on a first-come, first-served basis. 100% of your payment will be refunded if requested or required.

Note: You will need a current passport to enter Mexico and return to the United States. Some extended walking on uneven surfaces may be required. For additional information contact: German Quiroga at 520-343-5641 or email him at patagoniamuseumpresident@gmail.com.

Right click on this form to save it and register for the trip. Banamichi Bus Tour Registration Form March 2022