Cattle and Grasslands
A History of Ranching in Southeastern Arizona
Sat. Jan. 30 / 10am / Ed. Ctr. #1 / free
Cattle-raising was first introduced into Arizona by Jesuit missionary, Eusebio Kino, in the late 1600s and the grasslands of Southeast Arizona were famous for their high-quality and abundance; “stirrup-high on a horse,” as the old-timers described them. In the 1800s cattle-raising was a challenging enterprise for any rancher to withstand raiding Apache, protect his investment in land and water, and survive Arizona’s periodic droughts. Economic fluctuations, changing climate and federal laws, and restricted access to open space made survival of the ranching industry even more problematic during this century. In this Arizona Humanities Council presentation, Robin Pinto, landscape historian at the University of Arizona explores the history of ranching and the array of environmental changes across Southeast Arizona. Sponsored by the Arizona Humanities Council.

Songs of the “Cherrycows”
Cowboy Folk Music and its Changing View of the West
Sat., Feb. 20 / 2pm / Ed. Ctr. #1 / free
Like Arizonans of every occupation, at the turn of the last century cowboys of the Chiricahua Cattle Company (the Cherrycows) arrived in the Territory from every direction. The songs they sang to entertain themselves included old ballads from the British Isles, topical songs and material from the new technology of recorded music. Their stories and songs reflect some of the dramatic changes taking place in the decade before statehood.

Greg Scott, educator, historian and musician offers a multi-media presentation of the songs of some of the last open range cowboys in Arizona. Using period instruments, recordings and photographs, Scott focuses on the songs which marked the end of a colorful era in Arizona history. Sponsored by the Arizona Humanities Council.