downtown
Barrio Sin Nombre gets a new name
Barrio Sin Nombre has changed its name to Barrio San Agustín.
El Hoyo, Hollywood, Menlo Park, Anita and Barrio Viejo are some of Tucson's well-known barrios. El Sobaco, El Membrillo, Blue Moon, Isla de Cuba and Barrio San Agustín are other barrios whose imprints are just as important but lesser known to those who grew up outside their lines.
They are neighborhoods that many generations of Tucsonans have called home.
"About a year ago residents living at the base of Sentinel Peak, or 'A' Mountain, began discussing a new name that would give Barrio Sin Nombre ("Area Without a Name") more of a presence," Dana Helfer wrote in the Menlo Park Sentinel newsletter.
People are also reading…
"Neighbors submitted names for discussion and at the July Menlo Park Neighborhood Association meeting, neighbors voted to change the name to Barrio San Agustín reflecting and honoring the history of the area and the San Agustín Mission."
The mission was established in the mid-1700s and was completed in the late 1790s to early 1800s. It includes a two-story priest's residence and trade school, a chapel, a granary and other outbuildings, all surrounded by a wall.
"The barrio name change is an important piece of highlighting Tucson history," Helfer wrote. "The families that have lived generations at the base of Sentinel Peak east of Mission Road deserve a name filled with history and pride."
Forum set Saturday on Mission Gardens
The Friends of Tucson's Birthplace will hold a forum seeking input on the planting of Tucson's historic Mission Gardens from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday at the Arizona Historical Society Auditorium, 949 E. Second St. The event is free and open to the public.
Greening Mission Garden will explain the cultural and historical significance of the site that has a 4,000-year history of agriculture. Presenters will focus on developing an efficient and sustainable operation and management plan for the garden.
Cele Peterson, honorary chairwoman of the event, and representatives from the Drachman Institute and the office of Ethnohistorical Research at the Arizona State Museum will be part of the forum.
The Mission Garden will be a reconstruction of the Spanish Colonial walled garden that was part of Tucson's historic San Agustín Mission. It will be rebuilt on its original site featuring heirloom plants and gardens interpreting 4,000 years of Tucson agriculture.
For more information and a list of presenters, call Bill Dupont at 404-7237.
