Santa Cruz Valley Historical Society
Santa Cruz Valley Historical Society
Securing The Future By Preserving Our Past
Embedded Files
~~~ Save The Date: 14 April 2026 ~~~
History All Around Us Guest Speaker:
Oscar Gomez
"Going Nuts: The Santa Cruz Valley's Transition from Cotton to Pecans"
10:00 AM to 11:00 AM
St. Francis in the Valley Episcopal Church
600 South La Cañada Drive in Green Valley
Those who have traveled through the Sahuarita, Green Valley and Continental areas very likely noticed what appeared to be unending rows of towering trees spread almost as far as their eyes could see.
Prior to the mid 1960’s, the Santa Cruz Valley was home to farms raising the same “traditional crops” that were readily available in all areas of the Country, but with the spread of cotton farming outside of the United States, crop destroying diseases and the development of very popular synthetic fibers, local land owner Keith Walden began seeking alternative options to ensure continued success of the very profitable Farmer’s Investment Company (FICO) holdings.
Many have come to wonder how miles and miles of fields filled with cotton, peanuts, assorted vegetables and even guayule, a rubber substitute grown during WWI, transitioned to orchards full of mature, majestic, non-native pecan trees. The Santa Cruz Valley Historical Society cordially invites you to explore this topic with us as local historian and former FICO employee Oscar Gomez presents, “Going Nuts: The Santa Cruz Valley's Transition from Cotton to Pecans.”
Serving Our Arizona Community
Sahuarita, Green Valley, Continental, Amado & Adjacent Rural Areas
SCVHS success depends on you.
Volunteer Opportunities: Help Wanted
Financial Support: Explore the Options
Our Archive welcomes donations for preservation, research & community education:
~ Artifacts
~ Photos
~ Oral or Written Memoirs
~ Documents
~ Yearbooks
~ Historic Memorabilia
We would love the opportunity to scan your treasured historic photos & documents for preservation.
Mission:
The Society’s mission is to collect, preserve and share the history of Arizona's Santa Cruz Valley/Greater Sahuarita area in an effort to educate future generations and foster a better understanding and appreciation of the values that built our communities and contributed to Pima County’s heritage.
Our Story:
In December of 2022, “Sahuarita, Arizona: Treasured Nuggets from the Past,” a collection of personal recollections, biographies, photographs, documents and maps was published by a local group, The Friends of Sahuarita. This 500-page book only “scratches the surface” in capturing the written memories of the people, places and events that make the Santa Cruz Valley unique.
During the six-year project, it became clear that this book was only the “first step.” The Santa Cruz Valley Historical Society (SCVHS) was formed in the Fall of 2023 as the “next step” in preserving and protecting the memorabilia, structures, documents, stories and historical artifacts rapidly being lost to time.
Our Boundaries:
The SCVHS’s primary area of focus lies within the current-day boundaries of the Sahuarita Unified School District No. 30 and the Continental Elementary School District No. 39.
This includes the historic school districts of Sahuarita, Zinc, Sierrita / McGee, Twin Buttes, Continental, Helvetia, Greaterville, Sopori, Cerro Colorado, Liberty Mine and Arivaca.
Page updated
Google Sites
Report abuse