Saying Goodby to Tawn Downs

 Wishing Tawn Downs All the BEST as she leaves AZ Heritage Center, President Claire Nullmeyer and Past Pres. Susan Dale give her an orchid plant.

The entire Historical League is grateful for all this gracious and hard-working lady has done over the past 7 years. She will be missed.

June 2020 Historical League virtual meeting

Another successful Historical League meeting via Zoom thanks to president Susan Dale. Looks like over 30 attended. Happy to get a report from museum director Tawn Downs stating the Arizona Heritage Center will open to members June 13 and open to public June 16. Advanced tickets online.

May 4, 2020 Historical League meeting on Zoom

Zoom meetings are so helpful during COVID-19. The Arizona Heritage Center is closed so Historical League meetings are now online. Great to see 35 video and 6 non-video attending this Zoom meeting! We are all missing the human contact but still able to conduct League business. Thanks to President Susan Dale for organizing it all and conducting a successful meeting.

Historical League Volunteers support Women's Hall of Fame event

Julie Moore, Pam Stevenson, Mariamne Moore

Mariamne Moore, Dee Steen, Renee Donnelly

Volunteers are the foundation of all organizations. We have the best with the Historical League, even helping other non-profits.  The sold-out event for Women's Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony at AZ Heritage Center was well supported.
Tastes & Treasures II was available thanks to Mariamne Moore and Norma Jean Coulter. With Pam Stevenson stopping by, the background stories in our new historic AZ cookbook were shared.

Mariamne Moore sharing stories from Tastes & Treasures II

Museum director Tawn Downs with Norma Jean Coulter

Reception after the Induction Ceremony

New signage at AZ Heritage Center

Nice to see the new signage at the museum. Our director, Tawn Downs, has been working hard at promoting the facility and making it a better place to visit. This was another of her goals.  We are very fortunate to have her at the museum.

October 2 General Historical League meeting

The AZ Heritage Center fall season is a busy one. At our October meeting, Museum Director Tawn Downs spoke of upcoming events open to the public.
"Footprints on the Desert" celebrates 150 years of Frank Lloyd Wright opening Oct 13.
"2017 Historymakers Exhibit" opening October 19.
"Phoenix City Rising" -presentation is Nov 1 from 6:30-7:30 pm.
"Geology of Central Arizona" - lecture series is Nov 15 from 6:00-7:30 pm.
It's always good to hear the sounds of active school groups visiting the exhibits!

"History in the Desert" Exhibit Opening is Nov 18 from 9-10:30 am.

June 2017 Historical League meeting

The final meeting of the year was a busy one with reports turned in, Director Tawn Downs gave us museum updates, delicious food served from Dancing Chef, Staff Appreciation luncheon with introductions to new staff and good byes to friends for the summer. It may look like a slow down but that is not the case. The Historical League continues to function and plan over the summer. Looking forward to the fall with a tour of Roswell Bookbinding September 21, Historymakers 2017 Exhibit Opening in October, Family Holiday Party featuring "Newsie's" at Phoenix Theatre in December and hopefully Tastes & Treasures Volume II will be published.

Museum Director Tawn Downs answers question while President Anne Lupica oversees her last meeting.
President elect Nina Fillipi steps in as new President for 2017-2018.

May 1 League meeting guest speaker Gregory McNamee

Aztecs grew an ancient form of corn in early Mesoamerican civilization

After Historical League meeting reports from museum director, Tawn Downs, president Anne Lupica and other committees, Gregory McNamee writer, journalist, editor, publisher and photographer was our guest speaker. He gave an interesting journey of the history of food told through the ingredients of a taco. His presentation included all the spices, oils, grains and fillings that make up a taco. Where did they come from? How long did it take for them to get to Arizona? What is the history of the ingredients? Humorous and informative, he wove an interesting history of food.

The ancient corn was a skinny cob variety often sucked on from the end to get the sweet taste.

Cortes and his army conquered Montezuma, tasting corn for the first time

The popular taco is now all over the world.

Guest speaker Gregory McNamee

Dinner with Historymaker Marshall Trimble

Zona Lorig, Marshall Trimble, Mary Parker

Thanks to these wonderful Historical League members, the dinner party with Historymaker Marshall Trimble and Museum Director Tawn Downs was a lovely event.
Eighteen members bid on this dinner at the David Wright House silent auction with funds raised supporting National History Day AZ.  Both students and teachers received support for their program, taking their presentations from regional to state to Washington D.C.

We are grateful to Mary and Bill Parker for hosting the dinner, along with attendees

Bill Parker, Stan Evans

Zona and Tom Lorig, Nancy and Stan Evans, Meg and Bill Knopf, Bonnie and Alan Newhoff, Margaret and Larry Baker, Dee and Chuck Steen, Dianne and Gary Linthicum who bid on the dinner to raise funds for NHDAZ.org

Bonnie and Alan Newhoff, Stan Evans

Margaret Baker, Mary Parker

Tawn Downs, Zona Lorig, Dee Steen