Greetings From Tucson

Overview of Tucson

Pleasant climate has always been part of the charm of living in Tucson. The chamber of commerce never misses an opportunity to boast about the 3,800 hours of annual sunshine, which can be both a blessing and a curse, especially during the summer months. Various slogans incorporating the weather and charm of Tucson have been used over the years in promoting the “Old Pueblo,” including “Home Beautiful City,” “The Sunshine City of America,” “Tucson Is a Way of Life,” and “Tucson the Sunshine Factory.” A few years ago the local paper ran a survey asking for new slogans, but the chamber won’t be adopting these snappy slogans in the near future: “See what’s cooking on our sidewalks,” “Tucson, we don’t leave any street unturned,” “Rancho Gridlock,” and “Tucson: 100 in the shade, if we had any shade.”

Large Letter greeting card

One of the most popular postcards to send back to relatives was the so-called “Large Letter” greeting card which every city, town and state issued with the colorful mini-pictorials of the most well known landmarks contained in each letter.  Many recipients of postcards would hold onto them as keepsakes and these would result in a treasure trove for anyone wanting a glimpse back into the recent past.

Pima County Courthouse side view

Considered by many to be the most beautiful building after the San Xavier Mission the Pima County Courthouse designed by Roy Place is always a welcome sight for anyone coming downtown.  This is the third courthouse with the second one being condemned in 1927 when a huge crack appeared along its south wall and the second floor started to sag.  The citizens of Tucson approved a huge bond of $300,000 to build the courthouse but some questioned the heavily Spanish flavor of the architecture as inappropriate for a governmental building. 

Pima County Courthouse front view

When first opened in 1929, the courthouse was located in the heart of downtown, and housed everyone from the county school superintendent to the Sheriff’s office and even prisoners.  One weekend in October the ever popular “Tucson Meet Yourself” festival takes place on the Presidio Park on the west side of the courthouse giving downtown visitors an opportunity to bask in the shadow of this gorgeous building while enjoying an authentic sampling of various ethnic foods