History: In 1874, two German immigrants – George Pusch and Johann Zellweger – arrived in Arizona and established the Steam Pump Ranch as an important way-station in the mercantile structure of the southern Arizona cattle industry and in the transportation corridor to Oracle and points north. The two entrepreneurial immigrants used a steam engine as the unique and state-of-the-art power to pump water from the shallow aquifer and to make it an oasis in the arid landscape of the region. Of special importance is the key commercial role this site has played in the ranching, water and food production business of Tucson and the region. With appropriate capital investment in historic preservation of the buildings, artifacts and landscape, a plan for creative interpretation, a blueprint for economic sustainability, and a longrange vision for stewardship, the Steam Pump Ranch can be brought back to life as vehicle for education and inspiration.
Nearby Farmer's Market every Saturday.