Blast from the Past: Revisiting Rick Collins and the Presidio for Tucson’s 250th
Update: 2025-09-05
Description
Tucson just turned 250 and we’re marking the milestone with a cannon blast and a return to where it all began.
In this special episode of Life Along the Streetcar, we revisit a 2017 interview with historian and volunteer Rick Collins at the Presidio San Agustín del Tucson, the original Spanish fort that gave rise to the city we now call home.
From blacksmith demonstrations to tortilla-making, tin smithing, and full-uniform reenactments, Rick shares how the Presidio Museum brings Tucson’s rich, multicultural history to life. It’s a living history experience that spans from Indigenous settlements through Spanish colonial days, into the Mexican era, and on through statehood.
This episode was recorded live during a Living History Day event, complete with cannon fire, music from the era, and the sounds of a community keeping its past alive.
As Tucson celebrates 250 years since its founding in 1775, we look back at the stories, volunteers, and cultural layers that still echo through the Presidio’s adobe walls.
🎧 Like what you hear? Let’s keep the history alive:
Follow us on SoundCloud for more Tucson stories!
Share this episode with someone who loves the Old Pueblo.
Visit us at lifealongthestreetcar.org
Follow us on Facebook: facebook.com/LifeAlongTheStreetcar
In this special episode of Life Along the Streetcar, we revisit a 2017 interview with historian and volunteer Rick Collins at the Presidio San Agustín del Tucson, the original Spanish fort that gave rise to the city we now call home.
From blacksmith demonstrations to tortilla-making, tin smithing, and full-uniform reenactments, Rick shares how the Presidio Museum brings Tucson’s rich, multicultural history to life. It’s a living history experience that spans from Indigenous settlements through Spanish colonial days, into the Mexican era, and on through statehood.
This episode was recorded live during a Living History Day event, complete with cannon fire, music from the era, and the sounds of a community keeping its past alive.
As Tucson celebrates 250 years since its founding in 1775, we look back at the stories, volunteers, and cultural layers that still echo through the Presidio’s adobe walls.
🎧 Like what you hear? Let’s keep the history alive:
Follow us on SoundCloud for more Tucson stories!
Share this episode with someone who loves the Old Pueblo.
Visit us at lifealongthestreetcar.org
Follow us on Facebook: facebook.com/LifeAlongTheStreetcar
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