Living History: La Gente

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These volunteers portray civilian life at the Presidio by exhibiting life skills of the Spanish Colonial people. They demonstrate the simplicity of life and the challenges of survival at a frontier fort. If you visit the Presidio on a Living History Saturday you may experience:

• Tortilla making and bread baking
• Butter churning
• Soap making
• Blacksmithing
• Spinning
• Weaving
• Storytelling
• Fire building in the adobe horno
• Demonstrating foods of the time
• Demonstrating money and commercial items of the time (as a merchant)

If you enjoy the history and culture of Tucson and have an interest in learning any of these skills consider being a volunteer at the Presidio Museum. Living history volunteers commit to one Saturday a month for a minimum of five hours. "Living History" days are currently the second Saturday of each month from October through April.

Duties

Volunteers will work with the volunteer coordinator and the "Living History" team leaders to be trained for different tasks. Volunteers are encouraged to do the activities they most enjoy and become experts themselves.

Making the Commitment

Volunteers must commit to one Saturday a month from five to ten hours. "Living History" days are currently the second Saturday of each month, but another Saturday each month may be added.

The majority of Living History demonstrations are presented at stations that are outdoors. Tasks are performed in a variety of weather conditions. Much like our ancestors, volunteers experience beautiful Sonoran desert days, along with a few hot ones and the occasional monsoon!

Occasionally volunteers support other organization functions and City of Tucson functions by attending and assisting with different events.