24.02.03 SAN TAN HISTORICAL MUSEUM

 SAN TAN HISTORICAL SOCIETY, 20425 S. Old Ellsworth Road, Queen Creek, AZ 85142. San Tan Mountain has an elevation of 3104 feet. Gold Mine Mountain is on it’s east and south. The Hohokam people (vanished ones) lived here around the time of Christ. By A.D. 700, the Hohokam people were thriving in many villages around San Tan Mountain. The museum is housed in the historic Rittenhouse School, named after Charles Rittenhouse. The Rittenhouse Ranch became Queen Creek (the town where the museum is located and where we do most of our shopping)! The school was built in 1924 because classes were being taught in an old cookshack that had been used by muleskinners to clear the land. In 1936 restrooms and more classrooms were added. The building was originally heated by steam from a boiler but eventually replaced with gas heaters hung from the ceiling. The building is on the National Register of Historical Places. We enjoyed our tour at the San Tan Historical Museum.

The writing on the chalkboard is original and was the last thing written by the teacher on the last day of school September 2, 1982 in this building. It is covered with glass to preserve the writing. Can you imagine being in school at 116 degrees??? Of course Jessica is Queen today!

Al is in the Naughty Corner. Do you think he spent much time there as a child? LOL

The docents were very knowledgeable and shared many stories and played the Victrola Floor Model Phonograph by Victrola Talking Machine Co. for us! https://www.santanhistorical.org/

This is a historic Citrus Anti-Frost Wind Machine with wood propellers. A citrus grower erected the wind machine on his newly planted orange grove during the mid-60’s. The machines were first used in California in 1919. Citrus growers knew that the air approximately 30 feet above the ground is usually a few degrees warmer. By pulling the warm air in to circulate down to the ground, the temperatures around the trees would rise a few degrees to keep the delicate blossoms and fruit from frost damage.