Groundbreaking
2025 Groundbreaking
On January 30, 2025, the Naco Heritage Alliance (NHA) reached a critical milestone. Working with our partner Durazo Construction Corporation we took the plunge and broke ground, formally beginning Phase One of the rehabilitation of Camp Naco. We were honored to be joined by a color guard with members of our local VFW and American Legion, as well as numerous NHA board members, City officials and council members, and many dedicated supporters of the Camp Naco project. We could not have reached this point without the support of State of Arizona’s Governor’s Office and the Mellon Foundation.
Joining us at this historic moment were (First Photo - from left to right) Demetria Warren, Southwest Association of Buffalo Soldiers (SWABS) President, Jeremy Fricke, Naco Heritage Alliance Executive Director, Margaret Hagen, Naco Heritage Alliance Board Chair, Nathalia Untiveros, Deputy Director, Southern Arizona Office of the Governor, Bisbee Mayor Ken Budge, City of Bisbee City Manager Steve Pauken, Charles Hancock, SWABS member, JD Durazo, Durazo Construction, Mike Normand, Camp Naco Construction Project Manager, and Rosendo Arrieta, Naco Heritage Alliance Vice President.
NHA Executive Director Jeremy Fricke explains that "The Naco Heritage Alliance sits in a unique position—physically and historically—to tell the story of boundaries and borders. More than a century ago, Camp Naco was home to the Buffalo Soldiers. But they were not the only ones to pass through this land. Indigenous communities have walked these grounds. Latine communities have built their lives here. And today, just a few blocks away, the border wall stands as a reminder of the complex realities we face.
But imagine with me—imagine that Camp Naco becomes a place where the stories of all the peoples of the borderlands are honored. A place where history is preserved, where the arts and culture thrive, and where the local communities of Naco and Bisbee will find a resource they can be proud of. A place that uplifts the legacy of the Buffalo Soldiers while also serving as a space for dialogue, education, and celebration of the vibrant cultures that have shaped this region."
For more information or to schedule an interview, contact Jeremy Fricke at jfricke@bisbeeaz.gov
Join us for a showing of this film, stay for a discussion, and light refreshments.
Sunday, June 14th, 2pm Tombstone Brewing West End, 332 N Garden Ave, Sierra Vista Free to attend with registration: https://givebutter.com/BorderHistory Our small section of the US-Mexico border has been the focus of major military and civil conflicts in the early 20th century. Learn how the stories of these people and events intertwined in this small region of Cochise County and how work continues in the present to preserve this history. Discover the people, places, and untold stories that shaped the Borderlands—register now to join the conversation at Tombstone Brewing Company.
Sunday, June 7th, 2pm Tombstone Brewing West End, 332 N Garden Ave, Sierra Vista Free to attend with registration: https://givebutter.com/BorderHistory Cochise County has always been a borderlands. Its mountains and valleys of the sky islands have always been corridors for exploration and conquest. Spanish explorers traveled them in the 16th century. Mexico’s battles for independence and then revolution focused on the northern frontier. The westward push for gold and Manifest Destiny established the current line. Learn how those stories still resonate and shape today’s borderline. Discover the people, places, and untold stories that shaped the Borderlands—register now to join the conversation at Tombstone Brewing Company.
Sunday, May 31, 2pm Tombstone Brewing West End, 332 N Garden Ave, Sierra Vista Free to attend with registration: https://givebutter.com/BorderHistory For more than 10,000 years people have called this region home. Learn about the prehistoric residents of our region from the earliest residents who hunted now extinct mammoths through the first indigenous peoples who encountered explorers from Spain and the United States. Discover the people, places, and untold stories that shaped the Borderlands—register now to join the conversation at Tombstone Brewing Company.
Friday, May 29 | 11:30 am – 12:30 pm — Join us as we step into Arizona’s past through the story of Wing Fang, exploring the resilience, struggles, and everyday lives of Chinese Arizonans in a powerful journey through overlooked history.
Friday, May 22 | 11:30 am – 12:30 pm — Join us for a powerful look at the young people who helped shape Arizona’s history through stories often left untold, presented by a first-generation Colombian American historian focused on community storytelling and hidden histories.
