West University of Arizona

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Listed in the National Register of Historic Places

circa 1914

click image  to visit UofA library

José María (Pepe) Ronstadt

Brother & Business Associate of Fred Ronstadt
Pepe served as postmaster of Tucson
during Woodrow Wilson's presidency

June 3, 1914: The Big Blue House is purchased by José María (Joseph M.) “Pepe” Ronstadt

Ronstadt, the son of Federico A. Ronstadt, was born in Altar, Sonora, in 1879 and came to Arizona in 1885.  Early in his career, he was the Tucson Postmaster and a county supervisor.  With brother Fred and brother-in-law Jesus M. Zepada, he started F. Ronstadt Company.  Ronstadt owned the Santa Margarita Ranch, which was the headquarters for the Baboquivari Livestock Company.  He was president of that organization, as well as of the Ronstadt Commission Company, and was a director of the Southern Arizona Bank and Trust Company.  Ronstadt died in 1933, leaving the house to his wife, Hortense, who died in 1965.

Yes, this is Linda Ronstadt's Family (the famous singer)

 

 

 

click image

The Ronstadts were famous for their wagon and carriage making skills. They used the railroad to distribute their wagons worldwide. The Ronstadts are an important part of Tucson's History and have several Tucson Locations and landmarks named for them.

As we live-in and learn about The big Blue House

we discover new information daily. Our neighbors offer tidbits from time to time. We really appreciate any information available on this very special house

Check back regularly for updates...


DUE TO POPULAR DEMAND AND TOO MUCH STUFF, WE HAVE ADDED A NEW SECTION:

The old and The New

NEW UPDATES!! 2/20/2010 Click here to view what we are up to...

click here to take a look at what we are up to....


 

 

View of The Big Blue House in 1901 from 6th Avenue side of the house. In 1901 the front of the house faced 6th Ave. where most of Tucson's more prestigious homes were located and leading South into downtown and East to The University. Note the windmill between the houses. The Big Blue House sits on the SW corner of University Blvd. & 6th Ave. and we believe it was the second house to be built in the entire West University Historic District.

 

 

ABOUT THE CORNER OF UNIVERSITY BLVD. & 6TH AVE:

 

The Wakefield House   about 1900

 

Sheriff Wakefield's House

sits on the NE corner from The Big Blue House on University Blvd.

 The first house to be built in The West University Historic District. The Wakefield house was built prior to 1895. The Current picture was taken in 1895 only 4 years after The University of Arizona held its' first day of classes, with Lymon Wakefield personally with his family on the front porch.  Lyman Wakefield was the 13th sheriff of Pima County. and served 1899-1900..  It is noted that "great advances in law enforcement in the realm of crime prevention were made during his term," as noted by www.pimasherif.org.

(notice no houses in the background because in 1900 this corner was like Nob Hill above the city)

 

 

 

Bayless House postcards about  1910- 1920

 

The Historic Charles H. Bayless Home (Bayless Drug Stores)

   sits on the NW corner of University & 6th Ave.

The Bayless family were pioneers in Arizona. William H. Bayless and his sons, Charles and John, were involved in cattle and sheep ranching in Kansas, Nebraska and South Dakota before coming to Arizona in 1883. With Jehiel W. Berkalew, they established Bayless and Berkalew to manage land holdings and ranching operations in southern Arizona. J. F. Shields was a Civil War officer with the 13th Kansas Volunteers.

 

History of 144 E. University Boulevard

    

Room One 1901. (left)  We were able to save the wooden transom doorframe in this picture. It had been covered by plaster for 50 years. The wood grain is very obviously recognizable from this picture taken in 1901.                                                                    

Room 2 1901 (right) Room two was once the main parlor.

   

 

What we know so far..

September 1, 1873: Tully, Ochoa & Company is issued Deed #786 for the entirety of Block 39 by the Village of Tucson. 

Pinckney R. Tully and Estavan Ochoa became partners in a mercantile and freighting business in Mesilla, NM, moving their headquarters to Tucson in 1868.  Each man served one term as mayor of Tucson, Ochoa being the first Hispanic to do so.  The coming of the railroad severely curtailed the need for long distance freighting; by 1884, declining revenues forced the sale of land.

May 31, 1884: Tully, Ochoa & Co. sells Block 39, along with 43 other parcels of land, to Theodore L. Stiles. 

Stiles was a partner in the law firm of Haynes & Stiles with John Haynes.  He also sat on the US Court Commission.  An active land speculator, Stiles acquired much his property from bankruptcies and quickly resold it.  He left Tucson in 1887 for Tacoma, WA.  It is not known when he sold the property to J. S. Vosburg.

July 14, 1884: J. S. Vosburg sells Block 39, along with other parcels of land, to John Gardiner.

Born in 1846,  John Gardiner came to Tucson in 1879 from Philadelphia, where he had been an engineer and supervised construction at the 1876 Centennial Exposition.  He served in Tucson as a County Surveyor, City Engineer, and Superintendent of the Water Works.  He was also a member of the School Board and an early regent for the University of Arizona.  Gardiner was a partner with his brother, James, and two others in Gardiner, Worthen & Goss, a manufacturing and iron works.  He died in 1930.

January 31, 1899: Stiles sells Block 39 to Dr. Thomas M. Smith. 

Smith was a local doctor of whom little is known.  It is not clear how Stiles was able to sell the property for a second time.  This may not have been an entirely legitimate sale or Stiles may have held onto a partial interest in the property when he sold it to Vosburg.

February 5, 1899: Smith sells Lots 1, 4, 5, and 8 of Block 39 to Ada M. Humphries or Humphrey. 

It is not known who Humphrey was, but she obviously had some kind of personal or business connection with the Gardiners in the development of the area.

March 27, 1899: Smith sells the south half of Block 39 to Henrietta Starr. 

Starr’s husband, Richard, was initially an auctioneer and became involved in real estate speculation and development.

July 20, 1899: The Board of Equalization raises the property value of Lot 1 of Block 39.  Ada M. Humphries is listed as the sole owner.  It is unclear if physical improvements had been made causing the increase or if the property itself had become more valuable.

July 25, 1899: Smith and Henrietta and Richard Starr sell all their interest in Block 39 to Anna Marie Gardiner, the wife of John Gardiner.  The purchase was likely made to consolidate the Gardiners’ claim to Block 39 so they could develop it.

Summer 1899: John Gardiner builds a home on Lot 1 of Block 39, in an addition known as “Gardiner’s Terrace.”  The address is 144 E. Third Street.  The Arizona Daily Star describes the house as “a story and one half building of brick, five rooms on the lower floor and two on the upper.  There will be large and spacious porches around the building.”  The property is co-owned by Anna M. Ramsey / Gardiner and Ada M. Humphrey.  They each separately own other lots in Block 39.  Though referred to as an “addition,” Gardiner’s Terrace does not appear to have had an official status in existing Pima County records. 

            The March 1901 Sanborn Map of Tucson shows the six lots along N. Sixth Avenue with homes, no doubt the beginnings of Gardiner’s Terrace.

              

                                       

            Gardiner Terrace was owned by Anna Marie Ramsey Gardiner and Ada Humphries. It consisted of the entire block of beautiful homes south of The Big Blue House along 6th Ave. Click the image to view a 1901 plat map of the neighborhood. The "Rondstadt House" will be built a few years later just south of "Gardiner Terrace"

                                                  (lick images to expand)

 

 

              

            Picture of the house immediately after being built in 1899. The picture was taken before the rock fence was constructed.

 

              

Among other things, John Gardiner owned a machine shop in Tucson.

 

 

 

 


                       Above porch in 1901                                                      Above porch in above 2007

 

 

1906-1908: The address is changed to 743 N. Sixth Avenue.

1908: The address is changed once more, to 144 E. University Boulevard.

June 34, 1914: Gardiner sells the house and lot to José María (Joseph M.) “Pepe” Ronstadt and then Gardiner moved to 124 E. University Blvd. 

Ronstadt, the son of Federico A. Ronstadt, was born in Altar, Sonora, in 1879 and came to Arizona in 1885.  Early in his career, he was the Tucson Postmaster and a county supervisor.  With brother Fred and brother-in-law Jesus M. Zepada, he started F. Ronstadt Company.  Ronstadt owned the Santa Margarita Ranch, which was the headquarters for the Baboquivari Livestock Company.  He was president of that organization, as well as of the Ronstadt Commission Company, and was a director of the Southern Arizona Bank and Trust Company.  Ronstadt died in 1933, leaving the house to his wife, Hortense, who died in 1965.

1935: The house is vacant.

1936-1946: The house is occupied by a succession of four tenants, mostly families.

1946: The house is converted to apartments, managed by John A. Corwin.

1951: Mattie T. Baker buys the house, operating it as the Baker Apartments.  It is not known from whom Baker purchased the property.

1952-2005: The house continues to be used as apartments.

2006 - Present: The neglected house was purchased by (Lea)  Leona Marie Ramsey

            Lea Ramsey is a 20 year veteran of the hospitality industry. After having been a "Troubleshooter" for Best Western International and a training supervisor for several franchise hotel organizations, Lea worked as an independent Hospitality Management Consultant for many years. Her accomplishments range from carving a resort out of the raw Central American Jungle in Belize, to operating the most upscale of Wedding Properties in California's Napa/Sonoma Wine Country. Her diverse range of experience in the industry uniquely qualifies her to build and operate her own lodging concept, resulting in;

The Big Blue House - Tucson Boutique Inn


An intriguing coincidence? 

Both  Ramsey families originating from Pennsylvania in the late 1800s!

Leona Marie Ramsey (current owner) and Anna Marie Ramsey (original owner) may related since both families originated from Pennsylvania in the late 1800s. Leona Marie Ramsey is part of the infamous Ramsey's of Bourbon County, Kansas.

Anna Marie Ramsey (original owner) married John Gardiner in Pennsylvania and after supervising construction of the 1876 Centennial Exposition moved his family to Tucson in 1879 where he became the Pima County Surveyor.

 

 

HERE IS A REAL TREAT:

Click here to view a PDF of 1901 Tucson Home and Business Directory. This directory has all the citizens and their address and their occupation. It also has a Tucson Business Directory.

(very large 22.8 MB PDF File may take a few minutes to download)

1901 Tucson Business and Citizen Directory

Do not try to download this file without high speed and 3 minutes of time

 

 

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