Rio Rico Historical Society
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Upcoming Events
March 21, 2023 - 6:00 PM; General Meeting; Guest Speaker Bill Cavaliere - "Chiricahua Apache History"
We are very excited about our guest speaker for our March 21, 2023 General Meeting, Bill 
Cavaliere, who will speak to us about the Chiricahua Apache History based on the book he 
authored The Chiricahua Apaches, A Concise History. Bill’s extensive historical knowledge stems 
from his years of independent research after retiring from 28 years in law enforcement which 
included serving as Sherriff of Hidalgo Co. NM, and many years in the U.S. Forest Service in the 
Chiricahua Mountains of Arizona. 
Bill Cavaliere is an independent researcher and currently President of the Cochise County 
Historical Society. He is also on the board of the Arizona Historical Society’s southern chapter. 
He and his wife Jill live on a ranch near Portal, Arizona, where he has written numerous articles 
published in historical journals. 
The RRHS Meeting will take place on Tuesday March 21, 2023, at 6pm, at the Rio 
Rico Community Center at 391 Avenida Coatimundi, Rio Rico, AZ 85648. 
Visit us at www.rioricohistoricalsociety.org
May 16, 2023 - 6:00 PM; General Meeting; Guest Speaker - Erik Berg - "Vintage Arizona: The Growth, Death, and Rebirth of a Local Wine Industry"
We are very excited about our guest speaker for our May 16, 2023 General 
Meeting, Erik Berg. His lively presentation will trace the history of Arizona wine from its earliest 
origins to the present. Starting from almost nothing in the 1970s, there are now over eighty 
wineries and vineyards across the state with more starting every year. Despite the youth of the 
current industry, there is a long and largely forgotten history of wine-making in Arizona dating 
back some two hundred years. Topics will include fact and fiction regarding Spanish Colonial 
winemaking, wine on the western frontier, 19th century Mesa’s infamous ‘homicidal wine,’ the 
illegal raisin wineries of the Great Depression, and the unlikely band of aspiring winemakers 
that spurred the modern rebirth of Arizona wine in the 1980s. Some of the wines discussed 
may be dry, but this interesting and often amusing presentation certainly won’t be. 
Erik Berg is an award-winning historian and writer with a special interest in the role of science 
and industry in the early twentieth century Southwest. In addition to contributing to several 
books on southwestern history, his work has appeared in the Journal of Arizona History, 
Arizona Highways, and Sedona Magazine. His initial work on the history of wine in Arizona won 
the Barry Goldwater Award for best overall paper at the 2016 Arizona History Convention. 
The RRHS Meeting will take place on Tuesday May 16, 2023, at 6pm, at the Rio 
Rico Community Center at 391 Avenida Coatimundi, Rio Rico, AZ 85648. 
Visit us at www.rioricohistoricalsociety.org
We are currently taking donations for our third historical monument.
Picture
Picture
Calabasas Historical Monument on Pendleton Dr.
​Dedicated January 2018
50th Anniversary of Rio Rico Monument at the County Building on Rio Rico Dr. 
Dedicated May 2019

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