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By Evaline Jones Auerbach
Special to Copper Area News
Because an Oracle woman could see the dark skies above Oracle at her home, she founded the Steward Observatory on the University of Arizona campus. On October 18, 1916, newspapers announced that an anonymous donor had donated $60,000 (today’s equivalent, about $1.33 M) for the purpose. After her death on August 10, 1917, Lavinia Steward was revealed as the donor who had given the money in memory of her husband who had died 15 years earlier.
Steward Residence in Oracle. (Miner file photo)
This year, the Steward Observatory and the Dark Skies Committee of Oracle are sponsoring activities in recognition of the centennial of that donation, so important in establishing the institution that has become a center for astronomical studies world-wide.
Steward Telescope at Kitt Peak (Miner file photo)
The first event is coming up in Oracle on Saturday, Sept. 10, 2016 at Oracle State Park, an International Dark Sky Park. From 5:30 – 7:00 p.m., Dr. Tom Fleming of the Steward Observatory will be presenting the history of the Observatory in the Kannally House followed by star gazing using the Park’s and Tucson Amateur Astronomers’ Association telescopes on the patio. [See “If you go”]
Steward Observatory (Miner file photo)
Lavinia Steward and nephew Frederick J., who had been raised as their son in Peoria, Illinois, had come to Oracle, as did many others, for Fred’s health, staying at the Mt. View Hotel (now the Baptist Church) from 1895 onward. By 1898, Lavinia was said to be “digging a well and putting up a windmill” as well as designing and overseeing the building of that “magnificent house” at the corner of American Avenue and Linda Vista — the house that so many admired as they entered Oracle after its completion in 1900. That year, husband Henry retired from being a partner in the Peoria Oat Meal Mills, and moved to the house his wife had built. But he lived only about a year, dying of heart disease on Oct. 16, 1901.
Fifteen years later, with Fred established in banking in Tucson and his children visiting Oracle to look through her 3-inch telescope, Lavinia was concerned to hear that the University was in need not only of its own telescope of suitable size, but of an observatory building. The Arizona legislature had repeatedly turned down such funding. So she donated money for both. The donation bought the telescope (which is now in use at Kitt Peak) and paid for half the cost of the Observatory itself.
Andrew Endicott Douglass, director of the Steward Observatory. He sparked a world class program in astronomy at the University of Arizona. (Miner file photo)
Because of the interference of WW I in getting the telescope made, it was 1923 before the Observatory was dedicated. However, Steward Observatory and its director, Andrew Ellicott Douglass, went on to spark a world class program in astronomy at the University of Arizona. Douglass, who might otherwise have been forced to leave the U of Arizona for lack of funding, also founded the science of dendrochronology – tree ring research, thus increasing the debt that scientists world-wide owe to Oracle’s Lavinia Steward.
IF YOU GO:
• 8 a.m.: Oracle State Park opens. Visitors are invited to come early to enjoy the end-of-summer atmosphere at the park’s trails and picnic spots and for self-tours of the historic Kannally House. Tables are available for picnicking at the Patio as well as at other places.
• Note that the Acadia Ranch Museum at the Junction of American Avenue and Mt. Lemmon is open 1 – 4 p.m. with displays including the Steward House. Visitors may enter Oracle State Park, leave and return.
• 5 p.m.: Information tables will be available on the patio. Also, check in at the gift shop to confirm your reservation or see if space is still available. Reservations at 520-896-2425 are highly recommended to assure a seat.
• 5:30 – 7 p.m.: Dr. Fleming’s talk, slides and question session in the Kannally House living room. 7 to 9 p.m.: Star Party. Viewing through telescopes, weather permitting.
• The program is free, but park admission is $7 per vehicle for up to four adults and unlimited children. Arizona State Parks passes are honored.
• The Park’s main entrance is off Mt. Lemmon Highway, 1.1 miles after turning off American Avenue. (Please note that some electronic maps give the wrong site for “Oracle State Park”. See Oracle Sate park’s website for more information.)
• On the drive through Oracle, visitors might like to stop to look at and photograph the big house that sits behind the Circle-K in the middle of town just past Rancho Linda Vista Road. That is the “Steward House” at 1205 N. Hunter Circle. [See side bar for other historical places.]
The next scheduled event in the celebration of the Steward Observatory Centennial will be at the observatory on the University of Arizona Campus, Oct. 17 at 7:30 p.m. in room N210: a screening of Focusing the Universe, a new film on the history of the Steward Observatory with a panel discussion following. After the talk, the reflector telescope in the historic Steward Observatory dome will be open for public viewing of the night sky (weather permitting). All is free of charge and open to the general public. For more information, contact Dr. Thomas Fleming at 621-5049 or taf@as.arizona.edu.
Future events in Oracle celebrating the centennial include a showing, in November, of astrophotography by Adam Block of the Mt. Lemmon Sky Center, an adjunct of Steward Observatory. The final Oracle event will be the Dec. 18 Celestial Concert by the Oracle Piano Society which includes Block’s astrophotography, a talk about “The Bethlehem Star” by a member of the Vatican Observatory which is associated with the Steward Observatory — and of course, dark sky viewing. Tickets for that event will be available after September 1 at the Oracle Piano Society website http://www.oraclepianosociety.org/home.
SIDEBAR
Historic Places to see in Oracle. In order down American Avenue from the Oracle Turn-off from highway 77.
• El Rancho Robles – 1170 N. Rancho Robles Rd (off American Avenue). One of two places in Oracle designed by Roy Place, architect. He and Lyman designed the Steward Observatory. http://elranchorobles.com
• St. Helen’s Roman Catholic Church – On American Ave. at College Ave. The other place in Oracle designed by Roy Place, architect. He and Lyman designed the Steward Observatory.
• “Steward House”, most recently Grace Manor and now for sale. 1205 N. Hunter Circle (just off American Avenue at the Circle-K in midtown).
• “Mt. View Hotel”, now the Baptist Church, 410 E. American Avenue. This was the hotel where Lavinia Steward and her nephew Fred stayed, as did many other health-seekers, from 1895 until their house was completed in 1900. Fred Steward is listed on a chart of shooters to be in a target-shooting contest between the Mt. View and the other lodging place, the Acadia Ranch.
• Acadia Ranch, now the Oracle Historical Society’s museum. 825 E. Mt. Lemmon Rd. – On the right just after turning off American Avenue toward the Park. Open Saturdays 1-4. Information about and pictures of the Stewards and all the history of Oracle. On display is the olla that was the trophy for the winning team in the target-shooting contests. http://www.oraclehistoricalsociety.org
LINKS TO FURTHER INFORMATION
History of the Steward Observatory, by Evaline Auerbach, adopted by the UA libraries.
https://www.as.arizona.edu/featured-articles/history-steward-bequest
https://www.as.arizona.edu/history – This site contains a brief history, links to the two-part history of the Observatory by Dr. Fleming and Dr. Douglass’ address upon the opening of the observatory, which include some information about the Stewards.
History of the Steward donation within the application for for Dark sky status for Oracle State Park http://azstateparks.com/Parks/ORAC/downloads/ORAC_IDSP_Nomination_Final_c.pdf, pp.115- 118)
For more information about Oracle State Park, Dark Sky Park: http://azstateparks.com/Parks/ORAC/ http://azstateparks.com/Parks/ORAC/darksky.html
The “Steward House” description on Zillow, where it is for sale. http://www.zillow.com/homes/for_sale/Oracle-AZ/63236210_zpid/13111_rid/featured_sort/32.631496,-110.709143,32.543847,-110.824156_rect/12_zm/.)
There are news or informational items frequently written by staff or submitted to the Copper Basin News, San Manuel Miner, Superior Sun, Pinal Nugget or Oracle Towne Crier for inclusion in our print or digital products. These items are not credited with an author.
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