History

For centuries, Spanish conquistadores explored the rich Santa Cruz River Valley in search of new lands and trade routes to the West. But it wasn’t until Father Eusebio Francisco Kino—Jesuit missionary, expert cartographer and avid explorer—founded the Tumacacori Mission in 1691 that the area was assured its rightful place in history. Tubac, now the oldest European-settled city in Arizona, was soon born as a small farming settlement to support the needs of the mission. Later in 1752, the Presidio San Ignacio de Tubac was founded to defend the mission and its settlers.

Located between Mexico and the vastly unexplored Southwest, Tubac was the perfect launching point for explorers like Father Kino and the Presidio’s second commander and most famous resident, Juan Bautista de Anza. Drawn to its picturesque locale, de Anza claimed Sopori Ranch as his own during his command at the Presidio. From there, he embarked on numerous expeditions including his most historic – a 1,200-mile trek to San Francisco where he founded the Presidio at San Francisco and established a strategic trade route from Mexico to the Pacific. But due to its gentle climate and rustic beauty, de Anza would always return to Sopori Ranch.

After de Anza, others were attracted to Sopori Ranch. Daring miners searched for gold and silver in the nearby hills. Vaqueros rode herd over thousands of head of prize cattle and the legendary Jack Warner, co-founder of Warner Brothers and once owner of the ranch, used it as a tranquil retreat from the pressures of Hollywood.

Now being thoughtfully developed as a planned community that values its history and respects its natural environment, Vistas at Sopori Ranch has become an oasis where the past, present and the future are graciously blended to be enjoyed in equal measure.