Welcome to Tubac!!!

Tubac was founded In 1752 by Spanish explorers. A Spanish fort known as a “Presidio” was constructed, and Tubac became one of the furthest outposts of the Spanish Empire.In 1764 the Commandant (Captain) of the Presidio petitioned the King of Spain to send more soldiers to the Tubac Presidio to protect the growing population. Most of the residents of that day were living south of the Presidio in an area known as the “Barrio Sur de Tubac”, or the neighborhood south of Tubac. The King was somewhat skeptical that Tubac was everything the Commandant claimed. Therefore, he sent a surveyor, analogous to a present day census taker, to Tubac for the purpose of verifying the population figures, and the need for more soldiers.

A surveyor came and drew a detailed map, showing homes and shops which existed in 1776 Tubac. His name was Josef Urrutia, a very prominent figure in the court of Charles IV of Spain, who was later painted by the famous artist Goya. The survey map was sent overland by mule train to the present day Gulf of Mexico. The cargo was then loaded onto a Spanish Galleon which set sail for Spain. However, not far from port, British privateers overtook the Spanish Galleon and all its cargo. Some years later, the ship was remanded to the British Navy whereupon the map became the property of the British Museum of Art.