Friday we headed into downtown Tucson and stopped at the Visitor Center there to get some info and meet the super helpful guide, Ann, that Chris and Marg had met earlier in the week. She gave us some good tips, especially to check out the Etherton Photography Gallery which Linda really enjoyed . For those of you who know Linda’s work, you’ll see why she was taken with Ellen McMahonn’s photos especially:
The Visitor Center is located in the Pima County Courthouse, built in 1868
It’s famous as a the place where John Dillinger, “Public Enemy No. 1” was held after being arrested in Tucson. You can also tour the courtroom where he and his gang were arraigned in 1834
Outside is a reminder of more recent history - a monument to the 6 people killed on January 8, 2011 during an attempt to assassinate Congresswoman Gabby Giffords at a local shopping mall. The monument with its sweeping lines and reflecting pools is a peaceful place, but reminds us of our persistent unwillingness to end gun violence. The video had some trouble loading to this site, but if you click on the link you should be able to see it.
There’s also a smaller monument outside the Safeway where the shootings occurred:
