The Wingfield Collection at Presidio Museum
In 2010, my cousin Ian Wingfield and his family partnered with the Tubac Historical Society to share and preserve a private collection assembled by their late relative, Geoffrey Wingfield. The collection includes Native American pottery, stone tools, and ironwork from the Spanish Colonial period - pieces that reflect the deep and layered history of the Santa Cruz valley and region.
Today, many of these significant artifacts from the Wingfield collection are on display at the Tubac Presidio State Historic Park and Museum, where they can be appreciated by the public and studied in their proper historical context.
Ian noted, "Helping bring these materials into the light, and ensuring they are preserved and shared for future generations, has been one of the most meaningful and rewarding outcomes of this effort."
Archeologist Dr. Deni Seymour's curiosity was piqued by a horseshoe originally found by Geoffrey that she viewed on exhibit at the museum. Seymour says she dated the horseshoe much earlier than previously believed, which set her on the quest for Coronado artifacts that has changed the paradigm for interpreting local Spanish history.