Playing in Paradise: The Social Impacts of Beer Gardens in a Borderlands City 1870-1915

Abstract

In the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries Tucson, Arizona underwent a plethora of changes that impacted the community, including: shifts in majority ethnicity, increased industrialization, the introduction of the railroad, and a growing public interest in leisure culture. Between 1870 and 1915 three Beer Gardens existed in the city: Carrillo Gardens, Levin's Park, and Elysian Grove. Despite the city's changing environment these parks remained a focal point for community gathering. This paper will explore the ways in which Tucson's beer gardens helped foster blending in the community, and the limits to acceptance within the parks. Furthermore it will examine the differences between Tucson's leisure spaces and those in other United States cities, and explain how these beer gardens encouraged blending when other U.S. leisure spaces remained mostly segregated.