Tubac

Tubac is a census-designated place (CDP) in Santa Cruz County, Arizona, United States. The place name Tubac is an English borrowing from a Hispanicized form of the O'odham name, which translates into English as "rotten". The original O'odham name is written Cuwak, remembering that the initial syllable is accented. When first taken into Spanish speech, it was spelled Tubaca. Finally over time the last "a" was dropped.  Tubac is situated on the Santa Cruz River.

Tubac was the original Spanish colonial garrison in Arizona. It was depopulated during the O'odham Uprising in the 18th century. During the 19th century, the area was repopulated by miners, farmers and ranchers, but the town of Tubac is best known today as an artists' colony.

Tubac in Southern Victory
The town of Tubac had been a Mexican village, centred around a church, before it became a Mormon settlement. After the War of Secession, unending raids by Apaches, Mexican and even White Bandits resulted in a gradual decline in the towns population.

Durring the Second Mexican War, Jeb Stuart and his Apache Allies made their camp in Tubac, after hoaxing the US Commander at Contention City, where they planed their next move against US Forces still in New Mexico, mainly the US garrison at the town of Tucson. Although there weren't many people in Tubac, Confederate Forces were none the less uncomfortable with being in such close proximity to Mormons.