USO: HOME AWAY FROM HOME

At the onset of the United States entry into World War II, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt requested civilian help in establishing an organization to serve the moral, social, and spiritual needs of the stationed troops.

In 1941 the United Service Organization (USO) was founded.

Communities rallied to create clubs in all available locations: gymnasiums, storefronts, barns, churches, private homes and railroad cars.

The clubs served as a home away from home where servicemen found a safe and comforting haven while on leave. Barbers, seamstresses, cooks, union members and the public volunteered as their patriotic duty in running these recreation centers. Military personnel could rely on the USO Clubs for companionship, hot coffee and their famous USO doughnuts.

By 1945, there was a USO presence in every state, and more than a million Americans had volunteered to provide comfort to the traveling men of the armed forces.

Dances were organized with “respectable” junior USO hostesses as dance partners under the watchful supervision of senior USO matrons.

The exhibit captures the moment a hostess and serviceman rose from their table to dance and put the war on hold for a few minutes. 

--Buck Columna

CAVE CREEK LOCAL LANDMARKS TO HONOR LOCAL JONNY’S TAVERN & CAFÉ

Join us Thursday, October 8. at 10:00 a.m. at Local Jonny’s, where the restaurant will be awarded a plaque celebrating its being part of the town’s heritage.

In the 1950s and ‘60s, the building that now houses Local Jonny’s was known as the Highway Variety Store. Over the years, other businesses came and went including a barber shop, locksmith, an auto repair shop and Lauren’s Feed and Tack shop before the spot became a restaurant.



Jon Oughterson and his wife Lauren Van Winkle leased the building in 2014 along with the Flat Tire Bike Shop in a unique set up – a coffee shop with a few breakfast items coupled with bicycle sales and service.

Jon has his own history with the building: he worked as a barista when Cave Creek Coffee Company, C4, was the occupant.

In 2021, the pair remodeled and opened as Local Jonny's Tavern and Café. Jon and Lauren continue to support the community by holding fundraisers, donating to local public schools and sponsoring sports teams and local events.



The Local Landmarks’ effort focuses on iconic buildings and special spaces. 

Mesquite Breakfast

The summer months are an important time for the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community. It is the time for harvest of two important native crops: saguaro fruit and mesquite pods. 

To celebrate the season, the Community’s Huhugam Ki: Museum holds its annual Mesquite Pancake Breakfast. This year the communal gathering, open to the public, was held on July 11. Carol Caldwell and Buck Columna were among the lucky and hungry who lined up for the generous serving of mesquite pancakes, fluffy scrambled eggs, served with a side of delicate mesquite ice cream! 

The museum has a hammer mill that grinds both the pods and the seeds into a coarse flour. The mesquite flour has no natural gluten so white flour is added to the recipe for cakes and breads. The two flours join to create a distinctly earthy yet lightly puffed pancake. To top off the meal, the pancakes are served with a Sonoran Desert delight, prickly pear syrup!

Since the breakfast’s beginning in 2006, many of us at Cave Creek Museum have attended and enjoyed the hospitality of our Salt River Community friends.

More on the role of local natural foods in the lives of Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indians in next month's issue of Nuggets.

~Buck Columna

Mark your calendars for

“The Life and Food-Ways of the Salt River People” on Saturday, November 21, 2026,

2:00 - 4:00 pm.



Cave Creek Museum is honored to welcome, Gary Owens, Jr., Director of The Huhugam Ki: Museum as a featured speaker in this season’s Cave Creek Museum Presents series.

FREE

PORCH PARTY

Saturday, October 17

1:00 - 4:00 p.m.

Bring family and friends to explore the museum from the new front porch and Veterans Memory Garden to the old gazebo and all around the museum!

Young explorers will enjoy hands-on children’s activities and the challenge of spotting our mischievous costumed runaway cowboy roaming the museum grounds.

Enjoy stories, blacksmith creations, music and more.

SPONSORED BY KIWANIS OF CAREFREE

ARIZONA GOLD MINING EXPERIENCE

Saturday, October 24

10:00 to 11:30 a.m.

(Check-in begins at 9:00 a.m.)

Join our crusty, but not always trusty, ol’ local miner El Monty Jackson as he leads guests through Cave Creek Museum’s signature Arizona Gold Mining Experience.

Step back in time and witness the sights, sounds and thrills of the Golden Reef Stamp Mill and Tramway, Arizona’s only fully operational ten-stamp ore crushing mill, just five miles from its original history setting.

The guided tour includes the thundering mill at work, a peak into the workings of a mineshaft, a master blacksmith at work, and a hands-on gold panning station. An “Only in Arizona” experience!

COMMUNITY FEST

Tuesday, October 27

5:00 - 8:00 p.m.

at Harold's

One night. One community. Countless ways to make a difference!

The 3rd Annual Community Fest (Fiesta) at Harold’s Corral brings together the best of Cave Creek and Carefree for an evening of great food, live music, raffles, and community spirit.

Enjoy a delicious Harold’s taco dinner, meet the incredible local nonprofits serving our neighbors, and celebrate alongside friends, old and new.

 Every ticket sold lends support to the museum and all organizations making a real impact in our community—so come out, have fun, and be part of something bigger! 

Hello,

I hope you enjoyed the summer. October is here and we are set for the 2026-27 season! Our volunteers have been working hard to shine up the displays.

I’m looking forward to another interesting and informative season at the Cave Creek Museum.

I have a note from the Board of Directors: We have a new board member, Alex Nadesan! Alex has been a member of the Cave Creek community for several years, has served on the Holland Center Board, and volunteers with the Cave Creek town government. Alex joins the Board in an appointed position to fill a vacant Board seat. If you are interested in joining the Cave Creek Museum Board of Directors, please call the museum!

Thank you for your support of the Cave Creek Museum. You make it another reason we live in this amazing community.

--Pat O'Brien

Dear Friends,

Each year when our museum closes on May 31, October 1 seems far away, leaving ample time to address projects we recognized during the busy season.

This summer was dedicated to “cleaning house.” With the new Collections Wing completed, the off-site collections were brought to their new home. In the process of gathering, sorting and inventorying those objects, we realized we had another job ahead - reorganization! It was time to inspect and clean all corners, closets, historical buildings, and available space to make our museum more efficient. 

Everything has a ripple effect and every task suggested another. And with all of that activity, during our "slow season", it seems like we time-traveled to October 1!

The feature exhibit this year highlights the creation and important role of USO Clubs during World War II. "Home Away From Home", a multi-media exhibit, brings our Veterans Memory Garden into the walls of our museum, continuing the story and memories that one experiences touring the garden.

The United Service Organization was founded in 1941 to provide servicemen a reminder of where they came from and what they were fighting for. Like our museum, it was dependent on community volunteers to show up and make things happen. Please make a point of spending time with the exhibit's visuals and links to explore and learn more about what our country can achieve when it comes together for a common cause.

In August CCM was awarded a significant grant from Arizona Commission on the Arts (ACA) which follows the great achievement of being recognized with the Al Merito Award from Arizona Historical Society (AHS) in 2024/5. Sometimes, we all get so busy doing our work at the museum, that we forget what Good Work it is. We are so grateful to the ACA and AHS for these acknowledgments!

As you bring friends and family to CCM, please make a point of saying “howdy” to staff and our cheerful volunteers. Introduce us to these special visitors, we have a lot of other stories to share! 

We thank you for your continued interest and support in Cave Creek Museum. Our bright future is thanks to you! 

~Jo Ann Stuckey 

~Volunteer Ruth Hoglund, who gave much to her work with children’s programs, passed away Friday, July 10.

~Sam Giammalva, husband of volunteer and docent Barbara, passed away Saturday, August 8.

~Jacky Davis, second Cave Creek mayor, first Cave Creek woman mayor, passed away Monday, August 10. 

~Martha Arnold, a Museum Charter member and longtime supporter, passed away Monday, August 31.

~Always smiling volunteer and docent Shirley Bowman, passed away in August, date unknown.

Our lives are diminished by the loss of these wonderful people.

Nuggets Graphic Artist and Editor: Stephanie Bradley

CAVE CREEK MUSEUM BOARD OF DIRECTORS 2026-2027

President: 

Pat O’Brien (2024-2027)

Vice President:

Tamsin Wolff (2024-2027)

Secretary:

Keith Otsuka (2026-2029)

Treasurer

David Ackerman (2025-2028)

Directors

Larry Ross (2026-2029)

Alex Nadesan (2026-2027)

Staff

Jo Ann Stuckey – Executive Director

Buck Columna – Operations Manager

Debbie Clement and Linda Vareha – Store Managers

Molly Tufts – Bookkeeper

Fran Booth, BCI - Public Relations

www.cavecreekmuseum.org

480-488-2764