Friends of the Library Speaker

On May 27, 2026, at 2:00 p.m. in the RHJ Rec Center Lecture Hall, historian Jim Turner will be returning to Sun City West for a presentation on the Hohokam – Prehistoric Canal Builders. Historian Jim Turner presents one of the most unusual prehistoric civilizations in the United States. They built grand houses in Southern Arizona like Casa Grande near Coolidge, Pueblo Grande near Sky Harbor, and Mesa Grande near Scottsdale. They are known for their intricately designed red on buff pottery and Mayan-like ball courts. But most of all the Hohokam hold the distinction of creating one of the wonders of the ancient engineering world, more than 500 miles of canals in the Phoenix area. Come learn how these were constructed and the part they played in the founding of Phoenix.
About the Author
Jim Turner earned his master’s in U.S. History at the University of Arizona and worked as Historian for the Arizona Historical Society for eight years where he worked with more than 70 local museums across the state. He retired and became an author/editor for Rio Nuevo publishers where he authored six books and co-authored or edited a dozen more. He has produced self-guided audio tours of historic downtown Tucson, Tombstone, and Old Town Scottsdale for a GPS-directed app called VoiceMap.
It is a free event, but registration is required. Register online through the library catalog at suncitywest.librarycalendar.com. You can also call the Data Resource Center to be registered at 623-544-6644.
Your registration online reserves a seat until the start of the event. Please note entry after the start time will be subject to seat availability.
This speaker’s series is supported by funds from the Friends of the R. H. Johnson Library.