Nogales, Arizona is a small border town with approximately 20,000 residents, a small fraction of the size of its bustling sister city to the south.
The lifeblood of the city is the money that visitors from the other side of the border spend at retail outlets here, which accounts for over half of the town’s revenue.
Despite the efforts of a small minority of its citizens who have tried to improve the town’s image, over the years Nogales, Arizona has cultivated something of a negative image to go along with its economic malaise, corrupt local government and other problems.
Although perhaps not as visually interesting as Nogales, Mexico, there are some interesting sights in Nogales, Arizona, and for good or bad much of its story can be told with photographic images.
The Border Wall at Nogales – La Barda de la Frontera de Nogales
Opinions about this 18-foot-high barrier of rusting metal range from those who do not think it exist to those (like Donald Trump) who think it should be buttressed to become even more of a barrier. Like it or not, this wall is a defining image...
Remembering Jose Antonio
On the night of October 10, 2012, 16-year-old Jose Antonio Elena Rodriguez was walking home on Calle Internacional in Nogales, Sonora. It would be his last walk, as a Border Patrol officer shooting his pistol from a protected area behind the...
Paul Bond Boots
This Nogales treasure not only makes some of the best western-style boots in the world, but continues to exemplify the values of legendary American Paul Bond, who ran the company until his death in 2012 at the age of 96. Paul Bond led a fascinating life. At the age of...
Border Mass for Immigration Reform
His Eminence Cardinal Sean O'Malley led a mass along the U.S. - Mexican border in Nogales on April 1, 2014. The ceremony was to commemorate those who had perished in the desert as they were seeking to enter the United States, and to pray for immigration reform....
Pimeria Alta Museum
This historic building is the Pimeria Alta Historical Society and Museum in Nogales, Arizona. Its signature clock tower is a Nogales landmark, and the building itself holds a lot of history. Built in 1914, the building was the Nogales City Hall and jail (the jail...
Carnaval – Springtime School Parade
The students and faculty of the Mexicayotl Academy, an A+ rated Montessori school in Nogales, Arizona, have a parade to celebrate Carnaval. The activity was part of their studies in learning about springtime traditions. [gallery...
An Early Spring in Nogales
Due to the warmer-than-normal winter temperatures, plants and flowers in Nogales began to bloom in mid-February. This apricot tree began to flower in late February 2014, and the bees loved it. ...
Urban Roadrunner
This desert roadrunner decided to spend some time in the city of Nogales recently. I was walking and noticed him in a field, and went over to take some pictures. After he became accustomed to my being there, he let me come close to him, and I had never been that close...