September 20, 1982 a group formed to offer financial assistance to what was then Tumacácori National Monument. Points of focus were special park projects such as the annual Fiesta de Tumacácori. The group became a non-profit, tax-exempt, fund-raising organization which operated by committee and kept members informed through informal means and an occasional newsletter. Its special activity was the sale of dried chiles each year at Fiesta.

     A simple set of by-laws and a constitution were developed, but membership dropped off and the group became inactive until 1997 when it became apparent the park needed additional funding for Fiesta. The group remained informal, operating until 1998. It was revitalized again in 2003. A year later, a Board of Directors was formally established, by-laws were rewritten and the official name became Friends of Tumacácori National Historical Park. By May, 2005 Friends was officially established as an Arizona corporation.

     In 2004, Friends received a $50,000 bequest to establish a historical orchard, which was begun in 2007 as a joint effort with the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum Kino Heritage Fruit Trees Project. This project started with the finding of a fossilized peach pit in a decaying mud wall at Tumacácori Park.

     The Friends’ funding efforts continue to focus on improvements to the orchard, Fiesta de Tumacácori and Junior Ranger Day, which exposes fourth-graders to the educational, historical and cultural significance of Tumacácori Park.

     Friends’ fund-raising events have included concerts, art auctions and an annual booth at Fiesta de Tumacácori. Park funding has grown from roughly $1, 500 in 2005 to $25, 000 in 2010.