Betty Barr is an award-winning journalist who specializes in uncovering hidden treasures - the people, places and things unique to southeastern Arizona .

Her latest book, A John Slaughter Kid, the Story of May Watkins Burns, released in early August 2011, tells the story of a girl who grew up during the history-making days of early twentieth century Arizona, woven against the rich backdrop of John Slaughter's San Bernardino Ranch, east of Douglas.

Barr's previous books include Hidden Treasures of Santa Cruz County , More Hidden Treasures, and Around Sonoita, one of the Images of America series by Arcadia Publishing. She co-edited, along with Dr. William J. Kelly, a revised edition of Arizona in the ‘50s, by Capt. James Tevis, a firsthand account of life on the southern Arizona frontier from 1856 through 1860.

In 2009, Betty co-chaired a project to construct the Bowman and Stradling History Center at the Fairgrounds in Sonoita, which contains numerous western and ranching artifacts of the area including selected displays from the original Anne Stradling Museum of the Horse in Patagonia and an impressive collection of oral histories and photographs collected by Bob Bowman, a local historian.

Her chronicles of the history of the legendary Empire Ranch south of Tucson were adapted as a promotional piece by the Bureau of Land Management and the Empire Ranch Foundation and used as a historical handout at the annual Empire Ranch Roundup and Western Art Show in 2004.

Her work has appeared in numerous magazines and she has been a regular contributor to the Nogales International and the Sonoita Weekly Bulletin newspapers since 1997.

A graduate of the University of Arizona , she lives in Sonoita with her husband, John.

Praise for Arizona in the ‘50s and Hidden Treasures of Santa Cruz County

“After reading Arizona in the ‘50s by Capt. James Tevis, I wanted to take a month off, put my hiking gear in the Explorer and find as many places mentioned in the book as I could. Apache Pass , Fort Bowie , the Butterfield stage stop and much more are all within a few hundred miles of here.”
Bob Kimball, past editor/publisher Nogales International

“As a writer who knows the effort, difficulties, and frustrations of doing research for a book, I am overwhelmed with the work and hours that certainly went into Betty Barr's Hidden Treasures of Santa Cruz County . The book is so delightfully written that Wilma and I take turns going through chapter after chapter like they were chocolate cookies. This book is a valuable anthology of the area that probably will never be equaled. And what a pleasure to read!”
George Gardiner, The Weekly Bulletin