Historic Sites with Spanish Influence in The Southwest

Wednesday, 06 April 2011 03:48

 

This page provides information on historic sites throughout the Southwest with a strong Spanish influence. Ranging in age from the late 1600s to the early 1900s, some of the structures at these locations have been restored, while others lay in ruins.

 El Presidio San Agustin Del Tucson – Built by the Spanish in 1775, this is one of the nation’s oldest inhabited sites. Thick adobe walls enclosed the area to protect people inside the fort from Apache attacks. Inside the fortress were homes, barracks, stables, a cemetery, a church, a commander’s house and several plazas. The fort was used until 1829 and by the 1850’s, the Apache attacks had subsided and the presidio wall was demolished. In 2007 The City of Tucson rebuilt a section of the Fort and it is now open to the public.

Tubac Presidio State Historic Park - San Ignacio de Tubac was established in 1752 and intended to protect the various missions in the area. It was also designed to suppress future uprisings, while serving as a base for further exploration of the Southwest. Tubac is the oldest of the three Spanish presidios founded in Arizona and was once called the official capitol of the region. Today the park and museum describe the involvement of American Indians, Spaniards, Mexicans and Anglo-Americans in Arizona's history and development.

Tumacácori National Historical Park - Founded in January 1691 by Father Francisco Kino, this park protects the ruins of three Spanish mission communities. The Spanish Colonial church at San José de Tumacácori dates back to the late 18th century while the two earlier Jesuit missions, established at Tumacácori and Guevavi in 1691, are the two oldest missions in southern Arizona. It also contains the Tumacácori Museum, a historic landmark built in 1937. In total the park consists of 360 acres in three separate units.

San Antonio Missions National Historical Park - San Antonio Missions National Historical Park preserves four of the five Spanish frontier missions in San Antonio, Texas. These outposts were established by religious orders to spread Christianity among the local natives and formed part of a colonization system that stretched across the Spanish Southwest in the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries.

Fort Lowell - Established in 1873, Fort Lowell helped in escorting wagon trains, protection of settlers, guarding supplies, patrolling the border, and conducting operations against the Western and Chiricahua Apache Indians. The buildings at Fort Lowell display a Mexican Sonoran style of architecture with thick adobe walls and wide hallways for ventilation. By the mid-1880s features such as porches, shutters and tin roofing were added. The Arizona Historical Society has operated a museum in the rebuilt officer’s quarters since 1963.

Mission San Xavier del Bac – Founded in 1692 by missionary Francisco Kino, The Mission San Xavier del Bac is a historic Spanish Catholic mission located about 10 miles south of downtown Tucson, Ariz., on the Tohono O'odham Indian Reservation.  The original mission was located about two miles away, but was vulnerable to Apache attacks and was destroyed around 1770. The Mission is known as the "place where the water appears," as there were once natural springs in the area. The Santa Cruz River, which only runs part of the year, is also nearby.

Fort Grant – Fort Grant was established at the foot of Mount Graham in 1873. Starting in 1900, Fort Grant was a collection point for troops going to the Philippines during the Spanish American War. When Arizona became a state in 1912, the government turned over the site to the State of Arizona, which modernized many of the original buildings for use as an Industrial School for rebellious boys and girls. The Fort now serves as a prison.

Sutter’s Fort - In 1839, John A. Sutter applied for a land grant from the Mexican government and two years later received almost 50,000 acres in what is now present-day Sacramento, Calif. Envisioning an agricultural utopia, he began to build a settlement, which he called New Helvetia, or "New Switzerland." Employing members of the Miwok, Maidu, and Kanakas tribes, the fort included 18-foot walls.

Fort Huachuca - Constructed in 1877, Fort Huachuca continues as a major military headquarters in Arizona. The Fort was originally started as part of a chain to guard southern Arizona against the Chiricahua Apaches. It was here that the Army organized a force that chased Geronimo and his followers through Mexico’s Sierra Madre during the summer of 1886. Fort Huachuca was a station in a heliograph network, which used mirrors and sunlight to transmit signals across the entire southwest.

Written by Erica Coleman You are reading Historic Sites with Spanish Influence in The Southwest articles