Tumacácori National Historical Park facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Tumacácori National Historical Park |
|
|---|---|
|
IUCN Category III (Natural Monument)
|
|
Mission San José de Tumacácori
|
|
 Tumacácori National Historical Park
Location in Arizona
Tumacácori National Historical Park
Location in the United States
|
|
| Location | Santa Cruz County, Arizona, United States |
| Nearest city | Nogales, Arizona |
| Area | 360 acres (150 ha) |
| Established | August 6, 1990 |
| Visitors | 40,810 (in 2018) |
| Governing body | National Park Service |
| Website | Tumacácori National Historical Park |
Tumacácori National Historical Park is a special place in southern Arizona. It is located in the Santa Cruz River Valley. The park protects the old ruins of three Spanish mission communities. It covers about 360 acres and is divided into three separate areas. Two of these mission sites are very important historical landmarks. The park also has the famous 1937 Tumacácori Museum building, which is also a National Historic Landmark.
Contents
Exploring Tumacácori's Past
The first Spanish missions in this area were started in 1691. These were Mission San Cayetano de Tumacácori and Mission Los Santos Ángeles de Guevavi. They are the two oldest missions in southern Arizona. Missions were like churches and communities built by Spanish priests to teach local people about their religion and way of life.
Later, the Franciscan church of Mission San José de Tumacácori was built in the 1750s. This new church was across the river from the first Mission San Cayetano de Tumacácori. A third mission, Mission San Cayetano de Calabazas, was built in 1756.
Today, you can visit the Mission San José de Tumacácori complex. It has a visitor center and the Tumacácori Museum. The Guevavi and Calabazas missions are not usually open to everyone. However, you can join special tours led by park staff to see them.
Becoming a National Park
The Tumacácori missions were first protected in 1908 by President Theodore Roosevelt. At that time, it was called Tumacácori National Monument. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1966. This list helps protect important historical sites.
In 1990, the national monument became a National Historical Park. This change meant that the Guevavi and Calabazas mission areas were added to the park. This made the park bigger and protected more of these important historical sites.
The park is also part of the Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail. This trail follows the path of a Spanish expedition from 1775-1776. This was the first time Spanish explorers traveled overland from New Spain (which is now Mexico) to what is now California. A 4.5-mile part of this trail runs along the Santa Cruz River between Tumacácori National Historical Park and Tubac Presidio State Historic Park.
Mission San José de Tumacácori
Mission San José de Tumacácori was first started in 1691 by a Jesuit priest named Eusebio Kino. It was built in a different spot nearby. This mission was actually established one day before Mission Los Santos Ángeles de Guevavi. This makes it the oldest Jesuit mission site in southern Arizona. The first mission was called Mission San Cayetano de Tumacácori. It was built at a village where the native O'odham or Sobaipuri people lived. This village was on the east side of the Santa Cruz River.
After a conflict with the Pima in 1751, the mission was moved. It was rebuilt on the west side of the Santa Cruz River. It was then renamed San José de Tumacácori. By 1848, the mission was no longer used and started to fall apart. In 1854, the area became part of the U.S. Arizona Territory. This happened after the Gadsden Purchase, when the United States bought land from Mexico.
Work to fix and protect the mission began in 1908. That's when President Theodore Roosevelt declared it Tumacácori National Monument. In 1990, it became part of the new Tumacácori National Historical Park.
Tumacácori Museum
|
Tumacácori Museum
|
|
Tumacácori Museum building
|
|
| Location | Tumacácori National Monument (Tumacácori National Historical Park), Tumacacori, Arizona |
|---|---|
| Built | 1937 |
| Architect | Scofield DeLong, et al |
| Architectural style | Mission Revival style architecture, with Spanish Colonial Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 87001437 |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP | May 28, 1987 |
| Designated NHL | May 28, 1987 |
The Tumacácori Museum was built in 1937. It is located within what is now Tumacácori National Historical Park. The museum was designed by Scofield Delong. It has exhibits that explain the history of the three missions in the park. You can also see artwork created by the artist Herbert A. Collins there.
The museum building itself is a great example of Mission Revival style architecture. It also has details from the Spanish Colonial Revival style. Because of its special design, it was named a National Historic Landmark in 1987.
Images for kids
-
Mission San José de Tumacácori
-
Tumacácori Museum building
