Thursday, May 14, 2015 (continued)
From Tubac to Tumacácori, we didn't even have to get on I-19.
The
Tumacácori National Historical Park was listed on the National Register of Historic Places i
n 1966, and was designated a National Historic Landmark in
1987. The Mission San José de Tumacácori was founded by our same Jesuit Eusebio Francisco Kino in 1691 at another O'odham/Pima village, making it the oldest mission in Arizona. After the Pima revolt in 1751, the mission was moved to its present site, closer to the presidio/fort in Tubac. It was abandoned in 1848.
Here, guide books said to skip the video, and we borrowed the useful booklet for the self-guided tour. I was also pointedly asked if I was eligible for the Senior US Parks Pass. Darn, not for another couple years!
The museum is in a historic 1937 Mission Revival style building.
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| This man startled us as as we rounded the corner in the musuem |
The first mission church was completed in 1756, and the current church was built 1800-1822 during the time of Franciscans.
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| Tumacácori Mission church |
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| Tumacácori Mission church |
The church façade was once painted in bright colors, and there are Moorish influences in the columns. The bell tower was never completed.
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| Church interior with side altars |
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| Tamiko at the mortuary chapel in the cemetery (KAH) |
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| Cemetery with niches for Stations of the Cross |
The graves in the cemetery date from later after the turn of the 20th century.
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| Storehouse |
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| We thought we found another cemetery... |
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| Lime kiln |
Lime plaster was used to protect the buildings made of sun-dried adobe bricks.
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| Convento ruins |
The
convento/cloister was the residence of the priest(s).
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| Convento fireplace |
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| Tamiko with the Melhok Ki and its ramada/shade shelter |
Ki is the O'odham word for house, and
melhok is ocotillo. This structure is made from mesquite timbers, ocotillo sticks, and mud. Ocotillo is a cactus with long thin stems covered with thorns.
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| Ocotillo sticks |
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| Compuerta |
Water was carried nearly a mile from the Santa Cruz River to the mission via an
acequia/irrigation ditch. The
compuerta was made with burnt adobe bricks, and channeled the water towards the orchard; or perhaps it was used to do
lavandería/laundry or to fill the
ollas/earthenware jars for storing water.
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| Pomegranates |
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| Peach |
The orchard is now made up of heritage trees started from seeds and cuttings of the oldest trees that could be found in Arizona.
We decided to follow the trail to the Santa Cruz River as our hike in a riparian (relating to riverbanks) ecosystem, as we were running out of time for the day!
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| Argemone albiflora/White prickly poppy |
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| Santa Cruz River with Fremont cottonwood and willow trees |
Next: Patagonia.
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