YUMA PROVING GROUNDS ~ March 17, 2007

On our way home from Yuma, heading north on Hwy. 95, we passed the Yuma Proving Ground. Since 1943 when General George Patton trained his soldiers there, the Yuma Proving Ground has played a significant role in testing weapon systems and training troops for battle. There is a Heritage Center Museum on the grounds although it was closed by the time we got there around sunset.

But we did stop for a photo op by the big gun at the main entrance, and you can drive a little ways in to see an outdoor interpretive area with historic military vehicles and weapons systems.

They have a great collection of tanks ("tanks a lot" - ha!), at least one of which saw battle and has the bullet holes to prove it. (More like dents and dings in the thick metal.)

This is a must-see exhibit if you have boys – plus it’s free and it’s always open even when the museum is not. At the time we were there, it looked like they were in the process of grading an adjacent area, perhaps to add another addition to the exhibit.

YUMA TERRITORIAL PRISON ~ March 17, 2007

The Territorial Prison at Yuma is located at 1 Prison Hill Road, just around the bend from Yuma Crossing State Historic Park. Built in 1876, over 3,000 prisoners including 39 women lived within these walls during the prison's thirty-three years of operation. Their crimes ranged from polygamy to murder, with grand larceny being the most common.

This prison was featured in many western movies and despite an infamous reputation, no executions took place there and it was actually a model institution for its time -- complete with a library and schooling for inmates, church services, electric lights and ventilation system, and regular medical checkups. The worst punishment was the dark cave-like cell for inmates who broke prison regulations.

The three-foot-thick rock walls of the main cell block are lined with iron gratings. Twelve cells were dug into the hillside in 1900 to relieve overcrowding. However, by 1907 there was no room on Prison Hill for expansion. As many as 10 inmates had to be packed into a cell measuring 8 x 10 feet. A new facility was constructed in Florence, Arizona and the last prisoner left Yuma on September 15, 1909.

The Yuma Union High School occupied the prison buildings from 1910 to 1914. In the 1920’s, the prison was used as free lodging by hobos riding the freight trains which ran right alongside one of the prison walls. The empty cells also sheltered many Depression-era homeless families. Even the main guard tower served various functions, including a Civil Defense lookout during World War II.

Today, all that’s left standing are the cells, main gate (adobe walls and iron bars), and restored guard tower (a wooden structure built over top of the water tank to limit evaporation). Museum exhibits document the story of the prison with artifacts and interpretations of prison life, photos and bios of former convicts, and more. The guard tower has a commanding view of the surrounding area.

Adjacent to the parking lot is a nature trail that leads down to the Prison Cemetery which is located just outside the park near the Colorado River. One hundred and eleven prisoners died while serving their sentences, mostly from tuberculosis which was common throughout the territory and spread easily in close quarters. Only nine were killed while trying to escape. The graves are not much more than piles of stones, the wooden markers having been either stolen or deteriorated.

YUMA CROSSING STATE HISTORIC PARK ~ March 17, 2007

Yuma Crossing State Historic Park was the site of the Yuma Quartermaster Supply Depot, used by the U.S. Army to store and distribute supplies for all the military posts in Arizona, Nevada, Utah, New Mexico and Texas. A six month supply of clothing, food, ammunition, and other goods was kept at the depot at all times. The supplies were brought from California by ocean vessels traveling around the Baja Peninsula to Port Isabel near the mouth of the Colorado River. There, cargos were transferred to river steamers and brought upstream to Yuma. The depot was in operation from 1864-1883.

While we were at this state park we had a chance to see a 1907 Southern Pacific Steam Locomotive and Coach Car, a transportation museum with wagons and other vehicles on display (including a riverboat replica and tons of historic photos), and some nice exhibits in the Visitor Center (the centerpiece of which is a Model T Ford on a wooden plank roadway). If you venture into a side room where they show films, be sure to look at the old black-and-white photos on the wall. One of them is a photo of a local bridge from long before WWII, but guess what design is painted on the side? (We did a double-take upon seeing the swastika, but this symbol was actually found in many ancient cultures before Hitler started using it.)

Yuma Crossing State Historic Park is located on the east side of 4th Avenue. All you have to do is find 4th Avenue, head in the direction of the Colorado River, and you will see the park grounds on the east side of 4th Avenue just past the old downtown area.

ARIZONA ARCHAEOLOGY EXPO ~ March 17, 2007

March is “Arizona Archaeology Heritage Awareness Month.” Museums, historical societies, tribes, parks, and archaeological organizations across the state host archeology events during this month. The main featured event is the Arizona Archaeology Expo which is held at Yuma Crossing State Historic Park.

We’ve been aware of Archeology Month for years and this was the first time we finally had a chance to attend the Expo. I don’t know why they always have it way down there, but we found out that it was well worth the trip. First of all, the event itself is FREE. Plus it’s like getting a two-for-one deal because while you’re at the Expo, you can also explore the entire park grounds and learn about the history of the Yuma Crossing (which was quite interesting in itself; please go on to read the next post after this one).

The Archaeology Expo offers many educational attractions for archaeology and history buffs, as well as for children. Visitors learn about the prehistory and history of Arizona, why it is important to preserve archaeological sites and historic places, what archaeologists and historians do in their jobs, and more. The two-day event features workshops, hands-on activities, craft demonstrations, and other fun and educational events. There are special displays and booths by archaeological and historical organizations, museums, Native American tribes, state and federal agencies, and others. Entertainment includes living history re-enactors, storytellers, and American Indian dancers.

The kids got to make clay pots, petroglyphs and rubbings for bringing home. They also liked looking at the sample dig site that was set up, and digging for their own finds in a tub of sand. They got to use a primitive wooden drill, toss a boomerang, and throw spears at a mammoth. There was lots of literature to pick up, and souvenir canvas totes to carry it all in. We even got to see a weaving demonstration. They also offer guided tours of historic period sites in the Colorado River Valley area, but we didn’t have time to go on any of them.

We spent about three hours in the afternoon at the Expo and looking around the 10-acre park grounds. Many of the exhibitors were packing up their stuff and leaving before we did. Who could blame them, they were worn out after spending two days in the heat. Unbelievably, it was the second hottest day ever recorded in March – officially 101°F at the Yuma Airport, but the park rangers said that their thermometer read 103°. Either way, no one was prepared for it to be that hot in March! My kids even went in the pool that week – the first time they ever got to go swimming when it was still winter! Thankfully the park staff provided ice cold water in coolers. We refilled our little paper cups often!

I was surprised, though, to see that there weren’t too many visitors. It wasn’t crowded at all and the kids didn’t even have to wait in line to do the activities. I don’t know if it was the heat that kept people away, or if it’s never very crowded because of the remote location at the southwest corner of the state, or perhaps their busy day is Friday for school tours. I sure hope enough people attend these annual archeology open houses to make a difference in promoting a sense of stewardship for our state’s nonrenewable heritage resources.

A free listing of Arizona Archaeology Month events as well as brochures on archaeological sites in the state of Arizona—complete with descriptions, hours of operation, directions, and a map—can be obtained by calling the Arizona State Parks State Historic Preservation Office at 602-542-4174. Archaeology Month information can also be found on their website at www.pr.state.az.us.