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Historic Sites in Arizona
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Fort Verde State Historic Park
Fort Verde was the primary base for General Crook's U.S. Army
scouts and soldiers. They were charged with squelching Apache
and Yavapai Indian uprisings in the late 1800's. Some of the
original buildings still stand today. Its officers' quarters are
open to visitors interested in learning what life was like on
the frontier. The fort's museum, located in the old headquarters
building, exhibits artifacts that explain the history and
methods of frontier soldiering. The park is in the town of Camp
Verde, three miles east of Interstate 17. For information call:
(520)567-3275
Jerome State Historic Park
The 1916 mansion of James 'Rawhide Jimmy' Douglas sits regally
atop a hill overlooking the scenic Verde Valley. The mansion
served as a 'hotel' for visiting mining officials and investors,
as well as home to the Douglas family. Once Arizona Territory's
most productive copper mining area, Jerome lost its sheen when
prices plummeted during the Depression. The mansion's
well-appointed interior and adobe-brick architecture reflect the
copper mining high-life before the fall. Displays feature local
mining history and methods. The park, located in the town of
Jerome off State Route 89A, has a number of intriguing historic
attractions nearby. For information call: (520)634-5381
Riordan State Historic Park
The Riordan mansion (actually two adjoining mansions) was built
in 1904 for Timothy and Michael Riordan. The Riordan brothers
owned the Arizona Lumber and Timber Company, Flagstaff's leading
logging enterprise. A tour through the brothers' massive 13,000
square foot home provides insight into the life of a wealthy
frontier family in the early 1900's. Its rustic exterior,
perhaps Arizona's finest example of Craftsman style
architecture, is a striking contrast to its opulent interior of
hand-crafted furniture and period antiques. Picnic tables are
provided. Visitors can arrange special events or private
functions at the park, which is located in the heart of
Flagstaff on Riordan Ranch Street. For information call:
(520)779-4395
Tubac Presidio State Historic Park
Remnants of the military fort founded by the Spanish in 1752
have been uncovered by University of Arizona archaeologists and
preserved by Arizona State Parks. An underground display
features portions of the original foundation, walls, and plaza
floor of the Presidio (fort) de San Ignacio de Tubac. Spanish
soldiers established the fort to control the local Pima and
Apache Indians and serve as a base for further exploration of
the Southwest. Also featured are a picnic area, an 1885
schoolhouse, and a visitor center with historic exhibits tracing
Tubac's precarious past from the days of Apache raids through
its 1860 status as Arizona's largest frontier town. It is
located 45 miles south of Tucson off Interstate 19 near the
community of Tubac. For information call: (520)398-2252
Yuma Territorial Prison State Historic Park
Yuma Territorial Prison is living proof that there really was a
wild West. More than 3,000 culprits, convicted of crimes ranging
from polygamy to murder, lived in rock and adobe cells during
the prison's 33 year life. Still standing are the cells, main
gate, and guard tower that give visitors a glimpse of convict
life a century ago. A fascinating museum details that prison's
development and tells stories of the desperadoes, including 29
women, who did time there. For visitors' convenience, picnic
tables and a ramada are provided. Nearby, Yuma Crossing State
Historic Park is one of the Southwest's richest historical
sites. Paytans, Native Americans, Spanish explorers, mountain
men, gold-seeking emigrants, soldiers, muleskinners, railroad
engineers, steamboat captains and shipping magnates met at this
single junction over the centuries. For information call:
(520)783-4771
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