A Jesuit Priest’s Vision in 1691 Created Arizona’s Most Overlooked Historical Treasure

Tumacácori National Historical Park, Arizona

The desert sun bakes the white walls of Tumacácori Mission just like it did 300 years ago. This Arizona landmark started as a tiny Spanish church, grew into a frontier powerhouse, then faded back into the desert.

Here’s what happened between then and now.

Father Kino’s Frontier Missions

Father Eusebio Francisco Kino, an Italian-born Jesuit priest, established Mission San Cayetano de Tumacácori on January 26, 1691.

This became the first mission founded in what is now Arizona. Spain used these missions as outposts to convert Native Americans to Christianity and claim territory.

Kino mapped much of the region while founding exactly 24 missions throughout an area the Spanish called the “Pimería Álta,” meaning “land of the upper Pimas.”

The original Tumacácori mission stood on the east side of the Santa Cruz River where an O’odham settlement already existed.

The O’odham People and Their Land

The Native Americans in this region called themselves “O’odham,” simply meaning “people” in their language.

Their traditional homeland stretched across what is now southern Arizona and northern Sonora, Mexico. The Santa Cruz River formed the heart of their communities.

They practiced flood irrigation farming long before Europeans arrived, adapting perfectly to the dry Sonoran Desert.

The Pima Revolt of 1751

Tensions between Spanish newcomers and the O’odham people burst into open conflict on November 20, 1751. O’odham chief Luis Oacpicagigua organized a coordinated uprising against Spanish control after decades of mistreatment.

The rebellion spread quickly through settlements including Caborca, Pitiquito, Oquitoa, Atil, Tubutama, Sonoyta, Busani, Agua Caliente, Baboquivari, Arivaca, and Tubac. Rebels attacked missions, ranches, and military outposts throughout the Santa Cruz Valley.

Over 100 Spanish settlers and their allies died during the rebellion. The mission at Tumacácori suffered heavy damage as rebels attacked symbols of Spanish authority.

Luis Oacpicagigua eventually surrendered to Spanish Captain José Díaz del Carpio on March 18, 1752, ending the main phase of the revolt.

Spanish authorities later pardoned many rebellion leaders. Following the uprising, mission authorities moved Tumacácori to its current location on the west side of the Santa Cruz River, where they rebuilt with better security in mind.

The Jesuit Expulsion of 1767

King Charles III of Spain ordered the removal of all Jesuit priests from Spanish territories on February 3, 1768. This dramatic decision stemmed from rumors that Jesuits had gathered great wealth and were becoming politically powerful.

Captain Juan Bautista de Anza II, commander of the Tubac Presidio, carried out the arrest of Jesuits in the Pimería Alta region. Many Jesuits died during the forced march to the coast for deportation, earning it the name “march of death.”

The crown replaced the ousted Jesuits with Franciscan missionaries, who followed a different approach to mission work.

The first Franciscan priest to arrive at Tumacácori, Juan Crisóstomo Gil de Bernabé, took charge in 1768.

Building Today’s Tumacácori Mission

Construction of the present mission church began around 1800 under Franciscan leadership. The Franciscans planned a larger, more impressive structure than the previous modest adobe building.

Franciscan Father Juan Bautista Estelric secured funding by selling 4,000 mission cattle to a local rancher.

Though blessed and in use by 1822, the church remained unfinished. Money problems following Mexican independence from Spain in 1821 prevented the completion of several planned features, including the bell tower dome.

The Mission’s Features

The church’s thick adobe walls, about three feet wide, provided excellent insulation against desert temperature swings. Workers made these bricks from local soil mixed with straw and water, then dried in the sun.

The sanctuary dome still shows fragments of its original decorations which you can see today.

The Mission’s Decline and Abandonment

Tumacácori was officially declared abandoned in 1843 and sold at auction in 1844 during the Mexican period. By this time, the mission system had largely collapsed following Mexican independence from Spain.

Francisco Alejandro de Aguilar bought the abandoned mission for 500 pesos, acting for his brother-in-law, Manuel María Gándara. Gándara was a wealthy landowner and former governor of Sonora.

A devastating Apache attack in 1848 killed nine of the remaining O’odham residents still living at the mission. This tragedy forced the survivors to make the hard decision to leave their longtime home.

The remaining inhabitants moved northward to Mission San Xavier del Bac near present-day Tucson. San Xavier, established by the same Father Kino, continued as an active mission and offered better security.

After complete abandonment, the church fell into serious disrepair. Treasure hunters damaged walls and floors searching for rumored hidden wealth, while rain and wind further damaged the adobe structure.

The Guevavi and Calabazas Missions

Mission Los Santos Ángeles de Guevavi was established by Father Kino just one day after Tumacácori, making these the two oldest missions in southern Arizona. Guevavi initially served as the headquarters for the region.

The Guevavi church measured 15 by 50 feet and was built of adobe like Tumacácori. Apache raids forced its abandonment by 1773, as frontier conditions grew increasingly dangerous for isolated settlements.

The name “Guevavi” came from the O’odham phrase “Gu waihe,” meaning “big well.” This referred to a reliable water source that made the location attractive for settlement in the dry environment.

Mission San Cayetano de Calabazas emerged in 1756 when Jesuit Father Francisco Xavier Pauer moved 78 O’odham people from their village of Toacuquita. This newer mission complemented the older established sites.

Preserving the Tumacácori Mission

Frank “Boss” Pinkley, the first superintendent of Tumacácori, began preservation work in 1917. His initial efforts included installing a protective roof over the exposed adobe church to prevent further rain damage.

Tumacácori joined the newly established National Park Service in 1916, marking the beginning of professional conservation efforts.

Unlike many historic sites, Tumacácori is kept in a state of “arrested ruin” rather than being fully restored.

Visiting Tumacácori National Historical Park

Tumacácori National Historical Park is at 1891 East Frontage Road in Tumacácori, Arizona. It’s 45 miles south of Tucson – just take Interstate 19 and get off at exit 29.

The park is open every day from 9 AM to 5 PM all year long. Right across the street, there’s the Santa Cruz Chili & Spice Company that’s been around since 1943 and sells local food products.

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