Pima County Historic and Interpretive Sites
Expedition Camp #15, La Canoa: The first camp site of the expedition where it suffered its only loss of life is currently interpreted at an Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) rest stop on I-19. The landowner plans to include the Anza Trail within his development and to interpret the significance of the site to the Anza expedition.
Expedition Camp #17, Mission San Xavier del Bac: Located off I-19 along the Santa Cruz River and a part of the O’odham reservation, Mission San Xavier del Bac is an active parish administered by the Franciscans. Established by Kino in 1692 at the site of an existing Piman village, by 1732 the mission community had grown to require a full-time resident missionary to attend to it and its visita, Tucson. San Xavier del Bac was under Franciscan administration when the Anza expedition stopped on October 25, 1775 to mourn the only death on the expedition and to celebrate three marriages. Construction of the present mission church was started in 1783. The mission has a museum.
Mission San Agustín del Tucson: On the western side of the Santa Cruz River, across the river from modern downtown Tucson, this location had long been occupied by a succession of people: Archaic, Hohokam, and Piman. On the site of a Piman village, the Spanish developed a substantial mission complex. Foundation walls and other signs of past occupation remain sufficiently intact within the subsurface of the site that there are plans to develop a cultural park which would interpret the many cultures.
Presidio San Agustín del Tucson: On the eastern side of the Santa Cruz River, now under modern downtown Tucson, the presidio was founded in August 1775 to replace the Tubac Presidio as the main Spanish defense of the region. When Anza’s expedition passed through in October, the presidio had been planned but not yet constructed. Plaques on city streets mark the location of several corners of the old structure, and a citizen’s group would like to re-create part of the presidio in downtown Tucson.
Santa Cruz River Park: This partially developed river park along the Santa Cruz River in the City of Tucson is owned by the city and managed by the Pima County Flood Control District. It contains a multiuse trail within the historic corridor and offers the potential for interpretation of the Anza Trail themes.
Expedition Camp #19, Puerto del Azotado and Los Morteros Archeological Site: Located at the extreme north end of the Tucson Mountains near the Santa Cruz River, this large Hohokam village site is named for the bedrock mortars found near its center. The Anza expedition camp site, Puerto del Azotado, was in the vicinity of Los Morteros. The site was considered in the Saguaro National Monument Boundary study. It was recommended but not approved for a level of designation (evaluated through the national landmark nomination and designation process) that would ensure adequate resource protection and interpretation.
Courtesey NPS