Mission San José de Tumacácori, Arizona – Legends of America
Mission San José de Tumacácori, nestled in the heart of Southern Arizona, stands as a poignant reminder of a complex and transformative period in American history. More than just an architectural marvel, Tumacácori embodies the intersection of Spanish colonial ambitions, Native American resilience, and the enduring power of cultural exchange.
A Vision Takes Root: The Founding of Tumacácori
The story of Tumacácori begins with Father Eusebio Francisco Kino, a Jesuit priest whose missionary zeal led him to this remote corner of the Spanish empire. In January 1691, Father Kino established Mission San Cayetano de Tumacácori along the fertile banks of the Santa Cruz River. This marked the genesis of the first mission in what is now Arizona, an integral part of Spain’s grand strategy of colonization.
Father Kino’s vision extended beyond religious conversion. He envisioned a self-sustaining agricultural community that would not only introduce Catholicism to the local indigenous population but also generate revenue for the Spanish crown. The mission’s location was carefully chosen to harness the region’s natural resources and leverage the existing agricultural practices of the native people.
The O’odham: People of the Desert
The indigenous people who inhabited the lands surrounding Tumacácori identified themselves as "O’odham," meaning "people" in their language. However, the Spanish referred to them as Pima and/or Papago. Their ancestral homeland encompassed a vast area spanning Southern Arizona and the northern reaches of the Mexican state of Sonora.
The O’odham were skilled farmers who had long cultivated the land, raising corn, beans, squash, and other crops through ingenious flood irrigation techniques. These methods, perfected over generations, allowed them to thrive in the arid environment. The Spanish term "Papago" refers to what is known today as the Tohono O’odham, or "desert people," who continue to live and farm in southern Arizona, preserving their cultural heritage and connection to the land.
The mission also became a melting pot, attracting individuals from various indigenous groups, including Yaqui, Apache, Yuman, and Opata, alongside the European and American priests. This convergence of cultures created a unique social dynamic within the mission walls.
Mission Life: A Tapestry of Cultures
Missions were strategically placed near existing Indian villages, transforming the landscape into a highly structured environment. The mission grounds were meticulously organized, with designated areas for religious activities, priest residences, specialized workshops, housing for Christianized Indians, agricultural lands, livestock pastures, orchards, and irrigation ditches known as acequias.
Native settlements surrounding the mission consisted of both large villages made of mud and brush houses and smaller, more dispersed settlements inhabited by extended families. Wheat emerged as the primary agricultural crop, followed by corn, due to the introduction of winter wheat by the Spanish. This became a crucial part of the O’odham diet, providing sustenance during the traditionally lean months of the year.
Ranching also played a vital role in mission life, with herds of cattle and sheep numbering in the thousands. The mission residents were kept busy shearing, herding, and butchering these animals. The acequia system nourished orchards and fields where a diverse array of domesticated plants flourished, including wheat, maize, squash, watermelon, cantaloupe, lentils, peppers, and peaches.
From Visita to Mission: A Shift in Status
For many years, Tumacácori served as a visita, a visiting station under the authority of the main mission headquarters at Los Santos Ángeles de Guevavi. Services were held in a modest adobe structure built by the local inhabitants. However, after the Pima rebellion of 1751, the mission was relocated to its present site on the west side of the river and renamed San José de Tumacácori. By 1757, the community had constructed a small adobe church.
In 1767, a significant shift occurred when the Jesuit order was expelled from the Spanish empire. The Franciscan order stepped in to take over the management of the Pimería Alta missions, including Tumacácori.
A Glimpse into the Past: Bishop Reyes’s Report
In 1772, Bishop Antonio de los Reyes provided a detailed report on the condition of the area missions, offering a valuable snapshot of Tumacácori at the time:
"The village of San Jose at Tumacácori lies seven leagues to the south of Guevavi and one from the Presidio of Tubac, in open territory with good lands. In this village, they have a church and house for the Missionary devoid of all ornament and furnishing. According to the Census Book, which I have here before me, there are 22 married couples, 12 widowers, 10 orphans, the number of souls in all being 93."
Ambition and Setbacks: Building the Grand Church
In 1800, the Franciscans embarked on an ambitious project: the construction of a grand church that would rival the splendor of the renowned Mission San Xavier del Bac to the north. Under the guidance of a skilled master mason and a team of Indian and Spanish laborers, they laid cobblestone foundations measuring five feet thick. However, construction stalled due to a lack of funds.
Over the next few years, they managed to add a few courses of adobe bricks, raising the walls to a height of seven feet. These walls were plastered inside and out, and decorative fragments of crushed brick were pressed into the wet plaster, adding a touch of elegance.
Work resumed in earnest in 1821, when Father Juan Bautista Estelric, a resourceful Franciscan, sold 4,000 head of the mission’s cattle to a local rancher, Don Ignacio Pérez. With the initial payment, he hired a new master and pushed the project forward. The walls were raised to 14 feet, but the rancher’s delayed payments caused construction to halt once again.
Two years later, Father Ramón Liberós, a persistent friar, finally secured the remaining payments from the rancher, and work resumed. Within a few years, the church was nearing completion, although the bell tower never received its dome. Attached to the main church were the baptistery and the sacristy. The church, with its embellished facade and plaster walls adorned with crushed red brick, must have been a striking landmark in the flat Santa Cruz Valley.
Abandonment and Preservation: Tumacácori’s Legacy
Apache raids and other challenges in the 1840s led to the abandonment of Tumacácori in December 1848. The remaining inhabitants relocated to Mission San Xavier del Bac, south of Tucson.
During the American period in Arizona, Tumacácori gradually fell into disrepair. In 1908, it was designated a National Monument, and in 1916, it became part of the National Park Service. Archeological and preservation efforts began in 1917, including excavations and the installation of a roof over the adobe church.
Today, the ruins of the grand church stand as a testament to the past, with its nine-feet thick adobe walls supporting the bell tower and choir balcony. The mission church building is maintained in a state of arrested ruin, focusing on preserving the original structure rather than attempting further restoration or speculative completion of architectural features. With the exception of the roof and the church floor, nearly everything is original. Traces of the original decorations within the sanctuary’s cupola are still visible.
Adjacent to the church are the remains of the priest’s residence and a communal area known as the convento, which enclosed a large plaza where many of the mission’s activities took place. Visitors can also observe the large lime kiln used for producing mortar and plaster. Behind the church lie the ruins of a cemetery and the round mortuary chapel. Originally intended to have a domed roof, the mortuary chapel was never completed, leaving it open to the sky. A reproduction of a ki, a traditional O’odham house, provides insight into the living conditions of the indigenous people who lived around the mission. Visitors can also explore the aqueducts and the historic mission garden/orchard.
Tumacácori National Historical Park encompasses the ruins of two other missions: Los Santos Ángeles de Guevavi and San Cayetano de Calabazas. The Tumacácori visitor center offers a video, museum exhibits, and a bookstore.
Visiting Tumacácori:
Tumacácori National Historical Park is located 45 miles south of Tucson, Arizona, off exit 29 on I-19.
More Information:
- Tumacácori National Historic Park
1891 East Frontage Road
P.O. Box 8067
Tumacacori, Arizona 85640
520-377-5060
Also See:
- List of Missions & Presidios in the United States
- Missions & Presidios of the United States
- Spanish Missions & Presidios Photo Gallery
- Spanish Missions Architecture and Preservation
Sources:
- Tumacácori National Historic Park
- Spanish Missions – NPS
Tumacácori stands as a poignant reminder of the complex interplay of cultures, ambitions, and the enduring power of the human spirit. A visit to this historical site offers a glimpse into the past, allowing us to reflect on the stories of those who shaped the American Southwest.