Tumacacori National Historic Park

 February 20, 2021

Today we went to explore Tumacacori National Historic Park.

"When Jesuit Padre Eusebio Francisco Kino arrived in the Pimería Alta in 1687, his assignment was to establish missions in New Spain's northwestern frontier.  As Kino wrote, he served two majesties - the Church and the Crown. For the Church, missions saved souls and spread the Christian faith. For the Crown, they served as training grounds for native people to learn their assigned role as subjects of the King and citizens of a growing New Spain"

Father Eusebio Francisco Kino (1645– 1711), Jesuit missionary priest, was the first European to visit the village of Tumacacori (January 1691). Later, he established the Mission of Tumacacori.

"The front of the church was brightly painted.  The columns were red and the Egyptian-style capitals yellow with black markings.  The statue niches were blue."

the carved wooden front door of the church

There was a choir loft over the front doors.  "The mission might have supported a dozen singers and musicians playing instruments such as trumpet, oboe, bassoon flute, and zither(guitar)."

here is an artist rendering of how it looked

Here is the altar space today

An artist rendering of the altar

the painted frames and trim can still be clearly seen.

Jim is in the sacristy, "It served as the priest's office.  It housed the holy vestments and objects needed for Mass.  Here, priests would record baptisms, marriages, and burials."

where there is a passage way to the ambo, where the homily would be given from

Here is the view the priest would see, four side altars for devotional candles, but no pews.

Here is a diorama of the church from the museum here, the people knelt on the stone floor

Outside behind the church is the cemetery and mortuary chapel.

"While records show 600 burials between 1755 and 1825, the first took place here in 1822."

There are 14 niches in the outer walls that held paintings or sculptures of the stations of the cross.

The mortuary chapel is a simple round structure.

Gravesites, most deaths here were from disease (brought by the Europeans) and Indian raids.

"At its height, a few hundred people lived at the Tumacacori Mission. By the late 1840s, most had left due to hardships that included Mexican wars and Apache raids."

Next door to the church was the storage house, which had a second floor supported by these beams.

"The community had a communal system of growing and distributing food."

Storage jars sit nicely into the indented shelf to hold the pots snugly.

A full storage was a sign of a good year.

Jim looks a little tall if you consider a ceiling was at the beams.

The lime kiln.  "Here limestone rocks were heated then pounded into a fine powder used to make lime mortar and plaster.  Thought laborious, it was (and remains) the best protection possible for sun-dried adobe."

"Vast quantities of white limestone plaster were needed to cover the church, outbuildings and walls that made Tumacacori a shining light in the desert-for a brief time, a peaceful mission community where priests and their converts worked and worshipped together.  The quarrying, transporting and burning of the limestone was probably a major undertaking involving many workers. Since this size kiln can produce only small amounts of burned limestone, it was probably used to maintain or patch small surfaces. From the smoked sides and evidence of glaze, it is surmised that the arched opening was used to stoke the fire from the lower side and the lip probably supported a metal grate with the fire below and stones above.  No records exist indicating where the limestone was quarried (the Santa Rita Mountains to the north are 25 miles away), or where the kilns to burn large amounts of limestone were located."

This rectangle is the footprint of the original church used in 1757.  

The current one was ready for use in 1822.

The convento, an open square of buildings with a central courtyard, was a focus of community life. Here the kitchen, ironworking, carpentry, weaving, leather and grain grinding were done.

The buttresses helped hold up the walls

a fireplace in the convento

Here is a mystery.  These 3 vats, contained water but historians are not sure why.  "They may be cisterns, rudimentary indoor plumbing or limestone working features."

"Bells were rung daily by pulling on ropes that reached to the ground.  The scallop shell niches harken to Saint James, Santiago de Compostela, the patron saint of Spain."

Melhok Ki (moo-ro kee)

traditional O'odham dwelling

"This is a modern construction of a traditional O'odham dwelling, made of mesquite timbers, suaguaro ribs, ocotillo sticks and mud.   It was built in 1997 by O'odham from the SanXavier community using tarditional hand tools.  A home would also include a wa:ato (Wah-ah-tow), or shade ramada and a brush enclosure for cooking."

Mesquite timbers and ocotillo sticks make up the ceiling.

Acequia and Compuerta.  Water was diverted from the Santa Cruz River nearly a mile upstream via an acequia or irrigation ditch.  The burnt adobe structure here was most likely a compuerta, a weir or diversion box, for turning water from the main irrigation ditch into the orchard."

The mission complex includes a walled garden and orchard on 4.6 acres.  

"A large fruit orchard and garden were planted on this site to help supply the mission's food. Far from cities and regular commerce, the mission community needed to be nearly self-sufficient. Raising domestic animals and planting extensive gardens and orchards were essential to survival."

"The orchard produced fruits such as peaches, apricots, plums, pears, quince, pomegranates, figs, olives, sour oranges and limas (another type of citrus). Gardens of beans, squash and other vegetables were planted in the shade beneath the orchard trees, protected from the hot desert sun. While mission padres took pride in the orchard's productivity, mission residents adapted the nutritious, tasty, new fruit to their needs."

 

Courtyard Garden. "Missions took their garden design from Spanish tradition.  They featured mostly plandts imported from Europe for their cultural, religious, medicinal or aesthetic value.  This garden was built in 1939 as part of the visitor's center's New Deal era construction."

This is how you approach the mission from the visitor's center.  It's quite dramatic to see the church through this window.

And that is the Tumacacori Mission.  Now we are driving up the road to Tubac, an artist community.

A statue outside an art gallery.

Lots of bright colors here with these garden decorations.

Copper wire baskets caught my eye.

More brightly colored pots for your garden.

With this margarita glass, I could be satisfied with just one drink.

A painted mural in town.

It was a nice place to visit.  We avoided buying any art pieces but did pick up a dark chocolate bar with prickly pear and sea salt.

On the ride back to Tucson there was a slow down for a check by Border Patrol.

We did not need to show ids or speak with anyone, dogs sniffed our truck and we were waived on.

Beautiful views of more mountains on the way back.

February 21, 2021

Sunday, fun day, no scheduled activities today.  Jim stayed at the RV while I took a hike in the desert.

All smiles to be on a hike.

I am fonder of the mountain views over the desertscape.

Though the desertscape is nice too.

Another person spent some time to arrange these rocks.

The trail markers here are clear and cute.  These were done by other campers who come here year after year.  Another sunny day with a hike is another good day.