We visited Mission San Jose de Tumacacori, “built in the 1750’s to replace the older Mission San Cayetano de Tumacacori - the first mission in southern Arizona. The original mission was established by Jesuit Eusebio Francisco Kino and his party in 1691. The Jesuits established the Mission on the Santa Cruz River, in the territory of the O’odham people.
In 1751, a Spanish military presidio was established nearby. In 1767, for political reasons, King Charles III of Spain banished the Jesuits from all Spanish territories, so the Franciscans took over missionary efforts. In 1800, Fray Narciso Guitierrez began constructing a larger church to replace the modest Jesuit structure at Tumacacori. In 1828, a Mexican decree forced all Spanish-born residents to leave the country, including Tumacacori’s last resident priest. The new church was unfinished. It was abandoned and in disrepair by 1848. With the Gadsden Purchase in 1854, the mission and surrounding Arizona Territory became part of the United States. In 1908, Theodore Roosevelt declared the site Tumacacori National Monument, and restoration efforts began.”
We followed the self guided tour of the Tumacacori Historic Site, hiking through an orchard, down to the Santa Cruz River. Taylor earned her fourth National Park Junior Ranger Badge.
