U. S. Mission Trail / The Mission Trail Today - The Spanish Missions in Arizona

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Select photographs of my many visits to The Missions of the United States South and Southwest built by Spain and Mexico between 1565 and 1823.
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Arizona Missions Main Page

There are two main clusters of Spanish Missions in the present day U. S. state of Arizona, then known as Pimeria Alta. The best examples are south of Tucson, the other cluster is two missions that are actually on the California side of the Colorado River near Yuma. Although these latter two missions were in California, they were Arizona adminstered Missions and not related to the better know missions along the California coast. Most of the Missions of Pimeria Alta are now south of the Mexico-United States border in Mexico. North of the border are San Xavier del Bac, Tumacácori, Guevavi, and Calabazas. A possible site may be in Tucson. South of the border are Sonoyta, San Valentin, Caborca, Pitiquin, Oquitoa, Atil, Saric, Busanic, Tubutama, Aquimuri, can't read (maybe {BorR}ac{cor}oanco{lor something}), Suamca, San Lazaro, Cocospera, Imuris, San Ignacio, Remedios, Magdalena, Dolores.

The Presidio of Tubac was established in 1784.

This section to be eidted. A work in progress. Still researching this list. More than twenty (maybe 25) were established in the Pimería Alta (the region now known as Southern Arizona and Northern Sonora, Mexico) by Father Kino and other Jesuits, and later expanded upon by Franciscan missionaries. Only two Arizona missions remain largely in tact and easily visited.

Unlike the famous California Missions which are restored and in a line along the coast extending north from the Mexico-US border, the Arizona Missions are largely unrestored, scattered, and half of them are in Mexico.

Arizona	Sonora	Name, founding date, founder
azizona or sonora	azizona or sonora	Mission Nuestra Señora de los Dolores, March 13, 1687 by Father Kino

Mission Nuestra Señora de los Dolores, founded on March 13, 1687. This was the first mission founded by Father Kino. By 1744, the mission was abandoned. The cemetery remans on the site of the Tumac�cori National Historical Park in Southern Arizona.
Mission San Cayetano de Tumac�cori was founded in 1691, then moved in 1751 and renamed Mission San Jos� de Tumac�cori. The farming land around the mission was sold at auction in 1834 and the mission was abandoned by 1840. The remains are part of the Tumac�cori National Historical Park in Southern Arizona.
Mission Los Santos �ngeles de Guevavi was also established by Father Kino, one day after Tumac�cori, in January 1691. Near Tumac�cori, Tumac�cori National Historical Park.
Mission San Pedro y San Pablo del Tubutama, first founded by the Jesuits in 1691. The present structure is located on a part of the Tumac�cori National Historical Park in Southern Arizona. Or in Mexico.
Mission San Xavier del Bac, located South of Tucson, active religious use, founded in 1699. "White Dove of the Desert"
5a) Mission San Agust�n, also known as San Cosme y Damian de Tucson, was established by Father Garc�s as a visita or daughter church of San Xavier del Bac in the O'odham village of Chuk-Son in 1770. This community becomes to be called Tucson in the following century.
Mission San Cayetano de Calabazas was established in November of 1756 by Jesuit Father Francisco Pauer. Near Tumac�cori, Tumac�cori National Historical Park.
Mission Puerto de Purísima Concepción was founded in October, 1780 by Father Francisco Garcés. In California near Yuma, Arizona.
Mission San Pedro y San Pablo de Bicuñer was founded in January, 1781 by Father Francisco Garcés. In California near Yuma, Arizona.

San Agustin mission
San Agustin mission was built by Franciscans a few miles north of San Xavier del Bac between "A" Mountain and the Santa Cruz River, completed in 1772. The convento was built between 1797 and 1810 but soon fell into disrepair. After the Mexican Revolution there was no money for maintenance and the mission was abandoned in 1855.

The structures deteriorated and in the 1930s the Tucson Pressed Brick Company started using the area for brick making. In the 1950s the site was used for a landfill. There are hopes to build a visitor center.

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This web site started because of my love for the Spanish Missions in the United States. This web site is for your benefit and I make no profit on it. I don't allow paid advertising. This site is supported primarily from my regular paycheck as a Set Designer and there haven' been many this year. I sell art at www.klimages.com. A non-tax deductable donation to help cover the cost of operating this web site may be made to Kesign Design Consulting through PayPal ...

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Note: This is not the official site for any of the places shown in Places Earth. Places Earth is not responsible for accuracy of the information. Hours of operations, prices, exhibits, and sometimes locations are subject to change without notice.

Support this Web Site This web site started because of my love for Architecture and interest in History. This web site is for your benefit and I make no profit on it. I don't allow paid advertising. This site is supported primarily from my regular paycheck as a Set Designer and there haven' been many this year. I sell art at www.klimages.com. A non-tax deductable donation to help cover the cost of operating this web site may be made to Kesign Design Consulting through PayPal ...
	Or donations can be mailed to the address on the contact page.

Or buy art by myself at www.klimages.com.

This site maintained by Kenneth A. Larson.
Copyright © 2004 - 2012, Kenneth A. Larson. All Rights Reserved.
Website content including photographic and graphic images may not be redistributed for use on another website.

This site is a non-commercial alternative to my commercial design portfolio site. This site's only purpose is for your enjoyment. There is no advertising and I make no profit. If you are in the need of a designer, please check my commercial site www.kesigndesign.com.

Arizona Missions Main Page

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This page last updated: Friday, 23-Dec-2011 23:08:31 EST