Yuma Arizona
Where the Colorado River and the Sonoran Desert meet, lies the easiest crossing point on the Colorado. From the beginning, Yuma's geography shaped her destiny. The River – often called the Nile of the west - was a temperamental mistress and did not allow explorers and traders to cross her easily. Yuma provided the only practical crossing point – a fact that sealed Yuma's fate as a transportation and trade hub. The crossing was actively used for thousands of years by native Indians, Spanish explorers, and flatlanders trying to escape the dust bowl. Later on, during the Indian wars, it became a key supply point for the Army, and subsequently, for mining operations and settlements up and down the river.
For millions of years the Colorado was a wild river, flowing unchecked over 1450 miles, from the Continental Divide at La Poudre Pass, Colorado, into the Gulf of California. Annual flooding through the river valleys and canyons has created some of the most majestic landscapes on the continent. The Imperial Sand Dunes, Grand Canyon, the Colorado Desert, Black Canyon, the Salton Sink and the Salton Sea are all products of this geographic evolution.
Geographically and historically, Yuma is the perfect home-base to explore hundreds of attractions and historical locations both locally and in outlying areas. These include the vast, exotic wilderness of the Imperial, Kofa and Cibola national wildlife refuges, many historical national parks, and geographic anomalies. Accommodations abound for every budget and preference, from 23,000 RV spots to nearly 4,000 hotel rooms in the area.
Golf Digest magazine rated Yuma the 7th best city in the United States for golf excursions. The area offers 13 beautiful and challenging courses including the renowned Cocopah Bend RV and Golf Resort, the Mesa Del Sol, and Desert Hills courses.
Day trips include the Cocopah Indian Museum, Adair Park, Quartermaster Depot State Park, St. Thomas Mission, Sanguinetti House Museum, numerous prehistoric sites, river tours, rock-hounding, and birding. Hiking and exploring the many historic routes is also highly recommended.
Although Kerouac does not spend a great deal of time talking about Route 66 in his infamous book, On the Road, it nevertheless managed to acquire some of the mystique of Beatnik cross-country exploration. Owing to its location on the central route, Yuma was also a main stopping point for the Butterfield Overland Mail Route, aka the Oxbow Stage Route. This was one of the first postal routes in the west running from 1857 to 1861 and linking eastern routes from Memphis and St. Louis. The route ran through the heart of hostile Indian territory.
Yuma Territorial Prison is a living museum preserving the lifestyle of the old west. More than 3,069 prisoners, including 29 women, were incarcerated within its walls during its 33 years of operation from 1876 and 1909. Prisoners were convicted of crimes ranging from polygamy to murder, to grand larceny – the later being the most common. The cells, main gate and guard tower are still standing, providing a glimpse of convict life in the southwest over a century ago. A majority of the prisoners served only a fraction of their sentences because paroles and pardons were easily obtained. “One hundred eleven persons died while serving sentences, most of them from tuberculosis which was common throughout the territory. Of the many prisoners who attempted escape, 26 were successful and 8 died from gunshot wounds. No executions took place at the prison because capital punishment was administered by the county governments.” http://www.desertusa.com/yuma/du_yumatp.html
Despite an infamous reputation, the historical written record indicates that the prison was humanely administered and was a model institution for its time. The only punishments were the "dark cell" for inmates who broke prison regulations, and the "ball and chain" for those who tried to escape. Prisoners had free time during which they hand-crafted many items to be sold at public bazaars held at the prison on Sundays after church services. Prisoners also had regular medical attention and access to a good hospital.
Today, the estimated population of the Yuma is just under 200,000. This increases by more than 85,000 during the winter when the snowbirds roll into town.
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