| Tumacacori, Arizona | |
|---|---|
| — CDP — | |
| Tumacacori mission, 1947. Photo: George A. Grant | |
| Location in Santa Cruz County and the state of Arizona | |
| Coordinates: | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Arizona |
| County | Santa Cruz |
| Area | |
| • Total | 6.2 sq mi (16.1 km2) |
| • Land | 6.2 sq mi (16.1 km2) |
| • Water | 0.0 sq mi (0.0 km2) |
| Population (2000) | |
| • Total | 569 |
| • Density | 91.8/sq mi (35.3/km2) |
| Time zone | MST (no DST) (UTC-7) |
| FIPS code | 04-77367 |
Tumacacori is a census-designated place (CDP) in Santa Cruz County, Arizona, United States. The population was 569 at the 2000 census. It abuts Carmen, Arizona.
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Tumacacori is the site of a Franciscan mission that was built in the late 18th century. It takes its name from an earlier mission site founded by Father Eusebio Kino in 1691, which is on the east side of the river south of the National Park. This Kino-period mission was founded at an extant native O'odham or Sobaipuri settlement and represents the first mission in southern Arizona, but not the first mission in Arizona. The remains of the native settlement are still extant and have been investigated and reported on by archaeologist Deni Seymour.
The later Franciscan mission, which is now a ruin presrved as Tumacácori National Historical Park, was never rebuilt after being abandoned after repeated Apache raids in the 19th century that killed farmers and ranchers in the area and put a stop to the growth of the area's economy. Nearby Tubac, Arizona was besieged in 1861.
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In 1766, the Spanish colonists of Tumacacori discovered silver near their mission town, immediately afterward the priests had the local Opata and Tohono O'odham native Americans begin mining, thus establishing the Opata Mine. The natives dug a large shaft and in the back had a huge room where they stored all of their silver and practiced pagan rituals. Despite clinging to their pre-columbian faith, they also adopted Catholic beliefs. One day a Mayo native princess was traveling alone through the desert nearby which made the Opata believe she was the reincarnation of the Virgin Mary. The Opata captured her and took the princess to their chief within the silver storage room. The Opata told the princess that she would marry their chief to produce a child savior or be sacrificed to their gods.
After refusing to marry the chief the Opata tied the woman to the silver, cut her hands and rubbed a type of poison into her wounds. The princess died and the Opata celebrated with the usual ritual of dancing and singing around a fire pit. Hearing the celebration a priest from the mission entered the mine and found the dead princess tied to the silver. Disgusted with the murder, the Spanish priests sealed the mine shaft entrance with the princess and the silver still inside. According to Spanish accounts, both the silver and her skeleton remain hidden somewhere near the Tumacacori mission. Spanish records say the Opata Mine was halfway between the Guadalupe Mine and the Pure Conception Mine. As of 2010 no one has ever found the buried treasure.
Tumacacori is located at (31.561157, -111.047810).[1]
According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 6.2 square miles (16 km2), all of it land. The locale is in a valley cut by the Santa Cruz River.
As of the census[2] of 2000, there were 569 people, 223 households, and 152 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 91.6 people per square mile (35.4/km²). There were 252 housing units at an average density of 40.6/sq mi (15.7/km²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 76.98% White, 0.18% Black or African American, 1.05% Native American, 1.58% Asian, 17.57% from other races, and 2.64% from two or more races. 58.00% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 223 households out of which 26.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.9% were married couples living together, 9.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.8% were non-families. 27.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.55 and the average family size was 3.13.
In the CDP the population was spread out with 23.7% under the age of 18, 7.7% from 18 to 24, 26.0% from 25 to 44, 28.6% from 45 to 64, and 13.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 96.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.4 males.
The median income for a household in the CDP was $35,938, and the median income for a family was $36,250. Males had a median income of $26,806 versus $18,594 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $18,607. About 10.1% of families and 10.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including none of those under age 18 and 26.3% of those age 65 or over.
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