BB, Henri and Me: Presidio of Santa Cruz de Terrenate Hike: January 5, 2014

For our first hike of the new year, BB, Henri and I made the short trip from TTRV to the trailhead to the Presidio of Santa Cruz de Terrenate.

While there is not a lot of the Presidio left, there have been extensive archeological explorations by the Amerind Foundation, and there are still some visual signs of the building and structures which once overlooked the San Pedro River. The Presidio is on land administered by the Bureau of Land Management, and several interpretative stations have been placed at the site to illustrate the layout of the presidio and retain some of the rich history of this vain attempt by the Spaniards to provide protection in this harsh land.

BLM Description of the Site

The Presidio site was originally by an Irish mercenary in 1775. The spot he chose was on a bluff overlooking the San Pedro River, which seemed defensible with natural fortifications, pasturage for the animals, and wood and water.

An excellent source of information on the Presidio can be found at this link. Construction began in 1776, the same year the American Revolution began. With the commander, Francisco Tovar, came 56 men, 352 horses, and 51 mules. The men were termed "leather jacket calvary" and had 6 horses each, a pair of pistols, musket, sword and lance. The original group likely contained civilians and family members as well.

It wasn't long before the native Apaches took exception to their presence and began to harass the settlement, and steal their horses with considerable success. The Apaches were so successful with their raid on Presidio Terrenate that when they raided the Gila River Pima villages, the Apaches were disguised as soldiers in leather jackets wearing Spanish-styled hats.

In July 1776, a battle left the commander and twenty-nine of his men dead. Even with a new commander, and reinforcements of both men and weapons, the Spanish concluded that the Presidio should be moved due to poor communications, extreme isolation, and the difficulty in supplying the Presidio. Presidio Santa Cruz de Terrenate was abandoned in 1780.

Here are some pictures from our hike to the Presidio.