Casa Grande Ruin | Page 2

the authentic history of the ruin
commences.
In 1694 the Jesuit Father Kino heard of the ruin, and later in the same
year visited it and said mass within its walls. His secretary and usual
companion on his missionary journeys, Mange by name, was not with
him on this occasion, but in 1697 another visit was paid to the ruin and
the description recorded by Mange[1] in his diary heads the long list of
accounts extending down to the present time.[2] Mange describes the
ruin as consisting of--
A large edifice, the principal room in the center being four stories high,
and those adjoining it on its four sides three stories, with walls 2 varas
thick, of strong argamaso y baro (adobe) so smooth on the inside that
they resemble planed boards, and so polished that they shine like
Puebla pottery.
[Footnote 1: An English translation is given by H. H. Bancroft, Works,
iv, p. 622, note. Also by Bartlett, Personal Narrative, 1854, vol. ii, pp.
281-282; another was published by Schoolcraft, Hist. Cond. and Pros.
of Am. Ind., vol. iii, 1853, p. 301.]
[Footnote 2: Quite an extensive list is given by Bancroft (op. cit., pp.
622-625, notes), and by Bandelier in Papers Arch. Inst. of Amer.,
American series, i, p. 11, note.]

Mange also gives some details of construction, and states that in the
immediate vicinity there were remains of twelve other buildings, the
walls half fallen and the roofs burned out.
Following Mange's account there were a number of descriptions of no
special value, and a more useful one written by Padre Font, who in
1775 and 1776 made a journey to Gila and Colorado rivers and beyond.
This description[1] is quite circumstantial and is of especial interest
because it formed the basis of nearly all the accounts written up to the
time when that country came into our possession. According to this
authority--
The house forms an oblong square, facing exactly the four cardinal
points, and round about it there are ruins indicating a fence or wall
which surrounded the house and other buildings. The exterior or plaza
extends north and south 420 feet and east and west 260 feet.
[Footnote 1: A number of copies of Font's Journal are known. Bancroft
gives a partial translation in op. cit., p. 623, note, as does also Bartlett
(op. cit., pp. 278-280); and a French translation is given by Ternaux
Compans, ix, Voyages de Cibola, appendix.]
Font measured the five rooms of the main building, and recorded many
interesting details. It will be noticed that he described a surrounding
wall inclosing a comparatively large area; and nearly all the writers
who published accounts prior to our conquest of the country in 1846
based their descriptions on Font's journal and erroneously applied his
measurement of the supposed circumscribing wall to the Casa Grande
proper.
The conquest of the country by the "Army of the West" attracted
attention anew to the ruin, through the descriptions of Colonel Emory
and Captain Johnston. The expedition passed up the Gila valley, and
Colonel Emory, in his journal, gives a fanciful illustration and a slight
description. The journal of Captain Johnston contained a somewhat
better description and a rough but fairly good sketch. The best
description of that period, however, was that given by John Russell
Bartlett, in his "Personal Narrative," published in 1854.

Bartlett observed that the ruin consists of three buildings, "all included
within an area of 150 yards." He described these buildings and gave
ground plans of two of them and elevations of the principal structure.
He also gave a translation of a portion of Font's journal, as well as the
previous description of Mange. He surmised that the central room of
the main building, and perhaps the whole structure, was used for the
storage of corn.
Bartlett's account held place for nearly thirty years as the main reliance
of compilers, and it forms today one of the most circumstantial and
comprehensive descriptions extant. Other descriptions appeared at
intervals of a few years, some compiled from Bartlett and Font, others
based on personal observation, but none of them containing anything
new, until the account of Mr. A. F. Bandelier, published some ten years
ago,[1] is reached.
[Footnote 1: Archæological Inst. of Amer., 5th Ann. Rep., 1884.]
Mr. Bandelier described the large group, of which the Casa Grande
forms a part, and gave its dimensions as 400 meters (1,300 feet) north
and south by 200 meters (650 feet) east and west. He also described
and gave measurements of the Casa Grande proper and discusses its
place in the field of aboriginal architecture. In a later publication[1] he
discussed the ruin at somewhat greater length, and presented also a
rough sketch plan of the group and ground plans of the Casa Grande
and of the