Casa Grande Ruins National Monument - Coolidge, AZ - National Parks (U.S.) on Waymarking.com

Not long after the time of Christ, a group of desert dwellers developed a new way of life in the desert southwest. Archeologists call them the Hohokam. As they learned to farm, the Hohokam began to build permanent villages. Casa Grande, or "Great House", was the largest known structure from Hohokam times and dates back to the 1300s.

The true purpose of Casa Grande remains a mystery. Some think it was a center of government, religion, trade or education. Others think it may have been a structure used as an astronomical observatory and calendar. The upper left of the west side of the structure features a small circular opening that aligns with the setting sun on the summer solstice. On the upper right of the same side is a square hole that aligns with the setting moon once every 18 1/2 years when it is at its extreme point in the cycle.

Casa Grande is the tallest and largest Hohokam building known, standing 35 feet tall and containing 3000 tons of caliche. Caliche is is a mixture of clay, sand, and calcium carbonate that is found in the soil of the desert. When it's dry, it is almost as hard as concrete. Also used were imported beams of pine, fir, and juniper that the Hohokam brought from over 50 miles away. These were used to support the floors and roof.

By the mid-1400s the Hohokam mysteriously disappeared. During the late 1800s people began to visit the ruins and vandalism, graffiti, and relic hunting began to occur. As as result, the federal government took over control of the land in 1892 to limit the amount of visitors and restore the ruins. A shelter was constructed over Casa Grande in 1903 to prevent further decay and allow for restoration. The site was transferred to the National Park Service in 1918. A visitor's center and supporting buildings were built in the late 1930s by the Civilian Conservation Corps and are still in use today.

State/States the Park is located...: Arizona Park Designation: Monument/Memorial Times the Visitors Center (or Park) is Open....: From: 9:00 AM To: 5:00 PM Months the Visitors Center/Park is open...: From: 01/01/2010 To: 12/31/2011 Website From the National Parks Service Page of this Waymark...: [Web Link] Are pictures included?: yes SECONDARY website.: Not listed

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