Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1878-03-27
Alefanotia 6az&tte
WEDNESDAY EVENING, MARCH 81.
The Casa Grande.

Within twe7es miles Of Florence is situated
one of the oldest ruins in the United otateT.
According to historical records this ruin was
| first visited by explorers nearly $40 years ago.
From 1540 to ITO several adycnturers visited
tEis section of the Gila Valley each giving par.
tal and disjointed accounts of this Wono;F''
ruin. Col. r. J. Hinton in his new book Oh
Arizona devotcs several pages to this interest
irg ruin. lie describes the Casa Grande (larga
housed in detail and gives some graphic quota
tiops from tho accounts written by early explo::
rers. One is an extract from the travels OF
Father Pedro Font, who visited the CASA
Grande 10 l775. Father Font quantity says:
"Tne large house or palace of Montezuma, ac'
cordng to the histories and meager accounts
which We have from tho Indians, may have
been built some 500 years ago; tor, as 1t ap'
pears, this building was erected by the Mexl-
cans, when, during their transmlgration, the
Devil led them through various countries until
they arrived at the promised land OF MEXICO;
and 10 their sojourns which were long, they
formed towns, ard built edi6ces The land tor
a league distant surrounding this house IS par
tally covered with pieces Of pots, jars, plates.
&c,-some common and others painted OF dil'
ferent colors, white, blue. red, No., when IS
sign that this has been large town, laha6ited
by distinct people from the Pimas OF the Uil1'
who do not know how to manufacture such
eartben ware. The house forms an oblong
square facing exactly to tho four cardloal
noints-east, west, north aud south; and round
about it there arc ruins indicating fence or
wall which surrounded the house and other
bulldogs; particularly in the corners where 1t
appears there has been some edhce like an
interior castle or watch tower Tho exterior
walls extend from north to south 42O leet,, and
from east to west 260 feet The interior OF the
house consists of five halls, the three middle
ones being OF one size and the extreme ones
longer The three middle ones are 2G feet In
length and 10 feet in breadth. The two ex
treme ones are SO feet long and II feet VIDE.
This old ruin is of course much reduced by
the action of wind and rain during the long
wears it has bcon standing. The walls arc be-
ING undermined below and worn away at the
tor and unless something is done soon to pre-
serve it, the Casa Grand will be only thlrg
of record. :,
Colonel Charles D. Poston of the Florcnct;
Land Office has addressed letter to General
Wilcox, Commanding the Department o.
Arizona, suggesting 10 him the proprety OF
taking this ruin under military superVlslon.-
Col. Poston suggests that lnasmucn as thc
Casa Grande is on section OF reserved gov
ernment laud, Gen. Wilcox could very prop
erly resolve it into a picket post and repair
the ruin so as to afford quarters tor an otncer
and few men. The meu stationed here could
be utilized as couricrs and ready force to
pursue mail robbers, 80.
Whatever view Gen. Wilcox may take OF
this matter we trust some steps will be taken
to preserve this famous and Interesting monu'
meut Of the greatness of other days.-An:ona
Tjji-pn