List of historic properties in Yuma, Arizona
This is a list of historic properties in Yuma, Arizona, which includes a photographic gallery of some of the remaining historic structures and monuments. Yuma is the county seat of Yuma County, Arizona, United States. It is located in the southwestern corner of the state. Yuma is the site of one of the few National Historic Landmarks in the Southwest. Included in this list are photographs of some of the structures within the Yuma Downtown Historic District, the Yuma Quartermaster Depot, which today is a state historic park and the Yuma Territorial Prison  a Yuma landmark. Brief history. The area where the city of Yuma is located was once occupied by the Yuma tribe, also known as the Quechan. Hernando de Alarcón and Melchior Diaz were Spanish Conquistadors who in 1540 visited the area during the Spanish colonial expeditions. They believed that the narrow crossing of the Colorado River would be ideal for the establishment of a city. At first the relations between the Yuman and the Spaniards was cordial, however the relation between the two became hostile and the Yuman were forced to submit to the rule of the Spanish government and  most were enslaved. In 1853, Yuma ceased to be part of Mexico and became a United States Territory (New Mexico Territory) as a result of Gadsden Purchase. The United States established Fort Yuma and an influx of settlers and farmers of European descent invaded the area. The Yuma Crossing was ideal during and after the California Gold Rush to the late 1870s. It was known for its ferry crossings for the Southern Emigrant Trail. The Yuma tribe fiercely resisted the invasion of their homelands and fought against the US in the Yuma War (1850–1853). They were defeated and were forced  to move to Indian Reservations such as the one in western Yuma County in what eventually become the State of Arizona. In 1853, Arizona City, a small settlement was established on the high grounds across Fort Yuma. The settlement continued to grow and the government established the Yuma Quartermaster Depot. From 1864, the Yuma Quartermaster Depot, today a state historic park, supplied all forts in present-day Arizona, as well as large parts of Colorado and New Mexico. After Arizona became a separate territory, Yuma became the county seat for Yuma County in 1871, replacing La Paz County, the first  seat. Arizona City was renamed Yuma in 1873. Yuma County Historical Society. The mission of the Yuma County Historical Society is to preserve the structures of historic significance in the city and county of Yuma. To this end the society has teamed up with the Arizona Historical Society. They collaborated in restoration of the E. F. Sanguinetti (1867–1945) House located at 240 S. Madison Ave. It serves as the home to the Arizona Historical Society museum. Among the plans of the society is the restoration of the historic adobe Molina Block, Yuma's first commercial building. The Historic Preservation and  Architectural Design Staff works with the Design and Historic Review Commission (DHRC) to promote and protect the historic and architectural integrity of the City of Yuma. However, Yuma's preservation office does not have the ability to deny a demolition permit. Therefore, the owner of a property, listed in the National Register of Historic Places, may demolish the historical property if he or she so wishes. According to Jim McPherson, Arizona Preservation Foundation Board President: Historic properties. Historic Districts. The following three districts are considered historical by the National Register of Historic Places: Buildings. The following is a brief description  with the images of the historic buildings in Yuma. Educational institutions. The educational institutions considered historical are: Houses of religious worship. The following houses of religious worship are listed as historic: Houses. The following is brief description of the houses in Yuma which are listed as historical by the National Register of Historic Places: Yuma Pioneer Cemetery. The Yuma Pioneer Cemetery was established on June 24, 1895. It is located at 1415 1st, Avenue. Among those who are interred in the cemetery is Jack Swilling. the founder of Phoenix. He is buried in the Hodges family cemetery plot. Yuma Territorial  Prison. The Yuma Territorial Prison was a prison built by prisoners in 1875. The prison opened while Arizona was still a U.S. territory. Conditions in the prison were harsh. Some prisoners had to sleep in steel bunkbeds. The prison also has a "Dark Room" in which some prisoners were sent for solitary confinement as a formof punishment. During the next 33 years, 3,069 prisoners were incarcerated there, including 29 women. Among the notable prisoners was Jack Swilling, a.k.a. the "Father of Phoenix", who was accused and incarcerated for a crime that he did not commit. Swilling died in the prison  in 1878. Also, among those incarcerated were: The prison is one of the Yuma Crossing and Associated Sites on the National Register of Historic Places in the Yuma Crossing National Heritage Area. The site is now operated as a historical museum by Arizona State Parks as Yuma Territorial Prison State Historic Park. Yuma Quartermaster Depot. The Yuma Crossing is a site in Arizona and California that is significant for its association with transportation and communication across the Colorado River during the Spanish colonial and the American expansion eras. The Yuma Quartermaster Depot served as a historic Army supply depot that  operated during Arizona's Indian Wars period from 1865 to 1883. The supplies gathered at the quartermaster depot, which is located along the Colorado River, were shipped throughout the southwest via river boats and overland on mule team freight wagons. Up to 900 mules were kept in stables at Yuma Quartermaster Depot. Pictured are the following images related to the Yuma Crossing and the Yuma Quartermaster Depot in the Yuma Quartermaster Depot State Historic Park.