Arizona State Parks

Arizona State Parks - Press Release

ARIZONA STATE PARKS
For Immediate Release
Managing and conserving Arizona's natural, cultural and recreational resources for the benefit of the people, both in our Parks and through our Partnerships.
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Ellen Bilbrey at (602) 542-1996 or (602) 228-8518, or Monica Enriquez at (602) 542-6997, both at... pio at azstateparks.gov
****************

Yuma Crossing State Historic Park Becomes
Yuma Quartermaster Depot State Historic Park

(Phoenix, Arizona - July 13, 2007) - As of July 1, 2007, Yuma Crossing State Historic Park became known as Yuma Quartermaster Depot State Historic Park. Along with this change, the locomotive at this state park will be moving over to Madison Avenue. The Park will be upgrading all the exhibits and interpretive planning will be coordinated to blend with surrounding historic issues and programming.

Arizona State Parks has adopted the Heritage Area's Master Interpretation Plan for Yuma Crossing State Historic Park called "The Colorado River: Supply and Defense of the Southwest." This new interpretive theme allows the park to highlight its historic fiber (the U.S. Army's Yuma Quartermaster Depot from 1864 to 1883, and those subsequent users: the Bureau of Reclamation, Yuma County Water Users Association, Weather Service, U.S. Customs Service, and the U.S. Water And Boundary Commission). An Exhibit Master Plan is currently under way to develop new exhibits for the military storehouse and visitor center/contact station. These new exhibits will focus on the Colorado River, its historic, and current uses. The exhibits will highlight steamboating, the development of Arizona (both military and civilian); the U.S. Army, especially the Quartermaster Depot in the development of Arizona, and the U.S. Army during the Civil War, including the utilization of Fort Yuma. Exhibits will feature current and future uses of the river, the Yuma Project, All American Canal, Mexican water deliveries, the Salton Sea recovery issues, revegetation projects along the river, and native species.

The Southern Pacific locomotive is moving to Madison Avenue. In its place, State Parks is proposing a full size replica of Lt. Ives' 1857 steamboat, "Explorer." In addition, an interim education/exhibit area will be put into place. That exhibit will be an army tent encampment, much like that used by the boundary surveyors in 1848, the first Fort Yuma in 1852, and the California Column in 1862. It is also hoped that a 12-pound mountain howitzer will be obtained to do daily demonstrations on firing the cannon.

Working with our friends and partners: the City of Yuma, Yuma Crossing National Heritage Area, The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, Arizona State Historical Society, U.S. Army's Museums and the Yuma Proving Grounds Heritage Center, it is hoped that the new direction will be both informative and educational for the visitor, and also be a benefit to the historic north end of Yuma.

Yuma Crossing State Historic Park came into existence in 1996 after the abolishment of the Yuma Crossing Foundation. Arizona State Parks and the City of Yuma entered into an agreement to develop the old Quartermaster Depot State Park into the Yuma Crossing State Historic Park with a theme of "Transportation Through Time: 450 Years of History at the Crossing." Several events have transpired in the past five years that have made the original interpretive theme hard to fulfill including the sale of several loaned artifacts and the return of them to their new owner; the fact that there is no river crossing point on the park grounds; and the formation of the Yuma Crossing National Heritage Area in 2002.

For more information about Yuma Quartermaster Depot State Historic Park call the park at (928) 329-0471. Park entrance fees are $3 per person for ages 14 and up; children aged 13 and younger are free when accompanied by an adult. The park is located at 201 N. 4th Avenue in Yuma, Arizona.

For information about Arizona State Parks call (602) 542-4174 (outside of the Phoenix metro area call toll-free (800) 285-3703) or visit the website at www.azstateparks.com.

-end-

 | What's New | State Parks | Partnerships | Grant Programs | Off-Highway Vehicle |
| Planning | State Historic Preservation Office | Trails Program | Gift Shop |
| Employment | Comments | Site Map |
Unless otherwise noted, all images on this website are copyright Arizona State Parks.