Images of Colorado River State Historic Park
Colorado River State Historic Park and its collection
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The Yuma Quartermaster Depot State Historic Park, previously known as the Yuma Crossing State Historic Park, is a significant historical site located in Yuma, Arizona, US. This park is part of the Yuma Crossing and Associated Sites on the National Register of Historic Places in the Yuma Crossing National Heritage Area. It was an essential quartermaster depot during the 1870s, where goods were shipped up the Colorado River from the Gulf of California and stored at Yuma for distribution to the desert frontier forts in the Southwestern United States territories.
Historical Significance of Yuma Quartermaster Depot
The Yuma Quartermaster Depot was established by the U.S. Army in 1864 with the purpose of storing and distributing supplies to frontier army posts in what is now Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada, and Utah. The depot ensured that a six-month supply of essential goods such as ammunition, food, and clothing was always available. These goods and supplies were brought to Yuma from California aboard ships that traveled around the Baja California peninsula and up the Gulf of California to Port Isabel, Sonora at the mouth of the Colorado River.
Historic Exhibits and Features at the Park
The park features the Southern Pacific Railroad Passenger Coach Car-S.P. X7, which is separately listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This adds to the historical significance of the park. Additionally, four of the five original buildings house historic exhibits. These exhibits provide a glimpse into the history of the Colorado River, the steamboat era, and the mule wagon trains. The office of the depot quartermaster houses two exhibits, one of which is a recreation of the depot as it appeared in its heyday.
ENYuma Quartermaster Depot State Historic Park
History & Anthropology Nature & Natural History Historic house Industrial heritage Railway War