Anza Presentation

Date: February 20, 2015
Contact: Dave Carney, 520 723-3172

Casa Grande Ruins National Monument News Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE—February 20^th, 2015

Dave Carney, Chief of Interpretation and Education [phone]

Casa Grande Ruins Hosts a Program on Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail March 3^rd

COOLIDGE, AZ–In addition to our weekly Wednesday lecture, on Tuesday March 3^rd, at noon, Casa Grande Ruins National Monument will host Gabriella Furr and Rick Collins who will offer a one hour program the Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail. The talk highlights Juan Bautista de Anza's year long journey to develop an overland route from Mexico to San Francisco in 1775.

In 1775 Juan Bautista de Anza began a year long journey with 240 people intent on developing an overland route from Mexico to San Francisco to found a mission and presidio to help secure Spanish outposts in Northern California. Along the way, the Anza Trail passed through or near Nogales, Tubac, Tucson, Casa Grande, Phoenix, and Yuma. This program provides an overview of the journey and the history of the trail, as well as a short video and a question and answer period.

Gabriella Furr was born and raised in Tucson, AZ, and graduated from the University of Arizona in 2012 with a BS in Natural Resources: Wildlife Conservation and Management. After graduating, she worked in Vermont with Bat Conservation International and Texas Tech University conducting post construction surveys for bats and birds in 2013. In September of 2014, Gabriella completed an internship with Saguaro National Park and the Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail, through the Student Conservation Association (SCA), working on community engagement and outreach, and on Feb 2^nd, 2015, she became a National Park Service Ranger.

Rick Collins is the President of the Tucson Presidio Trust, which operates the Presidio San Agustín del Tucson, a museum recreation of the original Spanish fort in Tucson, Arizona. Rick has volunteered for the National Park Service for 30 years. His interest in the southwest has resulted in designing and creating costumes for the Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail, working as the technical advisor for the Anza Trail video and coordinating the Anza Trail Color Guard. He also served on the Geronimo Surrender Centennial Council, and worked in the Spanish Colonial Collections at the Arizona Historical Society. 

Casa Grande Ruins National Monument protects the multi-story Great House and the ruins of other ancient structures built by the people of the Sonoran Desert over 800 years ago. Established as the nation's first archeological reserve in 1892, the Ruins sparked the beginning of the archeological preservation movement in America. The Monument is open daily from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. except for Thanksgiving and Christmas. Directions and additional information are available on the Monument's website, you may call [phone], or follow us on Facebook.

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