SOIL SURVEY OF THE MIDDLE GILA VALLEY, ARIZONA. 7 



covers only about 350 square miles in Pinal County, whose total ex- 

 tent is 5,380 square miles, it includes by far the most thickly settled 

 part of the county. The number of Indians in 1910 on that part of 

 the Gila Eiver Indian Reservation in Pinal County was 2,970, or 

 about one-third the total population of the county. About 64 per 

 cent of the total population is white. There are a few Negroes, 

 Chinese, and Japanese. About 46 per cent of the population consists 

 of native white j^ersons and 18 per cent of foreign-born white per- 

 sons. Of the foreign born, people from Mexico :k>rm by far the 

 largest num])er, the Mexicans numbering 1,360 in 1910. 



The population of the cities and towms is made up chiefly of white 

 persons. The Indian population is of the Pima tribe and confined 

 almost entirely to the reservation. Most of the younger Indians have 

 had some education in the schools maintained by the Government 

 and are able to use the English language. The Mexican population 

 speaks Spanish. 



Cities and towns in the Middle Gila Valley area are few and small. 

 Florence and Casa Grande are the only incorporated places. Saca- 

 ton, an Indian village, the location of the Indian Agency and of an 

 experimental station maintained by the United States Department 

 of Agriculture, lies within the area covered by the survey. Black- 

 water, Casa Blanca, Santan, and Sweetwater are the most important 

 of the Indian villages within the reservation. Florence, with a popu- 

 lation of 807, is the largest town in the area and the county seat of 

 Pinal County. Casa Grande is the principal railroad and shipping 

 point of the area. Sacate is a station on the Arizona Eastern Rail- 

 road, in the western part of the area. 



Three railroad lines touch the area, but none traverse it for any 

 distance. The Southern Pacific Railroad cuts across the extreme 

 southwestern part, passing through Casa Grande. The Arizona 

 Eastern Railroad crosses the extreme western portion. Florence has 

 access to a branch of the latter railroad which follows the north 

 bank of the Gila River in this part of the area. The town is on the 

 south side of the stream, and during flood periods shipping from this 

 point is sometimes delayed and frequently hazardous. 



Some work has been done on public roads in this area, but large 

 tracts are still without roads. During dry weather most of the roads 

 are readily passable, but in the rainy season travel is frequently very 

 difficult. There are no bridges across the Gila River at the present 

 time and fording is often impossible. 



The products raised in the Middle Gila Valley area are mostly 

 of nonperishable nature and suitable for shipment with ordinary 

 facilities. In many places farming has not been undertaken or is not 

 sufficiently well developed to meet the local demands for agi'icultural 

 products, which must be brought from outside points. 



