CASA GRANDE, ARIZONA 
By JEssE Wiatia FEWKES 
INTRODUCTION 
The ruin known by the Spanish name Casa Grande, ‘‘Great House,” 
is situated near the left bank of the Gila River about 12 miles from 
the site of the present town of Florence, Ariz. Immediately after 
the discovery of Casa Grande by Father Kino, in 1694, there arose a 
legend, which became persistent, that it was one of the halting places 
of the Aztec on their way south, or that it was connected in some way 
with the southern migrations of Mexican tribes. We find it desig- 
nated also, in early, and even in later writings, Casa Montezuma, or 
the House of Montezuma, a name that in late years has passed prac- 
tically out of use, the ruin being now universally known, among both 
Americans and Mexicans, as Casa Grande, the name given it by 
Father Kino. The Pima Indians, who dwell in the neighborhood, 
claim Casa Grande as the habitation of one of their ancient chiefs, 
and designate it by several names, among which are Vaaki, Old . 
House; Civanavaaki, Old House of the Chief; and Sialim Civanavaaki, 
Old House of Chief Morning Green. 
Casa Grande was a ruin when discovered and has not been perma- 
nently inhabited since it was first seen by a white man. The identity 
of its builders has furnished a constant theme for speculation from the 
discovery of the ruin to the present time. Although it has been 
ascribed to the Aztec, there is no evidence that the ancient people 
who inhabited this building were closely related to any tribes of the 
Mexican plateau, whose culture, as indicated by archeologic remains, 
was different from that of the Pueblos, or sedentary tribes of New 
Mexico and Arizona. The age of Casa Grande and contiguous 
remains is unknown, but there is good reason to believe that settle- 
ments on their site were older than most of the present pueblos or 
cliff-dwellings. The Pima claim, however, that it is not so old as 
ruins of the same general character situated near Phoenix, on Salt 
River, a slfort distance from its junction with the Gila. 
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