FEWKES] HISTORY 53 
HISTORY 
No prehistoric structure in the Southwest has been more ire- 
quently described and figured than Casa Grande. This venerable 
ruin is one of the few in what is now the United States that bears 
a Spanish name reaching back to the close of the seventeenth cen- 
tury. Some of the more important contributors to its history are 
mentioned in the following pages.! 
It was once believed that this celebrated rum was one of the so- 
journing places of the Aztec on their southerly migration in ancient 
times, and was generally supposed to be identical with the Chichil- 
ticalli (Aztec, ““Red House’’) mentioned by Fray Marcos de Niza 
‘in 1539 and by Pedro de Castaneda and other chroniclers of the expe- 
dition of Francisco Vasquez de Coronado in 1540-1542. There seems 
no foundation for the association of the people of Casa Grande with 
the Aztec and considerable doubt exists whether the ruin was ever 
visited by Coronado or any of his companions. 
Almost every writer on the Southwest who has dealt with the ruins 
of Arizona has introduced short references to Casa Grande, and many 
other writers have incidentally referred to it in discussing the antiqui- 
ties of Mexico and Central America. Among the former are Browne,? 
Ruxton,* and Hinton,‘ while among the latter may be mentioned Pres- 
cott,> Brantz Mayer,® Brasseur de Bourbourg,’? Humboldt,’ Mithlen- 
pfordt,® and Squier.’ 
As there are several very complete accounts of Casa Grande, and 
as these are more or less scattered through publications not accessible 
to all students, it is thought best to quote at least the earliest of 
these at considerable length. As will. be seen, most of these descrip- 
tions refer to the historic building, while only one or two shed light 
on the great compounds, which formerly made up this extensive 
settlement." 
1 The writer is indebted to Mr. F. W. Hodge, ethnologist in charge of the Bureau of American Eth- 
nology, for some of the historical material used in this portion of the present work. 
2 Browne (J. Ross), Adventures in the Apache Country, pp. 114-124, New York, 1869. 
3 Ruxton (George Frederic), Sur la migration des Anciens Mexicains; in Nouvelles Annales des Voyages, 
dme sér., t. XXMI, pp. 40, 46, 52, Paris, 1850. - 
4 Hinton (Richard J.), The Great House of Montezuma; in Harper's Weekly, xxxtt, New York, May 18, 
1889. 
5 Prescott (Wm. H.), History of the Conquest of Mexico, m1, p. 383, Philadelphia [c. 1873]. 
6 Mayer (Brantz), (1) Mexico, Aztec, Spanish, and Republican, n, p. 396, Hartford, 1853. (2) Observa- 
tions on Mexican History and Archeology; in Smithsonian Contributions to Knowledge, 1x, p. 15, Wash- 
ington, 1856. 
7 Brasseur de Bourbourg (M. l’Abbé), Histoire des nations civilisées du Mexique et de 1’Amérique- 
Centrale, t. 2, p. 197, Paris, 1858. 
8 Humboldt (Friedrich H. Alex. de), Essai politique sur le royaume de la Nouvelle-Espagne, t. 1, p. 
297, Paris, 1811. 
*’ Mihlenpfordt (Eduard), Versuch einer getreuen Schilderung der Republik Mejico, Bd. 1, p. 435, 
Hannover, 1844. 
10 Squier (E. G.), New Mexico and California; in American Review, Nov., 1848. 
ul See Winship, The Coronado Expedition, in 14th Ann. Rep. Bur. Ethnol. 
