Arivaca
History/ Websites/ Books/ Manuscripts

"In T.21 S., R. 10 E. Old ranch town and mining headquarters on Aravaipa creek. "A Piman word and former Piman village west of Tubac dating from prior to 1833. Abandoned during Pima revolt, 1751." Hodge. Reduction works of the Cerro Colorado or Heintzelman mine were located here, 1880. Dan Ming in Scientific and Mining Press says: "There was an Arivaipa mine in the Santa Ritas in 1857. The Spanish spelled it 'Aribac'" Bancroft says:" Aribac or Arivaca appears on a doubtful map of 1733 as a Pueblo." Post office established April 10, 1878, Noah W. Bernard Post Master."

Barnes, Will C.; Granger, Byrd (ed.) Arizona Place Names University of Arizona Press. 1997 P. 25-26

"Pima:Alivapk="little reeds"

Tohono O'odham="a-ar-e-wai-pi="children's wells" or are vaxr="small swamp"

The origin of the name Arivaca remains obscure, but many explanations have been advanced for it. Mrs. Mary B. Aguirre, who arrived in Arizona c.1869, said it was a Papago Indian name, hijovajilla("son of the great valley"), and the great valley being the wide "avri" valley. On the other hand, Isaac D. Smith in his manuscript history sadi the name was an Indian one meaning "rotten ground". Kirk Bryan advanced the hypothesis that the name was a Mexican corruption of the Indian Alivapk, in which vapk indicated "reeds", plus ali, meaning "little". Riggs says Ali-Bac means "where little people dig holes," the "people" being the way Papago refer to animals. Whatever its origin, the name is very old, appearing as the Indian village of Aribac (or Arivaca) on a map dated 1773. As a direct result of the Pima Indian Revolt in 1751, it was deserted. Mines near it continued to be worked by the Spanish until 1767. In 1812 Agustin Ortiz petitioned for two farming lots of the Aribac Ranch. His petition having been granted, the land was surveyed and auctioned October 10, 1812. Ortiz was the successful bidder at $799.59. He never received title to the land, but hissons obtained the title in 1833 by providing their father had paid for the land. The place was deserted in 1835. Tomas sold his share to his brother Ignacio on June 7, 1856 for $500.00. In December 1856 Charles Debrille Poston noted in his Journal that he had bought hte place from Tomas and Ignacio Ortiz for $10,000. The reduction works for the Heintzelman (Cerro Colorado) Mine were then erected at Arivaca. Later still the Court of Private Land Claims disallowed the Arivaca Land Grant, today a thriving settlement."

Barnes, Will C.; Granger, Byrd (ed.) Arizona's names : X marks the place Falconer Pub. Co. : distributed by Treasure Chest Publications, c1983. P. 20-30

Websites

Arizona Department of Commerce Community Profiles- Arivica
http://www.commerce.state.az.us/pdf/commasst/comm/arivaca.pdf

Arizona Ghost Towns- Arivica
http://www.ghosttowns.com/states/az/arivaca.html

Green Valley News & Sun
http://www.gvnews.com/

Pecos Rio Grande Museum of Early Man
http://www.pecosrio.com/

Caviglia-Arivaca Branch Library
P.O. Box 668, 17050 W. Arivaca Rd., Arivaca, AZ 85601-0668
http://www.lib.ci.tucson.az.us/arivaca.htm
 

Books/Manuscripts

Archaeological excavations at the Arivaca Wash Cemetery, AZ DD:7:26 (ASM), Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge / J. Homer Thiel, Penny Dufoe Minturn, Lorrie Lincoln-Babb ; contributions by Lisa Huckel
F817 .P5 T55x 1995

Items found in the Arizona and Southwest Index

Connections (Newspaper)
FE EPH P-60

Arivaca (Arizona) Briefs; 1950
CE EPH DTO-ARIVACA.1

History of the Arivaca Ranch; 1701-1856
CM MSM-101

Arivaca, Arizona clippings
FE EPH DTO-ARIVACA


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Last Updated: July 5, 2002
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