Arizona Congress members working to expand Coolidge monument
Jul 4, 2013, 6:36 PM | Updated: Jul 5, 2013, 1:35 pm
PHOENIX — A few Arizona members of Congress are pushing to make one of the state’s attractions a little larger.
Representatives Ann Kirkpatrick, Paul Gosar, Ed Pastor and Raul Grijalva are sponsoring a bill in Congress that would expand the Casa Grande Ruins National Monument near Coolidge.
If the bill passes, the monument would grow by 10 acres. “That’s not a lot of acreage, but it includes several key sites,” said Kirkpatrick.
Those sites include a prehistoric canal on the south side of the ruins, and a portion of an area called Adamsville. That’s a second large Hohokam Village that is located upstream from the Casa Grande ruins, and is on the National Register of Historic places.
Kirkpatrick says the ruins are a key part of Coolidge’s economy. “They estimate about 70-thousand visitors a year come to the Casa Grande Ruins National Monument,” she said. “This legislation would enhance the experience of the visitors, and strengthen the position of the National Monument as one of Arizona’s top treasures.”
The monument is considered one of the finest examples of 13th century Hohokam culture in the southwest.
