News

Sep

2019

Name Dropper, Lisa Dickson

The Yuma Crossing National Heritage Area has welcomed Lisa Dickson to the team as the executive assistant specializing in development.

Sep

2019

Yuma Territorial Prison Best Haunted Destination in the Country

The legend says that many years ago a little girl in a red dress trying to retrieve her doll from the Colorado River drowned. She now haunts the Yuma Territorial Historic Prison, and if she doesn’t like a visitor or if a person is wearing red, the little girl will pinch the visitor.

Stories like this one have long given the state historic park a reputation as one of the most “haunted” places in the United States. Now it’s official: USA Today readers have voted the historic prison as the “Best Haunted Destination” in the nation.

The Yuma prison faced stiff competition, going up against destinations with sinister-sounding names such as the Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum in Weston, West Virginia, the Villisca Axe Murder House in Villisca, Iowa, and the Queen Mary, which is docked in Long Beach, California, and has an established reputation as being haunted.

Jul

2019

Spanish Events at local State Parks

The Latino community in Yuma is invited to enjoy and connect with the great outdoors during the sixth annual Latino Conservation Week, which began Saturday and runs through July 21.

In partnership with the Hispanic Access Foundation, the Yuma Crossing National Heritage Area is hosting two events, a Spanish presentation on the conservation efforts in Yuma at 10 a.m. Tuesday at the Colorado River State Historic Park, 201 N. 4th Ave., and a Spanish tour of the Yuma Territorial Prison State Historic Park, 220 Prison Hill Road, at 9:30 a.m. Thursday.

The Spanish presentations are part of an effort by the YCNHA, which oversees both state parks, to reach more Hispanics. The YCNHA earlier this year formed an Hispanic Advisory Committee, comprised of community members, to finds ways to connect more with Hispanics, which make up more than 60 percent of the local population.

Jul

2019

First prisoners Yuma inmates built their own cells in 1876

Monday marked a historic day for the Yuma Territorial Prison. The first inmates entered the prison on July 1, 1876, and built their own cells.

Soon after arriving in Yuma, seven prisoners from across Arizona started constructing the first two-and-a-half cells with rock. During the day, they toiled under the heat of the sun and at night they were locked up at the Yuma County Jail on Main Street.

Prisoner No. 1 was William Ball of Tucson. He had been sentenced to life for second-degree murder. He was released upon pardon by Acting Gov. H.W. Van Armand on July 24, 1884, but he returned twice more as Prisoner No. 414 and 581 for grand larceny.

Jun

2019

Yuma Crossing's Executive Director Travels to D.C.

While Yuma Mayor Doug Nicholls was in Washington, D.C., Wednesday to testify about the migrant crisis in front of the House Budget Committee, Lowell Perry Jr. of the Yuma Crossing National Heritage Area was also in the nation’s capital to lobby for more funding for his and other heritage areas.

Perry said Nicholls got to sit in with him on his meetings with Sens. Kyrsten Sinema and Martha McSally, after Perry watched part of the mayor’s testimony. “We’ve had quite a day so far, and it’s been very productive,” he said Wednesday afternoon.

Mar

2019

Local group puts focus on Hispanic community

Members of the Yuma Crossing National Heritage Area Hispanic Advisory Committee meet on Jan. 18 to discuss ideas on how to reach South County residents and Yuma's youth. Pictured (from left) are Luciano Munoz, Yuma School District One; Miriam Limon, AEA Federal Credit Union; Jackie Filatoff, YCNHA; Sarah Halligan, YCNHA; Veronica Shorr, Arizona Community Foundation; Miguel Salcedo, ACF; Tania Pavlak, Yuma County Chamber of Commerce; and Vianey Avila (kneeling), YCNHA. Not pictured: Emilia Cortez, YCNHA and Yuma County Girl Scouts of Southern Arizona; Angelica Roldan, Somerton; and James Shedahl, Yuma School District One.

Photo courtesy of Yuma Crossing National Heritage Area
With Hispanics making up more than 60 percent of the local population, the Yuma Crossing National Heritage Area has initiated efforts to connect with this segment of the community. The organization has formed an Hispanic Advisory Committee, comprised of community members, to explore ways of reaching Hispanics.

“We’re a border community, and we need to pull locals to help us spread the word,” said Sarah Halligan, communications specialist for the Heritage Area.

“We are promoting Yuma’s history, and local Latinos have a part in that history,” noted Lowell Perry Jr., the organization’s executive director. However, Perry added, “It’s not for the National Heritage Area to say how their story should be told.”

https://www.yumasun.com/news/local-group-puts-focus-on-hispanic-community/article_c1541292-3c91-11e9-9f8e-976a1ef5a1ac.html

Jan

2019

Assistance League Honors Charter Members

Press Release
For Immediate Release
January 7th, 2019

Yuma, AZ - On Wednesday, January 9th , the Colorado River State Historic Park will be hosting a special meeting of the Assistance League of Yuma, which will be honoring two of their founding guild members.

The Colorado River State Historic Park (CRSHP) and the Assistance League of Yuma (ALY) have a long relationship that stretches back to the organization’s beginnings. In 1966, 56 women came together to form the Yuma Guild of the National Assistance League, becoming only the third guild in Arizona.

Dec

2018

1st Annual Christmas on the Colorado

Colorado River State Historic Park

December 9th, 2018 - 3:00 pm – 8:00 pm

The Yuma Crossing National Heritage Area hosted the 1st Annual Christmas on the Colorado this December to help local families make memories. The YCNHA partnered with different businesses within the community to provide different stations or the families. Artsy Fartsy provided an ornament craft, Desert Bee Photography took photos of families and children meeting Santa, Yuma’s Childrens Museum participated in the letters to Santa, Anime Face Painting decorated the children’s faces with holiday pictures, AEA sponsored the movie “The Polar Express” and Back in Time Pie and Tea Shoppe provided goodies for all. The event was very successful and we are looking forward to next year.

Nov

2018

Charles Flynn Trail Dedication

November 9th, 2018 - 2:00 pm

Gateway Park

At the forefront of efforts to restore and develop the riverfront was Charles Flynn, who served almost two decades as executive director of the heritage area.

Flynn retired this past summer, and he and wife Ann Walker moved to Philadelphia, Pa., to be closer to their first grandchild.

Leaders and citizens recognized Flynn’s accomplishments and service to the community and the heritage area with the dedication of the "Charles Flynn Riverfront Trail." The dedication ceremony and monument unveiling were held Nov. 9 at Gateway Park. The trail runs from the West Wetlands area throughout the East Wetlands.

Nov

2018

The Gowan Grove Project

The Yuma Crossing National Heritage Area, City of Yuma and over 500 Gowan employees from 11 different countries including the U.S., planted 740 trees alongside the Colorado River at the new Gowan Grove next to Playa Linda Beach in the West Wetlands today. Thank you for everyone's collaboration and partnerships on making this event happen.