[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 32 (Wednesday, February 26, 2014)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E248]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               IN HONOR OF THE CITY OF YUMA'S CENTENNIAL

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. PAUL A. GOSAR

                               of arizona

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, February 26, 2014

  Mr. GOSAR. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the centennial of 
Yuma, Arizona. Though it has been a city for 100 years, Yuma has a long 
and storied history. The Colorado River, on the banks of which Yuma 
lies, has had a shaping influence on the city and is an essential part 
of its history. Not only did the Colorado bring the area's first 
European visitors--Spanish explorers who sailed up the river in 1540 
and discovered a thriving Native American village on its banks--it is 
also the reason for the very existence of the city.
   Today it is the river's water that is most important to this desert 
city, providing drinking water to its residents and irrigation water to 
its surrounding farms. Because of the ample sunshine, the plentiful 
irrigation, and the rich soil, Yuma County, of which Yuma is the county 
seat, is the winter vegetable capital of the world: 90% of the 
country's leafy vegetables are grown there from November to March.
   Prior to the early 1900s, however, it was the physical presence of 
the river that shaped Yuma. Though today the river is tame at Yuma, 
prior to the early 1900s the Colorado's banks were in constant flux, 
stretching up to 15 miles across at times. This made crossing the river 
a challenge. There was one point, however, at which 2 outcroppings made 
the river narrow. It was at this strategic point, called the Yuma 
Crossing, where the Native American settlement that would become Yuma 
was first established.
   Variously known as Colorado City and Arizona City, the city at Yuma 
Crossing was incorporated under the laws of the State of Arizona in 
1914. The Yuma Crossing was used by thousands of people during the 
California gold rush, establishing the site's importance in American 
history. Eventually the US Army built a fort at Yuma and used it as a 
supply base for its southwestern operations. Yuma was also the site of 
the infamous Arizona Territorial Prison, emblematic of the Wild West.
   From its original Native American settlers to its Wild West days, 
Yuma's story is part of the American story. It has been an incorporated 
city for 100 years. Here's to 100 more.

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