Contact Info
Yuma, AZ 85364
- Phone:
- 928-329-0471
Basics
- Location:
- Along the Colorado River in Yuma, Arizona
- Type:
- Historical Site,
State Parks
- Elevation:
- 120 feet feet
Description
The supplies were unloaded near the stone reservoir just west of the commanding officer's quarters and hauled up on a track running from the river dock through the center of the storehouse. They were shipped north on river steamers and overland by mule drawn freight wagons. The depot quartered up to 900 mules and a crew of teamsters to handle them. The Southern Pacific Railroad reached Yuma in 1877 and heralded the end of the Quartermaster Depot and Fort Yuma. The railroad reached Tucson in 1880, and the functions were moved to Fort Lowell in Tucson..The Signal Corps established a telegraph and weather station here in 1875. The supply depot was terminated by the Army in 1883, and the pumps, steam engines and equipment were sent to Fort Lowell near Tucson, but the Signal Corps remained until 1891. The U.S. Weather Service was established as a separate agency and operated at the depot site until 1949.
A few structures from the depot's active period are still standing. The commanding officer's quarters were acquired by the U.S. Customs Service c. 1908. The Bureau of Reclamation, the Boundary Commission, the Yuma County Water Users Association, and the Assistance League of Yuma have also utilized portions of the old depot during the twentieth century.
Hours + Fees
Hours:
Season:
Amenities
Amenities:
Visitor Center
Picnic Area(s)
