Historic Structures Report, Bates Well Ranch, Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument
College of Architecture and Landscape Architecture, University of Arizona and Desert Southwest/Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (DS/CESU). 2007. Historic Structures Report, Bates Well Ranch, Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument. University of Arizona
The purpose of this report is to provide architectural documentation and preservation treatment recommendations for the Bates Well Ranch, Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument (ORPI) as part of a comprehensive Historic Structures Report (HSR) following the National Park Service standards as set forth in Chapter 8 ofD0-28, Cultural Resource Management Guideline. The Bates Well Ranch is located in a scenic, arid valley in the northwestern quadrant of Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument. The site exhibits buildings and structures that are characteristic of the cattle-raising pattern that developed and expanded in the international-border area that is now Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument during the early and middle decades of the twentieth century. The significance of this site is associated with the desert ranching legacy of the Gray Partnership who strongly influenced the cultural landscape of what became the Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument with fifteen sites devoted to cattleraising. The Bates Well Ranch district is listed on the National Register of Places (1994; NR#94000493) with 12 buildings and structures as contributing a whose period of significance is between 1913 and 1942, representing the beginning of the site as a cattle ranching hub with the arrival of Reuben Daniels to the buildout date of its current configuration marked by the moving of the main ranch house to Bates Well. Although the site's period of significance is focused on the early to middle decades of the twentieth century, its ranching significance is preceded by other themes of significance. These earlier themes of significance include prehistoric transportation (its location on the prehistoric shell trail between the Gulf of California and the communities of, and beyond, the Santa Cruz, San Pedro, and Salt River valleys), mining (the arrastra on site represents the existence of mining activity on the site prior to its use as a ranch) and most fundamentally, water (with nearby springs providing the reason for prehistoric crossroads and settlements as well as the historic O'odham village of Juni Kahch). Based on an assessment of other cultural sub-areas of the Monument, the Bates Well Ranch site offers an optimal concentrated setting for the comprehensive interpretation of these multiple themes of significance. The scope of this report includes the twelve contributing buildings and structures recognized by the National Register nomination in addition to three well sites, which are listed as follows: the Main Ranch House, Bunkhouse No. 1, Tack House, Hay Bam/Bunkhouse No. 2, Blacksmith's Shop, Ocotillo Shed, Small Residence, Well/Windmill 1, Well/Windmill 2, Eastern Corral, Southern Corral, Arrastra, plus the site of the original Bates Well and a 1953 windmill that were considered non-contributing elements in the National Register nomination. The overall condition of the ranch complex, including its landscape, buildings, structures, and features, is fair due to a lack of regular maintenance and the natural weathering and deterioration of building materials in extreme climates such as exists at the Bates Well Ranch. The site's remoteness from other Monument facilities, including the Kris Eggle Visitor Center, contributes to the difficulty in the management of its resources. In addition, the Border Patrol currently maintains a camp directly adjacent to the Main Ranch House that, on one hand, acts as a deterrent for unauthorized use of, and vandalism of, the site by the increasing number of Historic Structures Report- Bates Well Ranch - Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument undocumented aliens crossing through the Monument, but on the other hand, compromises the interpretative experience of the site due to the visual and aural intrusion of the camp.
- Type
- Unpublished Report
- Authors
- College of Architecture and Landscape Architecture, University of Arizona; Desert Southwest/Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (DS/CESU)
- Date of Issue
- 2007-06
- Units
- HIST , ORPI
- Keywords
- Administrative Data, Architecture, Bates Well Ranch, Chronology of Development and Use, Developmental History, ehistory, executive summary, Historical Background and Context, History, Individual Structure Assessments, Landscape, physical description, Requirements for Treatment, Sources of Information, Treatment and Use, Ultimate Treatment
- Subjects
- CRIS-HS: 056715: Bates Well and Water Tank , CRIS-HS: 056707: Bates Well Arrastra , CRIS-HS: 056716: Bates Well Boundary Fence , CRIS-HS: 056702: Bates Well Ranch Blacksmith Shop , CRIS-HS: 056704: Bates Well Ranch Cowboy Bunkhouse , CRIS-HS: 056710: Bates Well Ranch Eastern Corral , CRIS-HS: 056703: Bates Well Ranch Hay Barn , CRIS-HS: 006597: Bates Well Ranch Main House , CRIS-HS: 056706: Bates Well Ranch Saguaro Shed , CRIS-HS: 056701: Bates Well Ranch Small Residence , CRIS-HS: 056711: Bates Well Ranch Southern (West) Corral , CRIS-HS: 056705: Bates Well Ranch Tack House , CRIS-HS: 056712: Bates Well Ranch Windmill No. 1 , CRIS-HS: 056713: Bates Well Ranch Windmill No. 2 , CRIS-HS: 056714: Bates Well Ranch Windmill No. 3