Calabazas & the Penningtons of Arizona
The old mission at Calabazas continued to be used in various ways for many years after being abandonded by the Catholic Church. It was occupied by the Pennington family in 1858. Earlier it had been a ranching HQ for Sonoran governor Manuel Gandara who built additiions on the old church. After the Gadsden purchase U S Army Major Enoch Steen established camp Moore there & then moved the post to Ft Buchanan on Sonoita creek. A U S customs house was established there when the Penningtons cohabitated in 58'.
The Penningtons were a family of 14 enroute to the California gold fields when daughter Larcena became ill near what is now Benson & they sought medical aid at Ft Buchanan. Father Elias liked the land & decided to stay in the area.
At Calabazas they had to carry water up a steep trail from the river. Jane Pennington described the house they lived in as built around a courtyard containing an arrastra. While the family stayed at the hacienda brother Jack returned with his friend Hank Smith. They had been working at the Overland stage station at Gila Bend. One can imagine the many Penningtons sitting around the courtyard overlooking the river listening to the youths tell of their recent escape from Indians.
While there Hank took the enticing pay of $5 a day from the customs house to ride the line on lookout for smugglers & Indians. Southern Arizona was so isolated that Sonora was often the only source of supplies for impoverished Americans struggling to survive.
Calabazas in 1913, looking much as when the Penningtons were there.
Larcena Pennington
Jack Pennington, (L) & Hank Smith,(R)
Mary Frances,(L) & Amanda Jane Pennington,(R)
Last edited by Vulture; 02-14-2009 at 03:26 PM.
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