Guevavi is a name derived from the O’odham word, gi-vavhia, meaning “big well” or “big spring.” This settlement of O’odham Indians was first visited in January 1691 by Jesuit Fathers Kino and Salvatierra. They established it as a mission, naming it San Gabriel de Guevavi. Subsequent missionaries called it San Rafael and San Miguel, resulting in the common historical name of Los Santos Ángeles de Guevavi.
In 1701, Guevavi was established as a district headquarters and Juan de San Martin was assigned as the first resident priest. A small church was started that same year. Father San Martin left in 1703. Fathers Agustín de Campos and Luis Xavier Velarde visited occasionally after that. Father Grazhoffer, in 1732, reestablished Guevavi as cabecera and completed the church. Unfortunately, he died the following year - possibly of poison. Father Garrucho, resident priest from 1745 to 1751, recorded 148 burials, many from disease. In 1751, Father Garrucho contracted the building of a 15 foot by 50 foot church, the ruins of which still exist today.
The first captain of the Tubac presidio, Juan Tómas de Beldarrain, was wounded by Seri Indians and died at Guevavi. His body lies buried beneath the altar steps of the church. The mother of Captain Juan Bautista de Anza, Beldarrain’s replacement, is also buried in front of the altar.
The Pima revolt of 1751, later Apache raids, disease, and the removal of the Jesuits in 1767 caused much disruption to mission life. The first Franciscan, Juan Crisóstomo Gil de Bernabé, arrived in 1768 and began the mission with about fifty families. Unfortunately the Apaches attacked in 1769 and killed all but two of the few Spanish soldiers guarding the mission. In 1770 and 1771, the Apaches continued their attacks and the cabecera was moved to Tumacácori. Antonio de los Reyes, Bishop of Sonora, on 6 July 1772 wrote a report on the condition of the missions in the Upper and Lower Pimeria Alta. Following is his report on Los Santos Angeles de Guevavi as translated by Father Kieran McCarty:
The village of Guevavi is situated on a open and fertile plain beside an arroyo with good land where the Indians cultivate their individual fields of wheat, Indian corn, other crops, and one small community farm. The church on the inside is adorned with two altars and a small side chapel with paintings in gilded frames. In the sacristy are three chalices, two dishes with cruets, one pyx, a ciborium, a censer, and a baptismal shell - all silver - vestments of every kind and color and other ornaments for the altar and divine services. According to the census book, which I have here before me, there are nineteen married couples, five widowers, seven widows, twelve orphans, the number of should in all eighty-six.
Guevavi was abandoned for the last time in 1775. After sitting forlornly abandoned since the 1770s, Guevavi’s ruins were added to Tumacácori National Historical Park in 1990. The late Ralph Wingfield, a local rancher, donated the ruins to the Archaeological Conservancy which, in turn, donated it to the National Park Service.
