Hispanic Heritage Sites (U.S. National Park Service)
Encyclopedia
The National Park System is well endowed to commemorate Hispanic
contributions to American society. Some 20 national parklands represent America's Hispanic heritage. Some sites remotely display Hispanic contributions to American culture. The National Park System not only preserves the history and contributions of Hispanic Americans. It is also a part of the nations history. Over the years, the National Park Service has reflected the nations social history. Among the first Hispanics to influnce the course of the National Parks were:
Biologist
Early Superintendents (not fully inclusive)
Regional Directors
Hispanic
Hispanic is a term that originally denoted a relationship to Hispania, which is to say the Iberian Peninsula: Andorra, Gibraltar, Portugal and Spain. During the Modern Era, Hispanic sometimes takes on a more limited meaning, particularly in the United States, where the term means a person of ...
contributions to American society. Some 20 national parklands represent America's Hispanic heritage. Some sites remotely display Hispanic contributions to American culture. The National Park System not only preserves the history and contributions of Hispanic Americans. It is also a part of the nations history. Over the years, the National Park Service has reflected the nations social history. Among the first Hispanics to influnce the course of the National Parks were:
Biologist
- George Melendez WrightGeorge Melendez WrightGeorge Melendez Wright was an American biologist who conducted the first scientific survey of fauna for the National Park Service. He was born in San Francisco, California. Wright's Salvadoran mother Mercedes Melendez Wright was born in San Salvador, and was from one of El Salvador's most...
was born in California in 1904. In 1927, he was hired at Yosemite National Park as assistant park naturalist. Through is studies and insight, the park service moved away from the destruction of preditor to the scientific management of park plants, animals and scenery.
Early Superintendents (not fully inclusive)
- Julio Marrero-Nunez (San Juan 1962-1970);
- Edward C. Rodriquez, Jr. (Organ Pipe Cactus 1973-1975, Southern Arizona Group 1989);
- Ray G. Martinez, Jr. (Organ Pipe Cactus 1975-1979);
- Edward C. Rodriquez, Jr. (Amistad 1975-89);
- Ernest W. Ortega (Pecos 1978-80);
- José A. Cisneros (San Antonio Mission 1979-1988, Bandelier 1988-90, Gettysburg 1989-ca 1993);
- Santiago Cruz (San Juan 1980);
- Luis Garcia-Curbelo (San Juan 1980-1985);
- Robert C. Reyes (Florissant Fossil Beds 1980-83, Great Sand Dunes 1983-1988);
- David P. Herrerra (Whitman Mission 1987-1990)
- Eddie L. Lopez (Grant-Kohrs Ranch 1988-ca 1993);
- Peter G. Sanchez (act’g Haleakala 1988- ca 1993);
- Vidal V. Martinez (Sagamore Hill 1990-ca 1993);
- Edward A. Lopez (Coronado 1990-ca 1993);
Regional Directors
- Ernesto Quintana, Midwest Region (2003-date)
National Park Units
- Christiansted National Historic SiteChristiansted National Historic SiteChristiansted National Historic Site commemorates urban colonial development of the Virgin Islands. It features 18th and 19th century structures in the heart of Christiansted, the capital of the former Danish West Indies on St...
(Christiansted, United States Virgin IslandsUnited States Virgin IslandsThe Virgin Islands of the United States are a group of islands in the Caribbean that are an insular area of the United States. The islands are geographically part of the Virgin Islands archipelago and are located in the Leeward Islands of the Lesser Antilles.The U.S...
)- On Saint CroixSaint Croix, U.S. Virgin IslandsSaint Croix is an island in the Caribbean Sea, and a county and constituent district of the United States Virgin Islands , an unincorporated territory of the United States. Formerly the Danish West Indies, they were sold to the United States by Denmark in the Treaty of the Danish West Indies of...
, is the only site under United States jurisdiction to have been visited by Christopher ColumbusChristopher ColumbusChristopher Columbus was an explorer, colonizer, and navigator, born in the Republic of Genoa, in northwestern Italy. Under the auspices of the Catholic Monarchs of Spain, he completed four voyages across the Atlantic Ocean that led to general European awareness of the American continents in the...
.
- On Saint Croix
- Cabrillo National MonumentCabrillo National MonumentCabrillo National Monument is located at the southern tip of the Point Loma Peninsula in San Diego, California. It commemorates the landing of Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo at San Diego Bay on September 28, 1542. This event marked the first time that a European expedition had set foot on what later...
(San Diego, CaliforniaCaliforniaCalifornia is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
)- Juan Rodríguez CabrilloJuan Rodríguez CabrilloJuan Rodriguez Cabrillo was a Portuguese explorer noted for his exploration of the west coast of North America on behalf of Spain. Cabrillo was the first European explorer to navigate the coast of present day California in the United States...
, Portuguese explorer who claimed the West Coast of the United StatesWest Coast of the United StatesWest Coast or Pacific Coast are terms for the westernmost coastal states of the United States. The term most often refers to the states of California, Oregon, and Washington. Although not part of the contiguous United States, Alaska and Hawaii do border the Pacific Ocean but can't be included in...
for Spain in 1542, is memorialized here.
- Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo
- Castillo de San Marcos National Monument (St. Augustine, FloridaSt. Augustine, FloridaSt. Augustine is a city in the northeast section of Florida and the county seat of St. Johns County, Florida, United States. Founded in 1565 by Spanish explorer and admiral Pedro Menéndez de Avilés, it is the oldest continuously occupied European-established city and port in the continental United...
)- Construction on the oldest masonryMasonryMasonry is the building of structures from individual units laid in and bound together by mortar; the term masonry can also refer to the units themselves. The common materials of masonry construction are brick, stone, marble, granite, travertine, limestone; concrete block, glass block, stucco, and...
fort in the continental United States was started in 1672 by the Spanish to protect St. Augustine. St. Augustine is the first permanent continually-occupied settlement in the continental United States.
- Construction on the oldest masonry
- Chamizal National MemorialChamizal National MemorialChamizal National Memorial, located in El Paso, Texas, along the United States–Mexico international border, commemorates the peaceful settlement of the Chamizal boundary dispute....
(El Paso, TexasEl Paso, TexasEl Paso, is a city in and the county seat of El Paso County, Texas, United States, and lies in far West Texas. In the 2010 census, the city had a population of 649,121. It is the sixth largest city in Texas and the 19th largest city in the United States...
)- The peaceful settlement of the 99 year boundary dispute between the United States and Mexico is memorialized here. International artists present cultural exchange programs in drama, dance, and music.
- Coronado National MemorialCoronado National MemorialThe Coronado National Memorial commemorates the first organized expedition into the Southwest by conquistador Francisco Vásquez de Coronado. The memorial is located in a natural setting on the international border on the southeast flank of the Huachuca Mountains south of Sierra Vista, Arizona...
(Hereford, ArizonaHereford, ArizonaHereford is an unincorporated community in Cochise County along the San Pedro Riparian National Conservation Area in the southern part of the U.S. state of Arizona. It is south of Sierra Vista and is a part of the Sierra Vista-Douglas micropolitan area...
)- The first European exploration of the Southwest is commemorated here at the spot whether the expedition of Francisco Vázquez de Coronado in 1540 entered what is now the United States.
- De Soto National MemorialDe Soto National MemorialDe Soto National Memorial, 5 miles west of Bradenton, Florida, commemorates the 1539 landing of Hernando de Soto and the first extensive organized exploration by Europeans of what is now the southern United States.-De Soto expedition:...
(Bradenton, FloridaBradenton, FloridaBradenton is a city in Manatee County, Florida, United States. The U.S. Census Bureau estimated the city's 2007 population to be 53,471. Bradenton is the largest Principal City of the Bradenton-Sarasota-Venice, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area, which had a 2007 estimated population of 682,833...
)- The landing of Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto in 1539 and the first extensive exploration of the southern United StatesSouthern United StatesThe Southern United States—commonly referred to as the American South, Dixie, or simply the South—constitutes a large distinctive area in the southeastern and south-central United States...
by Europeans are commemorated.
- The landing of Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto in 1539 and the first extensive exploration of the southern United States
- Dry Tortugas National ParkDry Tortugas National ParkDry Tortugas National Park preserves Fort Jefferson and the Dry Tortugas section of the Florida Keys. The park covers 101 mi2 , mostly water, about 68 statute miles west of Key West in the Gulf of Mexico....
- El Morro National MonumentEl Morro National MonumentEl Morro National Monument is located on an ancient east-west trail in western New Mexico. The main feature of this National Monument is a great sandstone promontory with a pool of water at its base. As a shaded oasis in the western U.S. desert, this site has seen many centuries of travelers...
(Ramah, New MexicoRamah, New MexicoRamah is a census-designated place in McKinley County, New Mexico, United States. The population was 407 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Ramah is located at...
)- "Inscription Rock" is a soft sandstone monolith on which are carved hundreds of inscriptions. Included are inscriptions of the SpanishSpainSpain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
explorers and settlers of the American Southwest.
- "Inscription Rock" is a soft sandstone monolith on which are carved hundreds of inscriptions. Included are inscriptions of the Spanish
- Fort Matanzas National MonumentFort Matanzas National MonumentCommemorated in 1924, Fort Matanzas National Monument is a United States National Monument run by the National Park Service. The Monument consists of a 1740 Spanish fort, Fort Matanzas, and about 100 acres of salt marsh and barrier islands along the Matanzas River on the northern Atlantic coast...
(St. Augustine, FloridaSt. Augustine, FloridaSt. Augustine is a city in the northeast section of Florida and the county seat of St. Johns County, Florida, United States. Founded in 1565 by Spanish explorer and admiral Pedro Menéndez de Avilés, it is the oldest continuously occupied European-established city and port in the continental United...
)- This Spanish fort was built (1740-1742) to warn St. Augustine of British or other enemy approach from the south.
- Gulf Islands National SeashoreGulf Islands National SeashoreGulf Islands National Seashore offers recreation opportunities and preserves natural and historic resources along the Gulf of Mexico barrier islands of Florida and Mississippi. The protected regions include mainland areas and parts of 7 islands...
Bateria de San Antonio (Gulf Breeze, FloridaGulf Breeze, FloridaGulf Breeze is a city located on the Fairpoint Peninsula in Santa Rosa County, Florida, United States and is a suburb of Pensacola which lies to the north, across Pensacola Bay. The population was 5,665 at the 2000 census. As of 2005, the population estimated by the U.S. Census Bureau is 6,455. ...
)- Offshore islands have sparkling sand beaches, historic forts, and nature trails.
- Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic TrailJuan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trailthumb|325px|MAP: [[Juan Bautista de Anza]] National Historic Trail routes in [[Arizona]] and [[California]].The Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail is a National Park Service unit in the United States National Historic Trail and National Millennium Trail programs...
- Padre Island National SeashorePadre Island National SeashorePadre Island National Seashore is a National Seashore located on Padre Island off the coast of South Texas. In contrast to South Padre Island , PINS is located on North Padre Island and consists of a long beach where nature is preserved...
- Palo Alto Battlefield National Historical Park
- Pecos National Historical ParkPecos National Historical ParkPecos National Historical Park is a National Historical Park in the U.S. state of New Mexico. It is located about east of Santa Fe, New Mexico. The site was originally designated Pecos National Monument on June 28, 1965. In 1990 new lands were added to the park and the official designation was...
- Presidio of San FranciscoPresidio of San FranciscoThe Presidio of San Francisco is a park on the northern tip of the San Francisco Peninsula in San Francisco, California, within the Golden Gate National Recreation Area...
- Salinas Pueblo Missions National MonumentSalinas Pueblo Missions National MonumentThe Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monument is located in the U.S. state of New Mexico, near Mountainair. The main park visitor center is in Mountainair.-History:...
(Mountainair, New MexicoMountainair, New MexicoMountainair is a town in Torrance County, New Mexico, United States. The population was 1,116 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Albuquerque Metropolitan Statistical Area...
)- This park preserves and interprets the best remaining examples of 17th century Spanish Franciscan mission churches and coventos remaining in the United States.
- Salt River Bay National Historical Park and Ecological PreserveSalt River Bay National Historical Park and Ecological PreserveSalt River Bay National Historical Park and Ecological Preserve on the Virgin Island of St. Croix, contains the only known site where members of a Columbus expedition set foot on what is now United States territory. It also preserves upland watersheds, mangrove forests, and estuarine and marine...
- San Antonio Missions National Historical ParkSan Antonio Missions National Historical ParkSan Antonio Missions National Historical Park preserves four of the five Spanish frontier missions in San Antonio, Texas. These outposts were established by Catholic religious orders to spread Christianity among the local natives...
(San Antonio, TexasTexasTexas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
)- Four Spanish frontier missions, part of a colonization system that stretched across the Spanish Southwest in the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries are commemorated here.
- San Juan National Historic SiteSan Juan National Historic SiteSan Juan National Historic Site in San Juan, Puerto Rico, includes colonial-era forts, bastions, powder houses, and three fourths of the old city wall.-Features:The site includes four features:* Fort San Felipe del Morro* Fort San Cristóbal* El Cañuelo...
(San Juan, Puerto RicoSan Juan, Puerto RicoSan Juan , officially Municipio de la Ciudad Capital San Juan Bautista , is the capital and most populous municipality in Puerto Rico, an unincorporated territory of the United States. As of the 2010 census, it had a population of 395,326 making it the 46th-largest city under the jurisdiction of...
)- These masonry fortifications, oldest in the territorial limits of the United States, were begun by the Spaniards in the 16th century to protect a strategic harbor guarding the sea lanes to the new world.
- Tumacácori National Historical ParkTumacácori National Historical ParkTumacácori National Historical Park is located in the upper Santa Cruz River Valley of southern Arizona. The park protects the ruins of three Spanish mission communities, two of which are National Historic Landmark sites, and it also contains the Tumacácori Museum, a historic landmark building...
(Tumacacori, ArizonaTumacacori-Carmen, ArizonaIn 1766, the Spanish colonists of Tumacacori discovered silver near their mission town, immediately afterward the priests had the local Opata and Tohono O'odham native Americans begin mining, thus establishing the Opata Mine. The natives dug a large shaft and in the back had a huge room where they...
)- This historic Spanish Catholic mission building stands near the site first visited by Jesuit Father Kino in 1691.