Chris Throgmartin Official Web Site

Casa Grande Ruins

For some people, especially those who are like me, its hard to fathom the struggles of those who lived in the year 1200 AD. We recently visited the ruins at Casa Grande and as I stood and looked over what is now left of this community of Hohokum, I am just amazed at how they improvised, adapted and lived off the desert land. As a matter of fact, these people flourished at one time before disappearing a couple hundred years ago. No one knows exactly what happened to them. Was it a disease ? Drought ? Or something else that seemed to take these people from a viable existence to being extinct ? One thing is for sure, these people knew how to carve out a life with very little and lived within a wonderful community. I wanted to post a few of the pictures I took at the ruins for everyone to see.

Also included on this page are some pictures of a desert region on the Gila Bend Indian Reservation that we went 4 wheeling into. We walked around and climbed a small foothill and really enjoyed the scenery. Its a far departure from the lush green scenery we are used to in TN. The great thing about our little hike was - the rattlesnakes were all hibernating. :)

Enjoy the pic's !


Chris & Ally at the Ruins	This is the community building of the Hohokums. A metal structure has been built over the top to preserve the ruins. In the bottom corner of the picture is a rounded wall, this used to be a home of a Hohokum family.

This is another view of the main community building.	Chris at the ruins.

Yikes, these cactus do have some thorns on them don't they ?	The desert at Gila Bend Indian Reservation. We drove back into the desert to the bottom of a foothill on what some call a road.... ( Yeah Right ).

A view of some of the cactus and vegetation.	When you look at the rock formations you see allot of quartz blended into the rocks. There is some beauty in the rock structures. One other thing you look for are snakes. :)

The unimproved road.	A view from atop one of the foothills.

Ally inspecting a fossil / cactus plant. These things when dead are filled with fossil like holes. People use them as decorations in their gardens	Posing with some of the vegetation. These are the plants that when they die have hollow branches that are filled with holes.

And all my friends have claimed I am the biggest prick in the world. Well guess what guy's, I found a bigger one. :)	Just thinking and looking out over the desert.