Gila Bend Arizona
Gila Bend, pronounced as “hee-la,” is situated on a desert plain in southwestern Maricopa County. It is near the Hohokam Indian village. In 1699, it was visited by Father Eusebio Francisco Kino. He found that the fertile banks of the Gila River were abandoned by the early Indian tribe called the “Opas.” This tribe irrigated the Gila River and established a rancheria and raised two grain crops yearly. Spanish Captain Juan Bautista de Anza, the commander at the presidio in Tubac, and the founder of the City of San Francisco together with Father Francisco Tomas Garces visited that same rancheria in 1774. It was named as Pueblo de los Santos Apostales San Simon y Judas (Spanish for “The Blessed Apostles Saint Simon and Judas).
As noted by many travelers, Gila Bend was named as such because it is at the point on the Gila River where the river made a sweeping 90 degree bend to the west. This bend was mostly called the Big Bend or Rinconada. Though today, the city is not precisely at the bend being referred to. Presently, Gila Bend is located on Highway 85 which intersects Interstate 8 which is one of the major routes that connects Phoenix and Tucson with the Pacific Coast.
Gila Bend has a population of 2,030 as of 2004 U.S. Census. Remnants of the early civilizations that inhabited the basin are still in evidence, most of which are on display at the town museum.
