Water Towers and Standpipes of the United States of America. Sponsored by "Understanding Your Home" by building inspector Mark Visser Yuma - Arizona Yuma County. Photo © Mark Visser ..... Tower Information Location: Gila Ridge Road. Built: Height: Capacity: Missing tower data: Please contact us if you have more information. Area Information The area's first settlers for thousands of years were Native American cultures and historic tribes. Their descendants now occupy the Cocopah and Quechan reservations. In 1540, Spanish colonial expeditions under Hernando de Alarcon and Melchior Diaz visited the area and immediately recognized the natural crossing of the Colorado River as an ideal spot for a city. The Colorado River narrows to slightly under 1,000 feet wide in one area. Military expeditions that crossed the Colorado River at the Yuma Crossing include Juan Bautista de Anza (1774), the Mormon Battalion (1848) and the California Column (1862). During and after the California Gold Rush to the late 1870s, the Yuma Crossing was known for its ferry crossings for the Southern Emigrant Trail. This was considered the gateway to California, as it was one of the few natural spots where travelers could cross the otherwise very wide Colorado River. The Southern Pacific Railroad bridged the river in 1877 and acquired George Alonzo Johnson's Colorado Steam Navigation Company, the only steamboat company on the river. Resources: Wikipedia Other sites you may be interested in: Thumbnail Collection of USA Water Towers Canadian Water Towers and Standpipes Magnetic Hills in the United States of America The History of the Christian Fish Symbol Home   Back to New York Index