Casa Grande Ruin Thirteenth Annual Report of the Bureau of Ethnology to the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, 1891-92, Government Printing Office, Washington, 1896, pages 289-318

The report opens with a clear sense of place, describing the Casa Grande ruin perched beside the Gila River in southern Arizona. It explains why this striking stone-and‑adobe complex has become a cornerstone for anyone studying American antiquities, noting the bewildering range of size estimates that have haunted earlier scholars. By laying out the gaps in past measurements and plans, the author sets the stage for a fresh, systematic survey of the structure and its surrounding group.

Readers are guided through a concise history that moves from early Spanish chronicles to Jesuit observations in the 1690s, each account shedding a new layer of mystery on the ruin’s origins and condition. Detailed maps, floor plans, and vivid illustrations accompany the text, offering a tangible sense of the walls, openings, and preserved fragments. The work promises a careful, measured look at a landmark that has long captured the imagination of explorers and scientists alike.