Historic Marker which reads: Gila River Indian Reservation (established 1859) Here the first Indian school was established by the government for the Pimas and Maricopas in 1871, with Rev. Charles H. Cook as teacher. It was the location of Pima villages, friendly resting places for travelers during the Mexican War and the Gold Rush. It was also the birthplace of Ira Hayes, a Pima, one of the U.S. Marines in the famed flag raising at Iwo Jima.
