Congress approves a reservation for the Pima and Miricopa tribes near the Gila River in New Mexico Territory

For years Pima and Maricopa Indians had been relatively friendly and helpful to whites making their way across their lands in the desert between Tuscon and Yuma and often protected them from the uniformly hostile Apache. In part recognition of this, Congress set aside 64,000 acres and provide $10,000 for farming tools in an official reservation near the Gila River. This area was expanded to 145,000 acres in 1869. (By John Osborne)