WhereAZ.com

-  Eusebio Kino (1645–1711) was an Italian Jesuit missionary, explorer, cartographer, and astronomer who founded numerous missions in the Pimería Alta region, a historical area covering present-day northern Sonora, Mexico, and southern Arizona - Known as the "Padre on Horseback," he was highly skilled in mathematics and geography, and his detailed maps of the region were the most accurate for over a century - Kino made his first expedition into what is now Arizona in 1691 ... he established Mission San Cayetano de Tumacácori, the first mission in the state ... MAP - By the end of his life, Kino had founded 24 missions and visitas (visiting stations) - The most famous of his Arizona missions is San Xavier del Bac, which he founded in 1700 near present-day Tucson ... MAP - There are a variety of statues, memorials, and monuments honoring Father Kino around southern Arizona