The Gila River Indian Reservation was the site of the first Government Indian School for Pimas and Maricopas, established in 1871 with Rev. Charles H. Cook as teacher. It was also the location of Pima villages and served as a friendly resting place for travelers during the Mexican War and the Gold Rush. In addition, it was the birthplace of Ira Hayes, a Pima and one of the U.S. Marines in the famed flag-raising at Iwo Jima.