Part 5
======================================================================= | | | _To_ |_Miles._|_Miles._| _Description._ | | | -------------------------+--------+--------+--------------------------- Lurty’s Ranch | 14 | 14 |Via “Point of Rocks.” Water | | | and grass; wood scarce; | | | road good. New Road to Camp McDowell| 6 | 20 | Ash Creek | 2 | 23 |Water permanent; grazing | | | fair; wood scarce. Government Saw Mill | 6 | 30 | Camp Verde | 16 | 46 |Good road. -------------------------+--------+--------+---------------------------- Captain Foster, Assistant Quartermaster, reported this road in 1874 as the only practicable one for loaded wagons, between Fort Whipple and Camp Verde.
Prescott to Date Creek, A. T.
========================================================================= | | | _To_ | _Miles._ | _Miles._ | _Description._ | | | ----------------+----------+----------+---------------------------------- Lee’s Ranch | 11 | 11 |Water, grass and wood. Right-hand | | | road to Camp Mojave. Tonto Spring | 9 | 20.60 |Water to right of road ¼ mile | | | distant. Good camping ground. Dickson’s Ranch | 10 | 30.60 |Water, grass and wood. Road good. Ehle’s Ranch | 3 | 34.10 |Water, grass and grain. Road good. | | | Mail station; good stabling. Uncle Rob’s | 5 | 39.79 |Water, grass and grain. Jones’ Camp | 3 | 42.79 |Water, part of year; grass good. | | | Road bad and dangerous. Willow Spring | 4 | 47.71 |Water ¼ mile to left of road; | | | grass good; wood scarce. Soldiers’ Holes | 6 | 53.71 |Water in rainy season. Date Creek | 5 | 60.00 |Road mostly good. ----------------|----------|----------|----------------------------------
By a rough trail from Fort Whipple over Granite Mountains to Ehle’s Ranch (Skull Valley) the distance is estimated at eighteen miles. There is another trail leading over this range entering Skull Valley at its upper end, (Dickson’s Ranch) three and one-half miles from Ehle’s. This trail is three or four miles longer than the other, but is not so rough. In winter the short trail (so-called) is often obstructed by snow. These trails are used by the “Mail Carrier.”
Camp Apache to Prescott, A. T.
========================================================================= | | | _To_ |_Miles._|_Miles._| _Description._ | | | ----------------------------+--------+--------+------------------------ Tank | 18 | 18 | Spring | 5 | 23 | Forks of Road | 8 | 31 |Right fork to Zuni, N. M. Jo. N.’s Camp | 18 | 49 | Silver Spring | 4 | 53 | Stoneman’s Camp | 8 | 61 | Shevelon’s fork of Colorado | 7 | 68 |After crossing, take | | | right fork of road. Crossing of Little Colorado | 28 | 96 | Sunset Crossing | 33 | 129 | Tank | 18 | 147 | Jo. N.’s Camp | 20 | 167 | Sante Spring | 8 | 175 | Stoneman’s Lake | 13 | 188 | Beaver Creek | 18 | 206 | Camp Verde | 18 | 224 | Prescott | 44 | 268 | ----------------------------+--------+--------+------------------------
Dos Palmas (S. P. R. R.) to Ehrenberg, A. T.
========================================================================= | | | _To_ |_Miles._|_Miles._| _Description._ | | | ----------------------------+--------+--------+------------------------ [1]Dos Palmas (S. P. R. R.) | | | Cañon Springs | 11 | 190 |Water and wood; little | | | grass. Good road. Chuc-a-walla (Station) | 34 | 224 |Water and wood. Good road. Laguna | 30 | 254 |Water and wood; little | | | grass; heavy sand. Willow Springs | 7 | 261 |Water, grass and wood. | | | Good road. Bradshaw’s Ferry (Ranch) | 12 | 273 |Water and wood. Good road. [2]Ehrenberg | 2 | 276 |Sandy road. ----------------------------+--------+--------+------------------------
[1] California and Arizona stages to Prescott leave this station.
[2] From Ehrenberg there is a road up the Colorado River to Camp Colorado, 45.50 miles.
Irrigated lands in Southern Arizona will readily produce two crops of grain each year, and several of alfalfa. Some lands, belonging to the Pima Indians, as well as fields about Tucson and the ranches of the Santa Cruz and San Pedro Valleys, are known to have been in continuous cultivation for at least from two to three hundred years. Water fertilizes and restores the soil. The valley of the Gila, under analysis, shows more phosphorates and other fertilizers than that of the Nile.
A sand storm on the mesas of Southern Arizona is not a pleasant affair to encounter. If caught in one on horse-back or afoot, imitate the animals, put your face close to the ground and turn your back to the blast.
Ehrenberg to Camp McDowell, A. T., via Date Creek.
======================================================================= | | | _To_ |_Miles._|_Miles._| _Description._ | | | ----------------------+--------+--------+------------------------------ Tyson’s (Los Pasos) | 25 | 25 |Good water; hay and grain. Desert Station | 25 | 51 |Good water; hay and grain. Flint’s | 19 | 70 |Good water and grass. McMullen’s | 4 | 74 |Old road branches here} Road | | | by Martinez’s Cañon.} west of Cullen’s | 10 | 85 |Good water and grass. } Date Creek Date Creek Crossing | 36 | 121 |Good water and grass. } Mountain. Date Creek | 9 | 130 | Martinez’s Cañon | 7 | 7 |Water, grass and wood; road | | | boggy in wet season. | | | Right fork to Ehrenberg. Vulture Mill | 18 | 26 |Last six miles of road | | | sandy. [1]Wickenburg | 1 | 27 |Settlement. [2]Camp on Hassyampa | 5 | 33 |Water (except in very dry | | | season), grass and wood. Road leaves Hassyampa | 2 | 35 |Quicksands in Hassyampa | | | sometimes impassable. | | | (See Note.) Mud Tanks | 12 | 48 |Water in rainy season. Point of Mountain | 7 | 55 |Permanent water in White | | | Tanks, 1½ miles to | | | right of road. [3]Forks of Road | | 56 |Right fork to Salinas Lower | | | Crossing. Crossing of | | | Agua Frio Ranch | 9 | 65 | Phœnix | | | (Swelling’s R’ch) | 19 | 85 |Settlement. Acequia | 1 | 86 | Forks of Road | 12 | 98 |Right fork to Maricopa | | | Wells and Camp Grant. Camp McDowell | 11 | 110 | ----------------------+--------+--------+------------------------------
[1] The road runs along the bed of the stream for a part of the way; when the river is high quicksands are troublesome, and the road is sometimes impassable; whenever this is the case, the route is via the Vulture Mine, by which the distance is increased 18 miles.
From Wickenburg to Prescott, via Walnut Grove, the distance, by a very rough trail, is estimated at 55 miles. Ranch at Walnut Grove, half way.
From Wickenburg to Camp McDowell direct, by trail, the distance is estimated at 65 miles.
[2] There is a road from this point down the Hassyampa to Burke’s Station on the road between Fort Yuma and Maricopa Wells, with the following Camps:--Gila Bend, 40 miles; Cottonwoods, 25 miles; Camp opposite Oatman’s Flat, 10 miles; Agua Caliente, 16 miles; Burke’s Station (fording Gila River), 5 miles--total, 96 miles. The road is quite good, (though seldom traveled) and water, grass and wood are to be found at all the above Camps.
From Date Creek to Maricopa Wells, the road is taken to Salinas Lower Crossing (78 miles), thence by the Gila Lower Crossing (17 miles) to Maricopa Wells (6 miles)--total, 102 miles. In winter, when the Salinas and Gila are too high to ford, by going about 3 miles further up the Gila to Morgan’s, advantage can be taken of a Ferry without increasing the distance to Maricopa Wells.
From Camp McDowell to Prescott, by a proposed wagon road that is opened from Prescott to Agua Frio, the distances are estimated as follows:--Camp McDowell to Agua Frio, 47½ miles; Dickson’s Ranch, by newly opened road, 23 miles; Agua Frio Ranch, by old road, 18 miles; Prescott, 21 miles--total distance, 110 miles.
The road from Camp McDowell to Camp Reno has the following camping grounds:--Camp Miller, 16 miles; Camp Carroll, 4½ miles; Camp O’Connell, 4 miles; Camp Reno, 8½ miles--distance, 33 miles.
From Camp Reno to Camp Verde, by a newly opened road, it is to Camp in Green Valley, 30 miles; thence to Camp Verde, by trail, 60 miles--total distance, 90 miles.
[3] In rainy seasons, when the route by Agua Frio is impassable, it is necessary to take the right fork to Salinas Lower Crossing, (22 miles) thence up the north bank of the Salinas to Phœnix (about 23 miles)--total, 45 miles,--increasing the distance from Camp Date Creek to Camp McDowell about 16 miles.
Camp McDowell to Maricopa Wells, A. T.
========================================================================= | | | _To_ | _Miles._ | _Miles._ | _Description._ | | | -------------------+----------+----------+------------------------------- Forks of Road | 11 | 11 |Right fork to Phœnix. Ferry Station | 2 | 13 |Left fork to Camp Grant. Water, | | | grass and wood. Crossing of | | | Salinas River. Desert Station | 11 | 24 |Well of water. Hay and grain at | | | Station. Morgan’s Ferry | 17 | 41 |Crossing of Gila River. Maricopa Wells | 3 | 45 |Stores. No grass or wood. -------------------+----------+----------+-------------------------------
During the winter the Gila is usually and the Salinas occasionally, unfordable.
Camp McDowell to Camp Grant, A. T.
========================================================================= | | | _To_ | _Miles._ | _Miles._ | _Description._ | | | --------------------------+----------+----------+----------------------- Forks of Road | 11 | 11 |Road excellent. Right | | | fork to Phœnix. Ferry Station | 2 | 13 |Small station; bad ford | | | at high water. Florence (crossing Gila) | 38 | 52 |Good fording; Ranch ½ mile | | | this side. Ruggles and Ewing | 3 | 56 |Last Ranch before leaving | | | river; good stopping | | | place. Junction with Sacaton R’d | 4 | 60 |Desert mesa. Round Valley | 12 | 73 |No water, wood or grass. Camp near Round Valley | 2 | 75 |Water ½ mile to left of | | | road by trail. Cottonwoods | 13 | 89 |Water ½ mile to right of | | | road by trail; grass; | | | wood scarce. Junction with Tucson R’d | 13 | 103 | Camp Grant | 3 | 106 |Crossing Rio San Pedro. --------------------------+----------+----------+------------------------
At Prescott, clerks receive from $50 to $125 per month, with board often thrown in; carpenters and painters, from $4 to $6 per day; masons, from $6 to $8, and in some cases, when a man is possessed of superior skill, as high as $10 per day; ranch hands, herders, cow-boys, from $25 to $50 per month, and board; common laborers, from $2 to $3 per day; domestic servants, men and women, from $25 to $40 per month; but as yet there is no great demand.
Maricopa Wells to Camp Grant, A. T.
======================================================================= | | | _To_ |_Miles._|_Miles._| _Description._ | | | -----------------------------+--------+--------+----------------------- Pima Villages | 10 | 10 |Store and mill. Sweet Water | 6 | 16 |Store. Sacaton | 6 | 22 |Store; water; grass | | | scarce; right fork of | | | road direct to Tucson. Reservation, eastern boundary| 7 | 29 | Walker’s Ranch | 6 | 35 |Indian village and store. White’s Ranch | 4 | 39 |Gila; wood, hay, grain; | | | little grass. Junction with Camp McDowell | | | Road | 7 | 46 | Camp Grant | 46 | 92 |Crossing San Pedro. -----------------------------+--------+--------+-----------------------
The road from Maricopa Wells to Pima Villages is cut up with small gullies, from 1 to 4 feet deep, with steep sides, which, in rainy seasons, are muddy and troublesome.
The left fork leads up the Gila to Adamsville, 2½ miles distant, where are two stores, a mill, etc., and thence to Ruggles and Ewing’s Ranch, (4 miles) where is a store; here the road intersects the road between Camps McDowell and Grant.
Camp Grant to Camp Goodwin.--In very rainy seasons it is necessary to go via Tucson, distance 202 miles. The shorter and better route, except in winter, is up the San Pedro River, 57 miles, to within 8 miles of Tres Alamos, where the left fork leads to Croton Springs, distance 25 miles, and thence to Camp Goodwin, 71 miles--total distance, 153 miles. On this road there are plenty of water, grass and wood, all along the San Pedro River.
Camp Grant to Camp Bowie.--To Croton Spring, distance 82 miles; thence to intersection with road between Tucson and Camp Bowie, distance 16 miles, and thence to Camp Bowie, 37 miles--total distance, 135 miles.
Maricopa Wells.
======================================================================== | | _Total_ _To_ | _Miles._ | _Miles._ ----------------------------------------------------+----------+-------- Yuma | | 191 Tucson, southeast, (overland stage road) | | 109 Sacaton (en route direct to Tucson) | | 22 Blue Water ” ” | 20 | 43 Picacho | 13 | 57 Point of Mountains | 24 | 81 Tucson | 17 | 98 Camp Grant | | 90 ----------------------------------------------------|----------|------
This is a stage station, with stores, etc., of importance. It is the point of divergence for branch stages to Phœnix, Camp McDowell, and Camp Verde.
Fuller, in his Treatise on Silver Mines, says: “Wherever, in any part of the world, silver mines have been worked they are worked now, unless closed for war, invasion of Indians, etc. We know of no silver mines in the world that have given out.” In support of this position, he instances the mines of Mexico, the old Spanish mines, (opened before Humboldt’s time) the South American mines, still as productive as they were three centuries ago, mines in Hungary worked before the Christian era, the silver mines of Freiburg, opened in the 11th century, etc., nearly all now worked with unabated productiveness.
Maricopa Wells to Tucson, A. T.
(Going south direct.)
========================================================================= | | | _To_ |_Miles._ |_Miles._ | _Description._ | | | ------------------+---------+---------+------------------------------- Sacaton | 22 | 22 |Left fork of road to Camp Grant. Blue Water | 20 | 43 |Well; grass and wood plenty; | | | station; hay and grain. Picacho | 13 | 57 |Grass and wood plenty; no water. Mud Tanks | 15 | 72 |Water in wet weather, wood scarce. Point of Mountain | 8 | 81 |Wells; grass plenty, wood scarce; Nine Mile Water | 8 | 89 | station, hay and grain. Tucson | 8 | 98 |Capital of Territory. Road good | | | after passing Pima Villages. ------------------+---------+---------+---------------------------------
Camp Grant to Tucson, A. T.
======================================================================= | | | _To_ |_Miles._|_Miles._| _Description._ | | | ----------------------+--------+--------+------------------------------ Camp Grant | | |Crossing of San Pedro Forks of Road | 2 | 2 |Wood scarce; grass Right fork | | | of road to Maricopa Wells. Cañon del Oro | 21 | 24 |Water, grass, and wood plenty. Water | 5 | 30 |Water scarce; grass and wood | | | plenty. Dry Camp | 8 | 38 |Water in wet weather; grass and | | | wood plenty. Roieta | 8 | 47 |Water in wet weather; grass and Tucson (Camp Lowell) | 4 | 52 |wood plenty. ----------------------+--------+--------+------------------------------
The Rio San Pedro is sometimes impassable in winter on account of high water. The first nine miles of the road is in a cañon, level, and very sandy; the rest of the road to Cañon del Oro is hilly, ascending till near the cañon, when there is a long, steep descent. Three miles beyond Cañon del Oro the road enters the bed of a stream, usually dry; and continues in it to within a half mile of Dry Camp. At the foot of the mountains, opposite Dry Camp, say one and a half miles distant, are the ruins of an old Pueblo, where there is water all the year. The Roieta in winter is a running stream.
Tucson
========================================================================= _To_ |_Miles._ || _To_ | _Miles._ ---------------------------------++-------------------------------------- Camp Pinal, disused | 115 || Camp Verde | 298 Camp Apache | 222 || Fort Cummings, N. M. | 219 Camp Bowie | 165 || Fort Whipple, (Prescott) | 259 Camp Colorado, disused | 349 || Fort Yuma, Cal | 275 Camp Crittenden, ” | 51 || Ehrenberg | 303 Date Creek, ” | 199 || Guaymas, Mexico | 351 Camp Goodwin, ” | 150 || La Libertad ” | 225 Camp Grant | 52 || Maricopa Wells | 98 Canip McDowell | 143 || Lobos, Mexico | 214 Camp Mojave | 424 || San Diego, Cal | 467 Camp Reno, disused | 176 || Tubac | 46 Camp Toll-Gate ” | 208 || -----------------------+---------++--------------------------------------
Tucson to Camp Goodwin, A. T.