Today, Skull Valley is a sleepy little burg, but there was a time when the town had several area mines, a quartz mill, a dairy, a number of saloons, and a 36-room hotel.
In the 1860s, Skull Valley could be a dangerous place. Indeed, it was the site of some of the bloodiest battles of the Indian Conflicts in the western half of Yavapai County. However, a May 1873 article in the Journal-Miner stated that “under Gen. Crook’s dispensation, [Skull Valley] is peaceable and the citizens feel safe in letting their stock run loose.”
Indeed, Skull Valley’s first economy was agriculture. “[Skull Valley] can’t be beat for producing corn,” the Weekly Arizona Miner wrote. In 1887, one man’s 25-acre cornfield produced stalks 13 feet high in the virgin soil. Other crops grown were potatoes, grapes, and grass feed for livestock.
The true story of the Battle of Skull Valley, AZ in August, 1866 as told through the eyes of a teamster who was there and nearly killed--Mr. Freeman.
But as early as 1875, Dan Thorne, a member of the Walker Party, discovered quartz bearing gold and silver just west of the burg. Skull Valley’s population was 112 that year, and was described by the Arizona Miner as “one of the best and most productive in this section of Arizona… The fields and farms presented a very civilized appearance, as they exhibited plowmen, flocks, herds, green grass, trees, and willows. The Curtis Sawmill opened in the Spring that year, and several saloons began to pop up, including the Nugget.
Eventually, several metals would be mined in Skull Valley, leading to a remarkably prosperous time that few know today.
In 1877, CC Bean and Frank Schultz found a 300-foot vein of gold and silver and named it the Mammoth mine. That same year, William Cooper found a ledge containing gold near John Dixon’s ranch, and two years later, in 1889, he located a claim around the same area with JS Russell. Working 2 tons of ore produced over 12 ounces of gold for the pair.
But gold and silver weren’t the only metals mined in Skull Valley. Copper was found three miles from the old Bowers place in 1881, and in 1884, there was a small copper rush. Even tin ore was found in 1891, running 6 to 10 percent.
All of these deposits were in quantities sufficient to open a quartz mill in Skull Valley. It started operations on July 7th, 1890. A small group of people was invited, and Miss Flora Dickson shoveled in the first ore, “and turned the little wheel which put all the machinery in full motion. Refreshments were served in due season with plenty of wine and beer, and everyone seemed to enjoy themselves immensely,” the Arizona Miner reported. The first 8 tons processed produced 30 ounces of gold, and prosperous mining was added to the town's agricultural economy.
The railroad reached Skull Valley on April 17, 1894. The depot was first named “Dixon” after the owner of a nearby ranch, but was renamed “Skull Valley” just one month later. The railroad made a dairy feasible and population growth inevitable. In fact, the railroad decided the new stop would be the perfect location for “the eating station on the North-South route,” the Oasis newspaper reported. The eatery building was two stories tall and received immediate admiration. “Passengers on the SFP&P railroad are profuse in their praise of the excellent meals provided at Skull Valley by Mr. and Mrs. Gus Shame,” the Arizona Miner related. In August of the same year, a 36-room hotel was built, and Skull Valley reached its peak.
In January 1896, the Journal-Miner reported that another “big gold strike” was discovered in the Valley and would be sent to the stamp mill.
But by the early 20th century, the mining started to dry up as did the weather. Dry farming was tried, but was generally unsuccessful, and Skull Valley began to regress into the place we know today.
Story of how Skull Valley, Arizona, earned its name as a killing field.
*********************************
(Daily pics and featured articles.)
Drew Desmond is on Facebook (For the latest article and posts about Drew's writing.)
SOURCES:
Weekly Arizona Miner, 6/27/1866, Pg. 3, Col. 2.
Weekly Arizona Miner, 12/26/1868, Pg. 2, Col. 3.
Weekly Arizona Miner, 5/24/1873, Pg. 1, Col. 1.
Weekly Arizona Miner, 4/16/1875, Pg. 2, Col. 2.
Weekly Arizona Miner, 9/2/1876, Pg. 1, Col. 5.
Weekly Arizona Miner, 8/3/1887, Pg. 3, Col. 2.
Weekly Arizona Miner, 7/16/1890, Pg. 4, Col. 2.
Weekly Arizona Miner, 8/13/1890, Pg. 3, Col. 3.
Weekly Arizona Miner, 9/2/1891, Pg. 3, Col. 3.
Oasis, 8/30/1894, Pg. 3, Col. 1.
Oasis, 3/23/1895, Pg. 2, Col. 1.
Weekly Journal-Miner, 1/8/1896, Pg. 4.
Weekly Journal-Miner, 1/29/1896, Pg. 3, Col. 1.
No comments:
Post a Comment