1894 Gold Heist Foiled

James M. Dodson

While gold was stored at area mines, it was well guarded. But when it came time to ship the gold to one of the banks in Prescott, it was at its most vulnerable to robbery.

News of any gold shipments from the mines was impossible to keep secret. Newspapers would report on it. So when a gang of desperadoes from New Mexico suddenly showed up in town, the owner of the Little Jessie mine, John Jones, decided to take precautions for his upcoming gold shipment to the Prescott Bank.

He hired former Prescott marshal (effectively chief of police), James M. Dodson to escort and insure the safety of the gold shipment from the Big Bug area mine.

Soon, "Dodson's skill as a sleuth uncovered an advance plot." (*1) He learned that the gang of would-be-robbers had recruited the driver of the gold shipment!

However, instead of changing drivers, Dodson decided to hatch a ruse to foil the robbery.

Crafting Toymaker Brought Joy to Kids

When it came to making miniatures, Koerner Rombauer showed signs of genius. He was commissioned to make models of the Iron King Mine (showing both inner and outer workings,) as well as the Ajo Open-Pit Mine that was featured at the Yavapai County Fair.

But his greatest joy was spending all his extra time making toys for the children of Prescott.

The Great Blizzard and Flood of 1916

If there was any question of whether the winter of 1916 would be a wet one, the answer was received on New Year's Eve of 1915. "Storm is Greatest Town Ever Experienced," the headline read. (*1)

"Depth of 32 inches of snow on the plaza establishes record," it continued. (*1)

On the surrounding mountain passes, the snow was a whopping 6 feet deep. Flagstaff received 62 inches on this single day. (*2)

Two weeks later, another hefty blanket of snow would cover the area. (*3)  But on the 18th, a warm rain started falling all over the region and disaster was immanent.