The Wickenburg Massacre: Nov. 5, 1871

“The stage for California left Prescott on the morning of Saturday, November 4, 1871, carrying the US Mail,” the Weekly Arizona Miner began. Aboard were a driver and six passengers. Three of the passengers were from Prescott: Frederick Sholom, William Kruger, and a “soiled dove” named Mollie Shepherd. The other three passengers were part of the Wheeler Expedition, a US Geological Survey mission to map the West that started the same year. Among these three was a popular, well-known 22-year-old writer named Frederick W. Loring- a native of Boston and a graduate of Harvard. The driver, John Lentz, was hired recently and was about to embark on his first return trip.

The first leg of the trip to Wickenburg “was almost a pleasure trip,” the same paper described. Loring told several people that he planned to write what he observed on his trip—that sentiment back East, believing the Indian Wars were nearly over, was fallacious, and he planned to redress the mistaken view.

But the following day would quickly become nationally infamous.

Chino Valley in 1870

In 1870, Chino Valley had a handful of ranches, plenty of open space, and occasional visits from fearsome Native Americans.

Three Meteorites Strike Near Prescott 1897-1922

It is surprising that a hundred years ago, meteorite strikes received only a brief mention in newspapers. Today, one can imagine several local and national news media traveling to the site for live reports. After all, meteorites can be worth more than gold or platinum in the collector’s market. Although one might assume people went to these sites to collect the rare souvenirs, there were no follow-up articles for any of them, leaving one to wonder how extensive those searches were. Perhaps there are still some extra-terrestrial treasures waiting to be found.