The First Hell Canyon Railroad Bridge, 1901

The first bridge to conquer Hell Canyon was a railroad cut-off that took the entirety of 1901 to complete. The new route would shorten the trip by only three miles, but more significantly, it would bypass “about 34 bridges and some very steep grades,” the Arizona Weekly Journal-Miner described. The project was under consideration for over two years, "but [was] deferred for various reasons, but there is no doubt now, but the work will be done and that at once.”

Spencer Repeating Rifle Rules the Battle of the Black Mountains

It was April of 1867, and ranchers in the area were both highly anxious and on alert. "Information of the presence of a large body of hostile Indians in Hell Canyon" prompted General Gregg to send two companies "to examine and explore that locality, and if possible to break up this band." However, by the time the army arrived, the Indians had left and were heading southeast towards the Black Mountains, several miles south of Woodchute and Mingus. (*1)

It would take several days for the Army to catch up, but such a large party of Indians and their animals left a trail even Anglos could follow. But this time, for the first time in Arizona, the troops were armed with the lethal and already legendary Spencer Repeating Rifle. It had already been used, with devastating effectiveness, against Confederate soldiers.

Story Behind the Names: Route 89: Prescott to Ash Fork

In this edition of "Stories Behind the Names," we look at: 

Prescott, Chino Valley, Paulden, Drake, Hell Canyon, Ash Fork, and other minor locations along the way.

Prescott: (Includes Early Street Name Origins)

Most students of Prescott history are aware that the town "was named in honor of Massachusetts-based historian William Hickling Prescott, who was already deceased at the time and had never set foot in the West.  (*1)

It was unusual for towns to bear the names of people who were not involved with their founding, yet the start-up community of Fort Whipple officially renamed itself Prescott in May 1864. (*1)