Rattlesnake Stories of Yavapai County

An Arizona Black Diamond Rattlesnake

Where there are rattlesnakes, there are bound to be some interesting and amazing stories, and Yavapai County is no exception.

Jerome's Great Fire of 1898

One year before the fire;
almost all of this would be destroyed.

The Journal-Miner described it as “one of the greatest calamities in the loss of human lives and destruction of property that has ever occurred in the territory, and it may also be said in the West.”

1888: Prescott's Great Fire Before the Great Fire

Many who are familiar with Prescott history are aware of the Great Fire, which occurred on July 14, 1900, and destroyed Whiskey Row. However, twelve years earlier, there was another great fire that wiped out Cortez Street.

It all started with an ill-fated plan to blow the safe at TW Otis’ store. The burglars entered the establishment, under the cover of darkness, shortly after midnight on July 1st, and planted some dynamite around the store’s safe. Concerned that the noise from the blast would sound an alarm, the would-be thieves covered the safe with burlap gunny sacks. They then lit the fuse and scurried out of the building to avoid injury.

The Premeditated Murderous Disaster at Wilson's Sawmill

 

William Zadoc “Zeb” Wilson was proud of the brand-new boiler at his sawmill. He travelled to the Ohio manufacturer to deliver the desired specifications himself. According to the Journal-Miner, he “paid an extra price to have certain portions of it built extra strong.” When the boiler first arrived, it was examined by an engineer at Whipple, and he testified that “he considered it the best boiler in the county.” Wilson’s pride was only equalled by the meticulous care he gave his new boiler.

However, at 7:30 in the morning of November 19, 1887, this brand-new, prized boiler would blast Wilson and five other workers straight into the afterlife. Worst of all, it was found to be a premeditated act.

The Intriguing Story of Cathedral Cave

Dud Clark had been contracted to build a road from Prescott to Ash Fork when Lee Burhans called out to him. “Burhans was a member of a picnic party and was going through a large cave that had been well known for years, when he found a small opening that he had never before perceived,” the paper described. Peering through the hole with a match, he noticed that this opening was just below the roof of a large cavity. Lee got Dud, who then lowered a rope and descended to the cave floor with an “automobile lamp.” When he turned it on, his jaw went slack.

The Craziest Dynamite Stories in Yavapai County History

To be precise, these are the craziest stories that did not involve criminal intent. Those deserve telling on their own.

The Dynamite Attack on JS Acker's House

JS Acker in front of his home.

It seemed just a normal sleepy night in Prescott early on Saturday, April 21st, 1917, when at 2:30 am an explosion rocked the city.

It was "a diabolical attempt to blow up the home of JS Acker, [at] 205 North Mt. Vernon Street." (*1)

It seemed someone wanted to see the future donor of park land to Prescott dead. But why?

23-Ton Blast Shakes Yavapai County

United Verde Mine, Jerome, Arizona

December 20th, 1925, seemed a day like any other. People were busy getting into the Christmas spirit, making final preparations.

A train, about an eighth of a mile outside of Jerome, AZ, was taking on water when one of the train's engineers noticed some smoke rising at the United Verde Mine. When he looked more closely, he noticed that the roof of the powder house was on fire!

Quickly, he climbed into the train's engine compartment and pulled on the whistle for all it was worth.

Shortly, people in the town of Jerome started coming onto the street, curious as to what the fuss was about. They, too, noticed the mine's powder house roof on fire.

Everyone realized that in a matter of a few short minutes, 23-tons of TNT would explode violently.