8 lb. Gold Bar Awaits to be Found

Many lost treasure stories are based on lore and campfire stories. This one is based on newspaper accounts of a tragedy.

The Zaniest Railroad Accident in Prescott History

It seemed a normal July day in 1888 Prescott, but soon a ridiculous, domino-effect of events would cause the most bizarre railroad accident in the city’s history.

1878: Blood Flows in the New Town of Gillett

Ad for the saloon where the trouble started. 

It all started with a good old-fashioned bar fight. It was midday, June 12, 1878. Deputy Sheriff James C Burnett heard a commotion inside Frank Smith’s saloon. He entered and found that a man only known as Setwright was arguing with another named Tom Farrell. As Burnett entered, Setwright twice struck Farrell over the head with a bottle, shattering it in the process. Burnett quickly broke up the fight and arrested Setwright.

However, the incident would grow into two murders and a lynching, and, at one point, 75 Gillette citizens were blamed for the killing of a peace officer.

The Senator Highway

There was a time when Senator Highway was being considered as a part of the north-south territorial highway, connecting Prescott to Phoenix, but it would never make it.

1866: Indians Scare Off Pioneer Merchant

William Harrison Hardy had a good gig going. He owned businesses in a town named for him: Hardyville (present-day Bullhead City). He also owned an important and well-used ferry service at that point and a toll road that led to Prescott. Soon, he started opening businesses there that were successful, but in late 1866, he abruptly started to sell off all his interests in the Mile High City.

In 1901, at age 77, he revealed why to the Journal-Miner newspaper.

Railroad's Arrival Brought a Gala Day in Prescott

Prescott's 1st depot for the Prescott & Central Arizona RR

As the last month of 1886 began, anticipation in the young capital of Arizona had never been higher. The Prescott and Central Arizona Railroad was inching its way south from the main Atlantic & Pacific line. It would open up Prescott to the world.

The Indian Uprising of 1872

The ruins of Camp Date Creek

From February through June 1872, Native Americans launched raiding attacks around and surprisingly close to Prescott. The newspapers were filled with accounts of Indian depredations during this time, and the citizenry was both frightened and filled with consternation.

Orders came from Washington to change the practice of largely shooting Indians on sight to one of feeding and educating them instead. Initially, however,  the Indians, many of whom were starving, became emboldened and started to attack.

The Forgotten Mother-Load at Richenbar, AZ

Many are familiar with the mining riches that came out of Tip Top and Crown King, but there was another mother-load of gold in that area known as Richenbar.

It was 1867 when three miners decided to explore what appeared to be an ancient, worked-out mine. They descended a 45-degree angled shaft into what appeared to be a cave. There were no timber reinforcements to be seen, and the only thing connecting the ceiling to the floor was a single 4-foot pillar in the middle of the expanse. Upon closer inspection, they noticed a pure vein of gold within the pillar measuring 2 inches thick. Two of the miners wanted to extract it, while the third thought it was too dangerous. The two carefully worked the pillar and were successful in extracting a “coffee sack” full of ore, which eventually was found to contain a whopping 937 ounces of gold.

This mine would come to be known as the Aztec Mine when ancient Native American tools were discovered inside. Eventually, the entire surrounding area would have claims, and the town of Richenbar was born. Soon, the gold deposit there became famous, and the famous would invest in an area so rich that one miner thought it would bring "death to gold."

The Indian Offensive of 1868

Although Indian attacks were a constant fear in the 1860s, they were not a constant occurrence. However, in the last third of 1868, the Native Americans definitely took the offensive.

Prescott's Old Gateway to the World

For decades, Prescott’s front door was her railroad depot. Thousands entered and left the city through its doors. However, the acquisition and construction of the iconic structure were not without their hurdles.

Wild Wagoner AZ: Founded 1864

Wagoner, Arizona, was the kind of town that Hollywood loves portraying. There were outlaws, gold, guns, fights , and killings.  Like desert grass, Wagoner bloomed in the monsoon of its gold rush and quickly perished soon after.

The History of Palace Station

Palace Station, located 17 miles south of Prescott, is one of the most famous stage stops in Yavapai County. Having been built in 1875, its history is long, and its future is bright. 

“Palace Station is one of the few remaining stagecoach stations dating from the settlement of the Arizona Territory. The station played an important role in the social and economic development of the new territory and is now…on the National Register of Historic Places.”

Yavapai Co's Astounding Agriculture: 1912

Those unfamiliar with the agricultural past of Yavapai County are sure to be astonished by the variety and success of the crops. Almost anything imaginable was planted, and most did well--for a time.

1912 was a healthy year for both rain and crops with several varieties reaching mammoth proportions...

Prescott's Goldwater Store: "The Best Always" from 1876-1978

For over a century, Goldwater's general merchandise store not only offered the staples of life but also brought first-class merchandise of elegance and good taste to Prescott.

Although its tenure in this city started in 1876, the Goldwaters had been merchants in Arizona starting in the early days of Anglo history, 1862--passing on the business to each generation.

When the family first arrived in the territory, it was not to become merchants, but rather freighters. "Michael Goldwater was quick to see the possibilities of what was to become Arizona. He established himself and his family in the thriving town of La Paz and settled into a busy life as a freighter."

1871: CB Genung Builds the Old Yarnell Road

Come 1871, the farmers and ranchers of Kirkland and Peeples Valley had a logistics problem. They wanted access to the Wickenburg and Phoenix markets for their products, but no wagon road down the rim was suitable for heavy loads.

"There was a road that could be traveled by light rigs and empty teams, but no (loaded wagon) could be handled over it." Additionally, the old trail was an excessive 60 miles long.

A new, better route was desperately needed, and Charles Baldwin Genung proposed a road that would cut off a whopping 33 miles from the journey.

Indian War Military Posts of Yavapai County: A Primer

Fort Whipple

One cannot fully understand the Indian Conflicts in Yavapai County without a general understanding of the military posts of the time.

Here then is a primer of the early military posts including locations, dates, the the reason behind their names. This is first presented in alphabetical order, followed by a chronological list.

The Indian Raid That Gave Fort Rock Its Name

Fort Rock stage stop.

It was Saturday, November 19, 1866 when a force of 50-100 brave Hualapai warriors descended upon a stage stop near Mt. Hope on the road between Prescott and Hardyville (now Bullhead City). The epic battle would be remembered for generations and the name of the locale would change forever.

The American Ranch: The Ritz of Stage Stops

It was in 1876 when Jefferson Harrison Lee built the large two-story hotel and stage stop. It was located at a prime intersection on the Prescott to Hardyville toll road. Named the American Ranch, it was the most elaborate stage stop on the entire 150-mile road. (*1)

1865: The Shocking Twist at Battle Point (Skull Valley)

It was a usual day in the freight business for Sam and Jake Miller. Yet in 1865, freighting through the Arizona wilderness was unusually dangerous. Indian raids on the toll road from Ft. Mohave to Prescott were happening regularly, and this time the Miller brothers would be taking mostly passengers as well as some supplies and stock.

"People wishing to come to Arizona traveled with freighters for protection." Every precaution would have to be made to protect both riders and supplies. (*1)