1894 Gold Heist Foiled

James M. Dodson

While gold was stored in the 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 ensure the safety of the gold shipment from the Big Bug area mine.

Soon, "Dodson's skill as a sleuth uncovered an advanced 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 imminent.

The Devastating Raids on the Bully Bueno Mine

The strategy of Native Americans during the Indian Wars was more nuanced than simply "collecting scalps."

Their preferred method was to utilize a strategy this author would describe as "guerrilla attrition."  Instead of starving out their opponent with a siege by surrounding them, Native Americans would uniquely use guerrilla raids to attack the provisions, animals, and supplies necessary for the survival of their foes.

One of the most successful and best examples of guerrilla attrition by the Native Americans was their raids on the Bully Bueno Mine.

Part 2: 6 Crypt-id Monsters That Live In Northern Arizona (Plus 3 More from South. AZ)

Artist's conception of the Aswang

(Part 1, "Land Dwellers" can be found by clicking here)

The Crazy Cave Creatures of Route 66:

The last three monsters on the list are cave-dwellers.  Due to the 600+ known volcanoes in the area, there must be hundreds of square miles of undiscovered caverns, lava tubes, and caves in northern Arizona, and the creatures that purportedly live in them are easily the strangest and most bizarre.  Why sightings seem to occur mostly around historic Route 66 may simply be because that's where the humans are present to see them. All of these cave-dwellers are nocturnal, and sightings are rare. (*13)

6 Crypt-id Monsters That Live In Northern Arizona (Part 1: Land Dwellers)

Most locals have heard of the Mogollon Monster, but descriptions of exactly what kind of creature it might be have changed over the years. A rash of sightings of a particular type of creature would make that animal a sort of "Mogollon Monster du jour."

As a result, this author will not give the title of "Mogollon Monster" to any of the forthcoming six.  Instead, it is hoped that people who have seen these strange creatures and are afraid of coming forward might learn that they are not alone in their experience.

Some of these monsters are truly bizarre, but every one of them has been seen in other locations on our planet.

Part 2 of this duet will focus on "The Cave Dwellers." This article focuses on "The Land Dwellers."