USA > Arizona > The resources of Arizona; a description of its mineral, farming, grazing and timber lands; its rivers, mountains, valleys and plains; its cities, towns and mining camps; its climate and productions; with brief sketches of its early history etc > Part 7
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30
Many a threadbare joke has been perpetrated at the expense of Yuma's climate, and strangers approach it with fear and trembling in the summer season. But even then no injurious effects are experienced. The air is wonderfully pure, dry and elastic, and has none of the depressing effects seen in moist, hu- mid atmospheres. In winter, the climate is perfection itself, and no place on the Pacific is more favorable to the cure of pul- monary diseases than Yuma. Its qualities, in this respect, only require to be known to make it one of the most popular sanita- riums in the United States. The population is about 1,000.
The old fort, over which, for nearly a quarter of a century, floated the national emblem, has lately been abandoned, and the ancient landmark, in a few years, will succumb to neglect and inevitable decay. Around it cluster many interesting associa- tions, but the advent of the iron-rail put a period to its useful- ness, and the march of civilization has flanked this old frontier fortress of the southwest.
Pinal is one of the central tier of counties which embrace the largest portion of the agricultural lands in the Territory. It is bounded on the south by Pima, on the west by Maricopa, on the north by Maricopa and Gila, and on the east by Graham. South of the Gila, it is a country of open, grassy plains, dotted with clumps of barren mountains. To the north and east the Pinal, the Tortilla, the Mescal, and the Superstition, impign on the rolling plains and valleys. The Gila flows through the county from east to west, and its southeastern end is watered by the San Pedro. Its total area is 5,210 square miles, and its population 3,362. Although one of the smallest of the counties,
58
THE RESOURCES OF ARIZONA.
Pinal is one of the richest in the Territory. It possesses large and rich tracts of agricultural land, excellent grazing grounds, and some of the most valuable mines yet discovered in Arizona. Besides its ledges of gold, silver and copper, large deposits of coal have been found within its borders, which will, no doubt, yet prove valuable.
The county is in a prosperous condition, and is steadily grow- ing in wealth and population. Its total tax valuation is $2,000,- 000; its total indebtedness only $11,000 ; and its rate of taxa- tion $2.50 on cach $100 of taxable property. Pinal county was organized in 1871, from a portion of Pima. Its growth was slow, and retarded by Indian depredations until the discovery of the wonderful Silver King demonstrated its great mineral wealth. Since then the county has advanced steadily, and, to-day, offers inducements to the immigrant not surpassed by any county in Arizona.
Florence, the principal town of Pinal, stands in the valley of the Gila and about half a mile from the stream. It is twenty- five miles northeast of Casa Grande station, on the Southern Pacific Railroad, and eighty miles north of Tucson. Like Phoenix, it sits embowered in groves of cottonwoods, and streams of clear water run through every street. The valley surrounding the town is under a high state of cultivation, and fields of waving grain and alfalfa, and orchards loaded down with deli- cious fruit, meet the eye in every direction. The place has a delightful situation, and with its pleasant homes surrounded by trees and shrubbery, its pure water and healthy climate, it is one of the most attractive spots in the Territory. The buildings are principally of adobe and generally one story high. There are several large stores with stocks of general merchandise, two hotels, two public schools, a flouring mill, brewery, restaurants, saloons, blacksmith shops and all the other accessories of a frontier town.
The Catholics have a handsome church, built of adobe. The county court-house is also of the same material, and is a plain but commodious building, The town was laid out in 1868, and has a brisk trade with the surrounding valley and the different mining camps. It has a population of nearly 1,200, The Terri- torial Enterprise is published here. It is one of the brightest papers in the Territory, and has done good service in bringing to notice the resources of its town and county. Florence is about 500 feet above sca-level, with a climate during the summer months that will rival that of its famous namesake on the Arno. With its commanding situation and great natural advantages it is destined to grow and prosper. There is room for ten times the number of people in the valley which surrounds it, and as the rich land now lying idle is brought under cultivation Florence will become one of the leading towns of the Territory.
Pinal is next in importance to Florence. It is situated on
59
COUNTIES AND CHIEF TOWNS.
Queen creek, about thirty-five miles northeast of the latter town. Towering above the town on the west is the lofty Tordilla peak, an immense mass of basaltic rock. A picket post was maintained at this point for several years as a protection to the farmers of the Gila valley against the raids of the Pinal Apaches. Thc town is built of wood and stone, and presents a solid and at- tractive appearance. There are several stores with stocks of general merchandise, two hotels, one bank, built of stone, with restaurants, saloons, etc, There is a handsome Methodist church, and a public school, which is well attended. The Odd Fellows and Masons have flourishing organizations herc. The Pinal Drill is published here once a week. It devotes special attention to the mining interests of the country, and has done much to make them known abroad.
The mill and reduction works of the Silver King Mining Co. are situated at this point, and the many mines which surround the town in all directions bring a prosperous trade. Population about 600, Silver King is the only other town of importance in Pinal county. It is built up around the famous mine from which · it takes its name. It is a prosperous camp, with a population of about 400. It is five miles from Pinal, and has three stores, two hotels, and many saloons.
The county of Gila was formed from portions of Pima and Pinal by the legislature of 1881. It is the smallest county in the Territory-its area being only 3,400 square miles. It is bounded on the north by Yavapai, on the east by Graham and Apache, on the south by Pinal, and on the west by Pinal and Maricopa. It is a compact mineral county, crossed in all directions by de- tached mountain spurs, while its rolling uplands are covered by a fine growth of grass. The Pinal range, which crosses the county south and west, is heavily timbered, while the Sierra Ancha and the Mazatzal ranges, on the north, have a heavy growth of pine, oak, and juniper. The Salt river flows through the northern portion of the county, while the Gila washes its southern border, Every mountain and peak is rich in minerals, and fine stock ranges are found in every direction, but the largest and best portion of its farming lands are found within the San Carlos reservation, The population of the county, by the census of 1882, was 1,582. Its tax valuation is $1,000,000; indebted- ness, $15,000; rate of taxation, $2.90 on each $100 of valuation.
The first permanent settlement in Gila county dates from the mineral discoveries in the Globe district, in the year 1876. These were among the richest ever made in the west, and created a sensation in mining circles all over the coast. Population in- creased at a rapid rate, and five years later the people demanded a separate county organization. The distance to a railroad has been a serious drawback to the development of Gila's re- sources, but that obstacle will soon be overcome, and the county placed in direct communication with the outer world. It has
60
THE RESOURCES OF ARIZONA.
great natural gifts in the way of mineral, timber and grass, and will eventually become one of the most populous and prosperous counties in the Territory.
Globe, the county seat of Gila, is a beautiful town, situated on Pinal creek, among the rolling, grassy foot-hills of the Pinal mountains. It is 120 miles northwest from the railroad station at Wilcox, and about ninety miles northeast of Florence. The town stretches along the narrow valley of the creek, while many private residences occupy charming situations on the smooth, grassy hills which rise on either side. The houses are built of wood, neatly painted, and present a very attractive appearance. The climate is delightful all the year, the water is pure, clear and cold, and Globe is one of the healthiest places in Arizona. There are twelve mercantile houses, two hotels, restaurants, saloons, lumber and feed yards, a brewery, blacksmith and wagon shops, and the other business establishments usually found in a mining camp. There is one bank, a public school, and a hand- some Methodist church, built of wood, and a Baptist meeting house in course of construction. The town sprang into existence after the rich mineral discoveries in the vicinity, in 1876. It is the supply point for nearly the entire county, and its business men do a large and prosperous trade. The population is about 1,000. Globe has two weekly newspapers, the Silver Belt, and the Chronicle. Both are generously supported, and have done valuable work in calling attention to the varied resources of Gila county. With the building of the Mineral Belt railroad, Globe promises to become one of the most prosperous mining towns in the Territory. The Masons, Odd Fellows, and United Work- ingmen have prosperous lodges here.
Graham county was organized in 1881, from portions of Pima and Apache. It embraces the rich agricultural lands of the upper Gila, and the extensive copper deposits of the San Fran- cisco and its tributaries. The county has an area of 6,485 square miles, and a population of 4,229. It is bounded on the east by New Mexico; on the south by Cochise; on the west by Pinal and Gila; and on the north by Apache. The Galiuro, the Graham, and the Peloncillo mountains extend through the county south of the Gila, while the Sierra de Petahaya and the Sierra Natanes cross its surface north of that stream. The mountains are generally well wooded, and the rolling plains and valleys are covered with rich grasses, which support large herds of stock. The Gila river flows through the county from east to west, forming the Pueblo Viejo, one of the finest agricultural valleys in the Territory.
Graham has the three great elements which build up prosper- ous communities-mining, farming and grazing. It has an abundant water supply, rich soil, fine grasses and extensive mineral deposits. It has, besides, a perfect climate whose cqua- ble temperature brings health and strength every month
61
COUNTIES AND CHIEF TOWNS.
throughout the year. The county is in a prosperous condition. The total valuation of its taxable property is $800,000; total indebtedness, $15,000; rate of taxation, $2.75 on the $100. The population is rapidly increasing, and many families are seeking homes in the beautiful Pueblo Viejo, while large droves of cattle are being driven in from Texas and Colorado. Its vast mineral wealth has caused the investment of a large amount of capital, and, although one of the youngest, few counties in the Territory are making more rapid advancement.
Solomonville, the county seat of Graham, is situated near the center of the valley, and is surrounded by a rich, agricultural country. The location is a delightful one, with the valley spreading like a sea of verdure to the east, west and north, with the pine-clad Graham mountain uplifting its dark and precipi- tous front to the south and west, and with the circling hills of the Gila and Ash Peak ranges shutting in the view to the north and east. A county court-house is now in course of construc- tion, and several business houses and private residences are also under way. There is a large general mercantile establishment, a hotel, blacksmith shop, saloons, etc. Surrounded by a rich, agricultural and grazing region, Solomonville will yet become one of the most beautiful and prosperous towns in the Territory. Present population, about 300.
Safford, the former county seat, is six miles down the valley from Solomonville. It is a pretty little village, surrounded by cultivated fields and orchards, and containing two stores, a hotel, flouring mill, and several neat private residences.
Clifton, the largest town in the county, is built in a narrow cañon on both sides of the San Francisco river, with towering cliffs of trachyte and conglomerate rock rising precipitously on either hand. The town has all the peculiar features of a new mining camp. The houses are built of adobe and wood, and are scattered along the river at the foot of the cliffs for over a half mile. Many of the inhabitants live in tents and canvas- covered shanties. The population is about 800, and rapidly in- creasing. There are half a dozen mercantile establishments, two hotels, saloons in plenty, restaurants, and all the other belong- ings of a young, prosperous and active mining town. The place is growing rapidly, and owing to the narrow limits of the building ground between the river and the rocky walls on either side, lots command a good price. The reduction works of the Arizona Copper Company are situated here, and employ a large number of men. The narrow-gauge railroad from Lordsburg has its terminus here. Despite its unfavorable situation, Clifton will grow and prosper, and for years to 'come be one of the liveliest towns in Arizona. The Clifton Clarion is published here every week. It is a newsy journal and an able exponent of the vast resources of the district.
Mohave county occupies the northwestern corner of the Ter-
62
THE RESOURCES OF ARIZONA.
ritory, and is one of the four original political divisions into which Arizona was divided. It is bounded on the west by the Colorado river, on the north Utah and Nevada, on the cast by Yavapai, and on the south by Yuma. Its arca is 12,000 square miles, and its population 1,910. Mohave is a land of rugged mountain ranges, and broad valleys covered with nutritious grasses. Four well-defined ridges, the Sacramento, the Cerbat, the Hualapai and the Cottonwood, traverse the county from north to south. The Hualapai and the Cottonwood have a finc growth of timber, while all of them are mincral-bearing.
Mohave county was organized in 1864, and has been the scene of active mining operations ever since. For years its only means of communication with the outer world was by the long, tedious, and uncertain route of the Colorado river, and as a consequence the development of its resources was slow. The building of the Atlantic and Pacific railroad has changed all this, and cheap freights and rapid communication will bring capital and population to Mohave.
Mineral Park, the county scat, is situated on an elevated bench on the western slope of the Cerbat range. It stands in an am -. phitheatre of rugged mountains, with the rocky cone of Sherum's Peak towering over all. It is 30 miles east of the Colorado and 130 miles northeast of Prescott. The houses are mostly of adobe. There are four stores, a hotel, restaurant, five saloons, black- smith shops, etc. There is a commodious public school-house, which is well attended. The town is the supply point for numer- ous mining camps and cattle ranges. Its present population is about 400, which is being rapidly increased since the building of the railroad. The station nearest the town is Kingman, situated about 10 miles distant, in the Hualapai valley.
The last, but by no means the least important, of the ten counties of the Territory, is Apache. It was formed in 1879 from the castern portion of Yavapai, and is the second largest county in the Territory, having an area of 20,940 square miles and a population of 6,816. It is bounded on the north by Colorado, on the cast by New Mexico, on the south by Graham and Gila counties, and on the west by Yavapai. The county embraces the eastern portion of the great Colorado plateau, and its elevation above sea level is from fo ir to seven thousand feet; some of its lofty peaks attain a height of over 11,000 fect. It is a well watered and timbered region, and its elevated table lands and valleys bear a fine growth of grass. North of the Little Colorado the country is made up of elevated mesas, isolated mountains and cañons worn deep into the carth by the floods of centuries. In the northern part of the county is that remarkable plateau known as the Mesa la Vaca, a smooth table-land raised nearly a thousand feet above the surrounding country. It is covered by a growth of fine grass, and by clumps of stunted pines and cedars. Here is the great coal region of Arizona, which extends
63
COUNTIES AND CHIEF TOWNS.
across the county and contains fuel enough to supply the United States for ages to come.
South of the thirty-fifth parallel, Apache county is one of the most attractive portions of the Territory. The snowfall in the winter months is quite heavy, and gives rise to many beautiful, clear streams which flow out from the Mogollon and Sierra Blanca into the adjoining valleys. This region is one of the most delightful summer resorts in Arizona. Large and beauti- ful trout are found in nearly all the streams, and the mountains are full of bear, deer and wild turkey. With a camp by the side of a clear, bubbling spring in some grassy glade, shaded by towering pines, one can pass the summer months here as pleasantly as in any part of the great west. Since the comple- tion of the Atlantic and Pacific railroad, the isolation which was so great a bar to the material advancement of the county , has been removed, and population is rapidly pouring in. Many Mormon colonies from the neighboring territory of Utah have settled in Apache county, and reclaimed large tracts of rich lands along the water-courses. With its vast deposits of coal, valuable forests of pinc, extensive stock ranges and rich farm- ing lands, Apache has all the natural advantages to build up a rich and populous community. The taxable property of the county is $1,663,731. Rate of taxation 212 per cent.
St. John, the principal town of the county, is on the Little Colorado, and about sixty miles south of Holbrook, on the Atlantic and Pacific railroad. The town has a population of over a thousand souls, and is growing steadily. It is the center of trade for a large agricultural and grazing region. There are five mercantile houses that do a heavy trade in grain, wool and. hides. There is a handsome court-house, a public school, and a commodious Catholic church. A weekly paper, called the Orion Era, is published herc, and sets forth the advantages of its town and county in an able manner. St. Johns has an admirable situation, and is destined to become a place of im- portance. The town is built principally of adobe, but there are many handsome residences of wood.
From this short sketch of the different counties which com- pose the Territory, it will be seen that its total population is 82,976. According to the census of 1880, the number was 41,580. These figures show that the population has almost doubled within the last two years, a more remarkable increase than can be shown by any state or territory in the Union. With the opening of the numerous branch railroads now being built and projected, there is every reason to expect a like in- crease during the next two years, thus giving Arizona the requisite population to entitle her to the honors of statehood. And when she takes a seat among her sisters, there will not be in that bright galaxy a fairer face crowned by a richer or rarer diadem.
-
MINES AND MINING.
First Attempt at Mining in the Territory-The Planchas de Plata-First Mining by Americans-The Difficulties under which it was Prosecuted-The Gold Discoveries in Northern Arizona-Variety of Minerals-Process of Reduction-Yield of Silver and Copper-Opening for Capital-The Mines of Tombstone and their Yield-Mines of Pinal, Yavapai, Gila, Pima, Graham, etc., etc.
A RIZONA has been well-named a land of sunshine and sil- ver. History and tradition have long made famous its marvelous mineral wealth, and the glamour of ro- mance has hung about it ever since Cabeza de Vaca told his wondrous tale of the "Seven Cities," and Padre Niza embellished it with all the coloring which his zealous missionary ardor could inspire. The very name of "Arizona" is synonymous with vast treasures of glittering gold and virgin silver, hidden away in the dark recesses of rugged mountains, guarded by the fiercest of aborigines. The daring Spaniards, who braved the perils of hunger and thirst, and the dangers of death at the hands of its unconquered savages, had their imaginations fired by the tales and traditions of the Pimas, and the mystic region to the north of Mexico was to them a land "fraught with the rarest charms of romance." Its massive mountains, its jagged and fantastically shaped peaks, its vast and solitary stretches of plain and mesa, and over all, the rich, glowing atmosphere, that lent such an inexpressible charm, was to them a country where anything was possible. A country whose wonderful streams, like those
"Where Alph, the sacred river, ran Through caverns measureless to man Down to a sunless sea,"
had their banks "three leagues in the air;" whose glowing skies eclipsed in brilliancy their own Castile, and whose every breeze wafted across mountain and desert, whispered golden tales of in- exhaustless wealth.
No wonder Coronado and the daring band who followed him were ready to risk life and limb in the eager quest, and undergo
....
0
SEE PAGE 50
CITY OF TOMBSTONE.
BANCROFT -UTH - S. F.
١
65
MINES AND MINING.
any hardship, however great, to gain the prize in view. They did not find the golden treasures they expected in the Moquis towns, but the hidden wealth which they passed over in their journey thither was greater than that which Pizarro wrung from his Peruvian captive, or that Cortez found in the halls of the Montezumas. But the men who made the expedition to Cibola were not of the kind who dig and delve for gold and silver. If there was a chance to win it by the aid of their good swords and strong arms, they were ever ready to undertake the job; but when it could only be had by laborious toil they preferred that some one else should do the work. So the first white men who penetrated Arizona did nothing to demonstrate its great treasure of precious metals, and it was not until more than a century had elapsed that the first effort was made to develop the hidden wealth of this region.
The Jesuit fathers were the pioneer miners of Arizona, and the first Europeans to attempt the extraction and reduction of its rich silver ores. When or where this first mining was done we have no means of knowing; but it could not be long after the establishment of the missions at San Xavier and Tumacacori. That it was prosecuted on an extensive scale, there is reason to believe from the old shafts and tunnels which are found in the mountains surrounding these old Missions, and from the piles of slag which are yet seen in the vicinity of the ruins.
The success of the Mission fathers induced others to engage in the business. Many rich discoveries were made, and a great deal of bullion was transported from Pimiria Alta. The unearthing of vast masses of virgin silver in the Arizuma mountains, near the line of Sonora, made a tremendous excitement in Old and New Spain, and carried the fame of Arizona as a silver-produc- ing region to the remotest corners of the civilized globe. Such masses of the pure metal were never found before. One "nugget" weighed 2,700 pounds, the largest piece of native silver ever unearthed. This magnificent lump was confiscated by Philip V., on the ground that it was a curiosity, and therefore rightfully be- longed to his Majesty. Many other specimens of the native metal weighing from 200 to 400 pounds were also found, and the stories of the marvelous wealth of the region to the north, were at length being verified by tangible proofs.
Under the vice-regal rule mining was prosecuted vigorously in Sonora and Arizona, a vast amount of treasure was taken out, and a great deal of work done. The system of mining was crude and imperfect, and the appliances for ore reduction of the most primitive kind. Water and ore was packed out of the mines on the backs of peons, and nothing but ores entirely free from base metals could be worked successfully. But so rich was the grade that under such disadvantages they were made to yield hand- somely. The war for Mexican independence put a stop to nearly all mining enterprises in Sonora and Arizona, and in the latter
5
66
THE RESOURCES OF ARIZONA.
region it never reached that degree of prosperity under Mexican rule which it had attained under the government of Spain.
When that portion of the Territory south of the Gila passed into the possession of the United States, there was not a single mine worked within the limits of the Gadsden Purchase, or in all of Arizona. Want of protection from Apache depredations had caused the abandonment of every mining enterprise, and the old shafts and tunnels, and the blackened walls of haciendas and furnaces, were all there was left of once prosperous mining es- tablishments. The first mining done by Americans in the newly- Hon. acquired territory was in the Santa Rita mountains. Charles D. Poston, who was afterward elected the first Delegate to Congress, organized the Sonora Mining and Exploring Com- pany and the Arizona Mining Company, some time in 1855. These companies secured possession of many of the old mines which had been opened in early times by the Mission Fathers, and re-commenced work upon them, aided by all the improved machinery and appliances then in vogue. Many difficulties had to be overcome, and many dangers to be met. The country was overrun by the murderous Apaches; machinery, tools and sup- plies of every kind had to be freighted overland for hundreds of miles, skilled labor was scarce, and the country was virtually isolated from civilization.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.