ITINERARY.
Stage, Military, And Mine Roads, Stations, Towns, And MilitaryPosts. Water, Wood, Grass, Etc., En Route. Compiled From TheBest Military And Other Authorities.
* Telegraph Offices.At all stations, wood, water, and grass, or other feed, are to be found. At most of them, a small store is also kept. Meals and lodgings can be obtained.1At Mission Camp, there is a road south and west, to the old Papago country, via Cabaza Prieto.2From Mohawk is a road due south to the same region.3Five miles east of Teamster Camp is a route south to the Ajo Copper Mines, and then southwest to Sonora.4At Burke’s is a road south to the same point.5At Painted Rock, north of and near this station, a road to Phœnix comes in.6Near Gila Bend, a road diverges south, through the old Papago country, to old mines and deserted Indian villages.7At Maricopa Wells, roads north and south diverge direct to Tucson, the Papagonia, to Phœnix, Camps McDowell, Verde, and Apache.8At Pima Villages, a road diverges north, passing through the Maricopa village (Indians, 800). There are 5,000 Pima Indians, living in ten large and several small villages, between this station and Montezuma. There is also a road directly south from Pima.9Road south to Desert Wells.10From Florence, regular stages leave for Silver City, Pioneer District; Globe City, Globe District; San Carlos, and Camp Apache; also, to Hayden, East Phœnix, Phœnix, Wickenburg, and Prescott. There is a direct road to old Camp Grant, east, and thence to the San Pablo Valley and Arivipa settlements.11At Tucson, the highway to Mexico, via the valley of the Santa Cruz, diverges west. Stages leave for Guaymas.12Near Cienega, a road diverges to Davidson’s, the Santa Rita placers, old Camps Crittenden and Wallen, the Pategonias, and the old Presidio San Pedro (U. S. Camp Huachuca).13At Tres Alimos, there is a road north and up the San Pedro Valley to San Carlos, the Globe District, and CampApache.14There are roads north and south at this point to Camp Grant and the old Chiricahua Reservation, now abandoned, and thence, by trails, etc., to Sulphur Springs Valley, Dragoon Mountains, etc.15There is a road north direct to Safford, on the Gila.16Stages here for the most southerly station, via Santa Fé, on the Denver & Rio Grande N. G. R. R.; thence east, via Colorado and Kansas railroads.17At Mesilla, the overland stages connect with branch to El Paso, Fort Worth, etc., Texas.
1Ehrenberg is a steamboat landing of importance. Roads north to La Paz, the Colorado Reservation Camp and Agency, and south to Eureka and Castle Dome district.2A road branches here southward to Castle Dome landing, and the mines in that district.3At this station mine roads diverge to the Harcuvar District and mines; an extensive stock range is found within five miles.4At Cullings, the road forks, the right-hand branch going to Wickenburg, and the other striking more northerly, via Date Creek, to Prescott.5At this point roads diverge south to Phœnix and Florence, to the Vulture Mine, to Agua Fria and Cave Creek mines, east and north to Prescott, and northeast to adjacent mining districts.6At Prescott, roads diverge to Camp Verde and valley, with its growing settlements, to Alexandria, and other mining towns and camps; north to the Black Hills and Forest, and to the San Francisco Mountain; northwest to Mineral Park and vicinity, and almost due west to Aubry and Hardyville landings. Also east, via Camp Verde, across the Plateau to Fort Wingate, New Mexico, and thence to the present southern terminus of the Denver and Rio Grande Railroad.7At Smith’s Mill, south of Wickenburg, a road east diverges to Camp McDowell.8At Phœnix, roads diverge southward, one crossing to and following the Hassayampa Creek to the Gila, others eastward, up the Salt River valley, to Marysville and Camp McDowell, while other roads strike south, direct to Maricopa Wells, the mail stage line diverging in a southeast direction to Florence.
Numbers1-9 include all the Routes north of the Gila River;Numbers14-25 include all the routes south of the Gila River in Arizona, and the Routes from San Diego to Fort Yuma;Numbers26-31 include the Routes from Arizona into New Mexico and Sonora, from Fort Whipple, A. T., to Fort Wingate, New Mexico, and the Routes from Camp Pinal and Camp Apache.
☞When there is more than one route, the distance on the usual route is marked with an Asterisk (*). There is a difference of ten per cent. less, as a rule, on the roads and routes surveyed by the military authorities, as compared with those given by the stage companies and mail contractors.
1½ miles beyond Beale’s Spring, where road crosses Sandy Wash, there is permanent and good water; ¼ mile to right of road, in the Wash, grass abundant; good camping ground. Wood near by, ¾ mile to left of road. Up the Wash are large bodies of good water.
3 miles before reaching Hualpais Spring, just after crossing Big Wash, good permanent water; grass and wood 1½ miles to right of road; good road nearly to the water. In coming from Willow Grove to Camp Mojave, in order to reach this camping ground turn to left 2 miles after leaving Hualpais Spring. Important camping ground, used by trains.
Three miles beyond Camp near Muddy Cañon is an old government camping ground, with water all the year; wood and grass abundant. New road forks to the left, one mile beyond Camp. Two miles further is the Camp opposite the above mentioned water, one-fourth mile to right of road. Present camping ground well marked.
This new road intersects old road one mile before reaching Anvil Rock; is smooth, and avoids the rocky hills on the old road, now very difficult for loaded teams. Both roads are boggy in winter.
1The road forking to the right at this place leads to Agua Fria Ranch, distance 4 miles; from Agua Fria Ranch to Ash Creek by a direct road the distance is 7.80 miles.The direct road from Lurty’s cannot be used for supply trains, which all go by Bower’s Ranch, making the distance from Fort Whipple to Camp Verde 40.67 miles.
Captain Foster, Assistant Quartermaster, reported this road in 1874 as the only practicable one for loaded wagons, between Fort Whipple and Camp Verde.
By a rough trail from Fort Whipple over Granite Mountains to Ehle’s Ranch (Skull Valley) the distance is estimated at eighteen miles. There is another trail leading over this range entering Skull Valley at its upper end, (Dickson’s Ranch) three and one-half miles from Ehle’s. This trail is three or four miles longer than the other, but is not so rough. In winter the short trail (so-called) is often obstructed by snow. These trails are used by the “Mail Carrier.”
1California and Arizona stages to Prescott leave this station.2From Ehrenberg there is a road up the Colorado River to Camp Colorado, 45.50 miles.
Irrigated lands in Southern Arizona will readily produce two crops of grain each year, and several of alfalfa. Some lands, belonging to the Pima Indians, as well as fields about Tucson and the ranches of the Santa Cruz and San Pedro Valleys, are known to have been in continuous cultivation for at least from two to three hundred years. Water fertilizes and restores the soil. The valley of the Gila, under analysis, shows more phosphorates and other fertilizers than that of the Nile.
A sand storm on the mesas of Southern Arizona is not a pleasant affair to encounter. If caught in one on horse-back or afoot, imitate the animals, put your face close to the ground and turn your back to the blast.