Boynton Canyon Vortex in Sedona

August 30, 2011 By 4 Comments
Boynton Canyon Spire, Kachina Woman

Famed for its stunning red rock cliffs, Sedona is one of those Arizona cities you simply can’t get enough of. People travel from around the world to catch a glimpse of the crimson landscape sitting in our backyard.

Yet the red rocks alone aren’t drawing tourists. Many flock to Sedona to feel the power of energy vortexes dotting the region. In this sense, a vortex is a spiraling, tornado-like force of spiritual energy emanating from the center of the Earth. Many believe these places are ideal for prayer, meditation and healing, as the energy is said to interact with one’s inner self. Vortexes are also known to increase psychic energy and make you more self aware.

The Boynton Canyon Vortex is one of several main vortexes in the area. It’s located just west of Enchantment Resort. Some vortexes are said to have either masculine or feminine energies. The Boynton Canyon vortex has both, which is supposedly ideal for balancing energy within oneself and with relationships.

Filed Under: Natural Surroundings, Northern Arizona, Odd Observations, Recreation Tagged With: , ,

Mogollon Monikers: Origins of Place Names in Arizona’s Rim Country

August 21, 2011 By 1 Comment
Mogollon Rim

Ever since man first set foot in this rugged piece of terrain known as Arizona, he has felt compelled to brand everything with a name. Inspiration for these place names came from a variety of sources—some quite obvious.

Lousy Gulch got its name after all the residents got lice. When Mormon pioneers decided to settle near a large stand of Ponderosa pines, they simply named their community Pine. Another group settled in a small valley where they found wild strawberries growing in abundance and decided to name their town Strawberry. Henry Clifton, a member of an early Indian-fighting militia, claimed that in 1864 the place was known as Wah-poo-eta for a prominent Tonto Apache chief better known to whites as Big Rump. The most obvious place name in Mogollon Rim country was bestowed when a group of settlers pulled into a little green valley and promptly named it Little Green Valley.

Filed Under: Dose of History, Northern Arizona, Small Town Scene Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

A Two-House Story in Snowflake

August 5, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Cabin in Snowflake, Arizona

SNOWFLAKE — This is a two-house story, rather than the usual two-story house. It begins in 1878, when Andrew Rogers built a simple one-room log cabin for his family after they migrated to northeastern Arizona. As the family grew, Rogers added more rooms. In fact, he added so many new rooms that they swallowed up the original structure. After a while, all mention and memory of the cabin disappeared.

It stayed that way until 1989, when the house of many add-ons caught fire. While clearing the debris after the blaze was extinguished, workmen discovered the cabin standing among the ashes. Protected by all the additions, the thick logs had withstood the flames.

Filed Under: Dose of History, Northern Arizona Tagged With: , ,

Place Names Along I-17: Origins of Crown King, Bumble Bee and Bloody Basin

May 1, 2011 By 5 Comments

Q: My husband and I travel often between Prescott Valley and Phoenix, and I am wondering about the origin of the names of Crown King, Bumble Bee and Bloody Basin.

A: …Bloody Basin is such a great Arizona name, don’t you think? Bloody Basin is in the far southeast corner of Yavapai County. According to Barnes, it was named for the many bloody battles with Indians that took place in the area.

Bumble Bee was a stagecoach stop sometimes known as Snider’s Station for the man who first operated it. By 1880 it was known as Bumble Bee, named for Bumble Bee Creek, which in turn was named by some prospectors who in 1863 discovered a large bee’s nest nearby and got stung while trying to raid it for honey.

Filed Under: Dose of History, Northern Arizona, Odd Observations Tagged With: , , , ,

The Story of Frank Murphy’s Impossible Railroad

April 25, 2011 By 1 Comment
railroad crossing

At the peak of its prosperity, the fabled Bradshaw Moun­tains of central Arizona produced a king’s ransom in gold and silver. Towns and mines with picturesquely whimsical names like Bueno, Turkey Creek, Tiger, Tip Top, Oro Belle and Big Bug were peopled with boisterous devil-may-care miners aptly described as unmarried, unchurched and unwashed. Each community boasted it was built atop the madre del oro and its streets would soon be cobbled with golden nuggets.

In 1899, the vast riches inspired railroad entrepreneur Frank Murphy to extend his Prescott and Eastern Line from Mayer into the heart of the great mountains. Although Murphy was warned he’d be stopped by this maze of rugged, perpendicular grades laced with canyons so steep that big horn sheep had to shut their eyes and walk sideways, he was determined to meet the challenge of the mountains. That’s why it’s best-remembered as Frank Murphy’s Impossible Railroad.

Filed Under: Culture, Dose of History, Northern Arizona, Small Town Scene Tagged With: , , , , ,
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