Tag: history
Doc Goodfellow: Arizona’s Gutsiest Physician from the Territorial Days
The territorial days were a period in medical history of great scientific breakthrough; however, most surgeons in Eastern medical citadels preferred to be conservative in their treatment. Doc Goodfellow epitomized many frontier surgeons. Limited in their facilities, they had no choice but to experiment if their patients were to have any chance at all. The fearless ...Arizona Place Names: A Slew of Cities and Counties with Spanish, Indian and Random Origins
Ever since man first set foot in this land called Arizona, he has felt compelled to name every river, waterhole, mountain pass and trail. Inspiration was usually drawn from great natural spectacles and awesome beauty, but not always. Among Arizona's fabulous mineral laden mountains lie the skeletal remains of storied ghost camps of yesteryear, born ...Quartzsite’s Legend of A Camel Driver
The thing most people notice right away when they enter the Quartzsite Cemetery is a stone pyramid topped by a copper camel, and there's quite a story behind its presence. The cairn marks the grave site of a man they called Hi Jolly, who came to this country in the 1860s to act as a ...Wickenburg’s Botanical Incarcerator
Right in the middle of downtown Wickenburg, there's an old mesquite tree that folks around town say has been there longer than anyone can remember. Local historians who check into such things say it's more than 200 years old, and claim they have evidence to prove it. They also say it once served as the ...Early Day Prospecting in Old Yuma County
About 20 miles up the Gila River from Yuma, the community of Dome basks in the desert sun. It's pretty quiet around here these days—a far cry from that prosperous time in the late 1850s when the boisterous boom town of Gila City boasted some thousand rough and tumble prospectors. It was Arizona's first gold ...Old Arizona’s “Ladies of the Night”
There was a limitless market--selling intimacy to lonely love starved men. These colorful lades bore a litany of picturesque nicknames such as Squirrel-Tooth Alice, Crazy Horse Lil, Frenchy Moustache, Lizette the Flying Nymph, and last but not least, Little Gertie, the Gold Dollar. These aliases weren't just to camouflage identity but usually referred to some ...Tribute to a Fallen Earp
Western movies never mention him, but there was another Earp sibling involved in Arizona's history. His name was Warren and, unlike his three more famous brothers, he didn't survive his gunfight. Warren Earp was shot and killed in 1900 at the Headquarters Saloon in downtown Willcox. According to area historians...Big Counties Make Sense in Arizona
After Arizona became a U.S. territory in 1863, four counties were created—Mojave, Pima, Yuma and Yavapai. A fifth county, Pah-Ute, was claimed — and taxed — by both Arizona and Nevada, with Nevada emerging as the winner. Maricopa County was created in 1871, and others came along over time when need arose.Old Clifton Jail: A Real Hole-in-the-Wall
It's not much to look at, just a hole blasted into a huge rock, but Clifton's first jail is worth taking a look at because of a couple of notable details in its history. One deals with its construction; the other with its first occupant.Arizona in the Civil War? Deadly Skirmish at Picacho
Today, Picacho Peak serves as a familiar landmark along a stretch of Interstate 10 that connects Tucson and Phoenix. An unmistakable cluster of volcanic remnants juts hundreds of feet from the desert floor, greeting a constant flow of drivers who whiz past the site, completely unaware of its historical significance. Some 150 years ago, this was ...
Why Does Downtown Phoenix Seem to Have Two Downtowns?
The Tucson Artifacts are the Southwest’s Greatest Hoax