Arizona Ghost Trails, by Richard J. Hinton

ITINERARY.

Stage, Military, And Mine Roads, Stations, Towns, And Military
Posts. Water, Wood, Grass, Etc., En Route. Compiled From The
Best Military And Other Authorities.

Yuma, A. T., to Mesilla, N. M.—Overland Road and Stations of the S. P. O. M. S. Line.

	Miles.
Yuma, A. T.*
Desconso	14	14
Gila City	8	22
Rattlesnake	7	29
Mission Camp 1	3	32
Filibuster	12	44
Antelope Peak	6	50
Mohawk 2	16	66
Teamster’s Camp 3	20	86
Stanwix*	20	96
Burke’s 4	12	108
Oatman Flat 5	10	118
Gila Bend 6	30	148
Maricopa Wells* 7	43	191
Pima Villages 8	12	203
Sweet Water.	7	209
Sacaton.	6	215
Montezuma.	10	225
Sanford 9	8	233
Florence* 10	4	237
Desert Wells	36	273
Point of Mountain	9	282
Water Holes	9	291
Tucson* 11	9	300
Cienega 12	30	330
Tres Alimos 13	20	350
Steel’s Ranch 14	40	390
Apache Pass* (Camp Bowie) 15	35	425
Ralston, New Mexico	50	475
Knight’s Ranch, New Mexico	25	500
Silver City, ” 16	25	525
Fort Bayard, ”	10	535
Rio Membres, ”	40	565
Fort Cummings* ”	20	585
Slocum’s, ”	30	615
Mesilla, ” 17	15	645

* 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.
1 At Mission Camp, there is a road south and west, to the old Papago country, via Cabaza Prieto.
2 From Mohawk is a road due south to the same region.
3 Five miles east of Teamster Camp is a route south to the Ajo Copper Mines, and then southwest to Sonora.
4 At Burke’s is a road south to the same point.
5 At Painted Rock, north of and near this station, a road to Phœnix comes in.
6 Near Gila Bend, a road diverges south, through the old Papago country, to old mines and deserted Indian villages.
7 At Maricopa Wells, roads north and south diverge direct to Tucson, the Papagonia, to Phœnix, Camps McDowell, Verde, and Apache.
8 At 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.
9 Road south to Desert Wells.
10 From 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.
11 At Tucson, the highway to Mexico, via the valley of the Santa Cruz, diverges west. Stages leave for Guaymas.
12 Near 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).
13 At Tres Alimos, there is a road north and up the San Pedro Valley to San Carlos, the Globe District, and Camp Apache.
14 There 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.
15 There is a road north direct to Safford, on the Gila.
16 Stages 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.
17 At Mesilla, the overland stages connect with branch to El Paso, Fort Worth, etc., Texas.

Distances Between Stations, commencing at Dos Palmas, on S. P. R. R., and thence over Lines of Cal. and Arizona Stage Co.

			Miles.
Dos Palmas	west to	Canyon Springs	15
Canyon Sp’gs	”	Chuckawalla	36	51
Chuckawalla	”	Mule Springs	18	69
Mule Springs	”	Willows	29	98
Willows	”	Ehrenberg 1	11	109
Ehrenberg	”	Tyson’s Wells 2	22	131
Tyson’s Wells	”	Desert Well 3	28	159
Desert Well	”	Mungia Well	17	176
Mungia Well	”	Cullings Well 4	15	191
Cullings Well	”	Point Mountain	25	216
Point Mountain	”	Wickenburg 5	20	236
Wickenburg	north to	Partridge City	17	253
Partridge City	”	Antelope Valley	10	26
Antelope Val’y	”	Dixon	17	280
Dixon	”	Prescott 6	17	297
Wickenburg	south to	Smith’s Mills 7	15
Smith’s Mills	”	Agua Fria	28	43
Agua Fria	”	Phœnix 8	22	65
Phœnix	”	Hayden Ferry	9	74
Hayden Ferry	”	House’s Well	20	94
House’s Well	”	Florence	20	114
Florence	”	Tucson (overland stage)	63	277

1 Ehrenberg 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.
2 A road branches here southward to Castle Dome landing, and the mines in that district.
3 At this station mine roads diverge to the Harcuvar District and mines; an extensive stock range is found within five miles.
4 At Cullings, the road forks, the right-hand branch going to Wickenburg, and the other striking more northerly, via Date Creek, to Prescott.
5 At 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.
6 At 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.
7 At Smith’s Mill, south of Wickenburg, a road east diverges to Camp McDowell.
8 At 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.

Military Routes.

Numbers 1-9 include all the Routes north of the Gila River; Numbers 14-25 include all the routes south of the Gila River in Arizona, and the Routes from San Diego to Fort Yuma; Numbers 26-31 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.

No.	Route.		Distance.
1	Camp Mojave to Willow Grove		79.78
2	Camp Willow Grove to Fort Whipple (Prescott)		84.88
3	Fort Whipple to Camp Verde		38.59
4	Fort Whipple to Date Creek		59.65
5	Ehrenberg to Camp Colorado (Indian Reservation)		45.50
6	Ehrenberg to Date Creek	{	*130.32
6	Ehrenberg to Date Creek	{	137.17
7	Ehrenberg to Wickenburg, A. T.		131.32
8	Camp Colorado to Date Creek	{	*175.82
8	Camp Colorado to Date Creek	{	84.00
9	Date Creek to Camp McDowell	{	*109.83
9	Date Creek to Camp McDowell	{	126.18
10	Date Creek to Maricopa Wells		101.05
11	Wickenburg to Fort Whipple, (Prescott) via trail		55.00
12	Wickenburg to Camp McDowell, via trail		65.00
13	Camp McDowell to Fort Whipple (Prescott)		109.85
14	Camp McDowell to Camp Reno		33.00
15	Camp Reno to Camp Verde		90.00
16	Camp McDowell to Maricopa Wells		44.81
17	Camp McDowell to Camp Grant		106.17
18	San Diego to Fort Yuma, Cal.	{	*191.61
18	San Diego to Fort Yuma, Cal.	{	229.05
19	Fort Yuma, Cal., to Maricopa Wells (Yuma)		176.73
20	Maricopa Wells to Camp Grant		90.78
21	Camp Grant to Camp Goodwin		153.46
22	Camp Grant to Camp Bowie		135.34
23	Maricopa Wells to Tucson (Camp Lowell)		98.01
24	Camp Grant to Tucson (Camp Lowell)		52.08
25	Tucson (Camp Lowell) to Camp Goodwin		149.85
26	Tucson (Camp Lowell) to Camp Bowie		105.36
27	Tucson (Camp Lowell) to Camp Crittenden (east of Santa Rita)	{	*50.78
27		{	87.36
28	Camp Crittenden to Camp Bowie		97.55
29	Camp Bowie to Camp Goodwin	{	*88.00
29	Camp Bowie to Camp Goodwin	{	99.00
30	Camp Bowie, A. T., to Fort Cummings		114.00
31	Tucson (Camp Lowell) A. T., to Guaymas, Mexico		350.78
32	Camp Wallen, (abandoned) A. T., to Guaymas, Mexico		317.50
33	Tucson, (Camp Lowell) A. T., to La Libertad, Mexico	{	*225.23
33	Tucson, (Camp Lowell) A. T., to La Libertad, Mexico	{	226.97
34	Tucson, (Camp Lowell) A. T., to Lobos, Mexico		213.64
35	Camp Pinal to Tucson (Camp Lowell)		114.63
36	Camp Pinal to Fort Whipple		243.97
37	Camp Pinal to Camp Grant		87.65
38	Camp Apache to Tucson (Camp Lowell)		221.85
39	Camp Apache to Maricopa Wells		316.24
40	Camp Apache to Fort Whipple		268.00
41	Fort Whipple (Prescott) to Fort Wingate, N. M.		285.76

From Yuma.

To		Miles.	Route
Camp Pinal,	disused	260	Via Florence, on the Overland Road.
Camp Apache		497	Via both Tucson and via Camp Grant, 494 miles.
Camp Bowie		380
Camp Colorado,	disused	195	Via Ehrenberg and then by river road, 45 miles.
Camp Colorado,	”	215	Via river steamer.
Camp Crittenden,	”	326	Via Maricopa Wells, Tucson and Davidson’s Springs.
Date Creek,	”	278	Via Ehrenberg or via Camp Colorado.
Camp Goodwin,	”	425
Camp Grant		268	Via Maricopa Wells and Florence or Tucson.
Tucson		275	Via direct from Maricopa, by stage road 300 miles.
Camp McDowell		222	Via overland road to Maricopa Wells.
Camp Mojave		503	By river steamer.
Camp Reno,	disused	255	Via Camp Verde.
Camp Verde		377	Via overland road to Maricopa Wells, and thence via Phœnix and Camp McDowell.
Prescott		338	Via Oatman Flat and Wickenberg.
Ehrenberg		140	By river steamer.
Maricopa Wells		177	By regular stage route, 191 miles.
La Paz		130	By river steamer.
Guaymas, Mexico		620	Via Tucson.
La Libertad, Mexico		500	Via Tucson.
Lobos, Mexico		489
Tubac		321	Via Maricopa Weils direct to Tucson, regular stage route 346 ms.
Castle Dome Mills		12
” Mines		22
” Landing		22	By river steamer.
Sonora Line		50	” ”
Eureka			” ”
Landing			” ”
Aubry			” ”
Hardyville			” ”
Callville			” ”

From Prescott.

To		Miles.	To		Miles.
Camp Pinal,	disused	244	Camp Toll Gate,	disused	39
Camp Apache		481	Camp Verde		39
Camp Bowie		364	Fort Cummings, N. M.		478
Camp Colorado,	disused	236	Fort Yuma, Cal. (Yuma, A. T.)		338
Camp Crittenden,	”	310	Ehrenberg, A. T.		190
Camp Date Creek,	”	60	Maricopa Wells		161
Camp Goodwin,	”	409	Guaymas, Mexico		610
Camp Grant, A. T.		252	La Libertad, Mexico		484
Camp Lowell, (Tucson)		259	Lobos, Mexico		473
Camp McDowell		170	San Diego, Cal.		530
Camp Mojave		165	Tubac		305
Camp Reno,	disused	203	Fort Wingate, N. M.		286

Camp Mojave to Willow Grove, A. T.

To	Miles.	Miles.	Description.
Hardyville	6	6	Village; sandy road.
Alexander’s Camp	2	8	Water and wood; no grass.
First Water, Union Pass	11	20	Water; grass scarce; no wood; no camping ground.
Union Pass (Spring)	1	21	Water; no wood or grass; road up hill; no camping ground.
Coyote Spring	16	38	Water; grass scarce; wood.
Beale’s Spring	1	39	Another spring ½ mile beyond; very good water.
Hualpais Spring	14	54	Half a mile to right of road; water bad; good grass.
Tanks	12	67	Filled with sand; no water or wood.
Cottonwood	7	75	Water, grass and wood.
Willow Grove	4	81	With the fractions added.

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.

Willow Grove to Prescott, A. T.

To	Miles.	Miles.	Description.
Fort Rock	9	9	Ranch. Water, grass and wood. Road generally good.
Camp near Muddy Cañon	11	20	Water in cañon 300 yards to right of road; wood abundant; road good.
Anvil Rock	4	24	Water and grass.
Oaks and Willows	9	33	Water, grass and wood. Road generally good.
Old Toll Gate	9	43	Abandoned. Road hilly, otherwise good.
Roblett’s (Ranch)	2	45	Water, grass and wood.
Toll Gate (Ranch)	} 1	46	Water and wood abundant. Road as above.
Camp Hualpai	} 1	46	Water and wood abundant. Road as above.
Williamson’s Valley	15	62	Water and grass; no wood. Road excellent.
Lee’s Ranch	13	75	Water, grass and wood. Road excellent.
Prescott	11	86	Road excellent.

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.

Prescott (Fort Whipple) to Camp Verde, A. T. Route 1.

To	Miles.	Miles.	Description.
1Lurty’s Ranch	11	11	Water and grass; wood scarce. Good road.
Ash Creek	9	21	Water permanent; grazing tolerably fair; wood scarce.
Cienega	7	28	Water permanent; grazing excellent; wood close by spring.
Summit Grief Hill	4	32	Water to right of road one mile before reaching Summit except in dry season;grazing good; wood plenty.
Camp Verde	5	38	Road good; first mile steep descent.

1 The 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.

Prescott, (Fort Whipple) to Camp Verde, A. T. Route 2.

To	Miles.	Miles.	Description.
Lurty’s Ranch	14	14	Via “Point of Rocks.” Water and grass; wood scarce; road good.
New Road to Camp McDowell	6	20
Ash Creek	2	23	Water permanent; grazing fair; wood scarce.
Government Saw Mill	6	30
Camp Verde	16	46	Good road.

Captain Foster, Assistant Quartermaster, reported this road in 1874 as the only practicable one for loaded wagons, between Fort Whipple and Camp Verde.

Prescott to Date Creek, A. T.

To	Miles.	Miles.	Description.
Lee’s Ranch	11	11	Water, grass and wood. Right-hand road to Camp Mojave.
Tonto Spring	9	20.60	Water to right of road ¼ mile distant. Good camping ground.
Dickson’s Ranch	10	30.60	Water, grass and wood. Road good.
Ehle’s Ranch	3	34.10	Water, grass and grain. Road good. Mail station; good stabling.
Uncle Rob’s	5	39.79	Water, grass and grain.
Jones’ Camp	3	42.79	Water, part of year; grass good. Road bad and dangerous.
Willow Spring	4	47.71	Water ¼ mile to left of road; grass good; wood scarce.
Soldiers’ Holes	6	53.71	Water in rainy season.
Date Creek	5	60.00	Road mostly good.

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.”

Camp Apache to Prescott, A. T.

To	Miles.	Miles.	Description.
Tank	18	18
Spring	5	23
Forks of Road	8	31	Right fork to Zuni, N. M.
Jo. N.’s Camp	18	49
Silver Spring	4	53
Stoneman’s Camp	8		61
Shevelon’s fork of Colorado	7	68	After crossing, take right fork of road.
Crossing of Little Colorado	28	96
Sunset Crossing	33	129
Tank	18	147
Jo. N.’s Camp	20	167
Sante Spring	8	175
Stoneman’s Lake	13	188
Beaver Creek	18	206
Camp Verde	18	224
Prescott	44	268

Dos Palmas (S. P. R. R.) to Ehrenberg, A. T.

To	Miles.	Miles.	Description.
1Dos Palmas (S. P. R. R.) Cañon Springs	11	190	Water and wood; little grass. Good road.
Chuc-a-walla (Station)	34	224	Water and wood. Good road.
Laguna	30	254	Water and wood; little grass; heavy sand.
Willow Springs	7	261	Water, grass and wood. Good road.
Bradshaw’s Ferry (Ranch)	12	273	Water and wood. Good road.
2Ehrenberg	2	276	Sandy road.

1 California and Arizona stages to Prescott leave this station.
2 From 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.

Ehrenberg to Camp McDowell, A. T., via Date Creek.

To	Miles.	Miles.	Description.
Tyson’s (Los Pasos)	25	25	Good water; hay and grain.
Desert Station	25	51	Good water; hay and grain.
Flint’s	19	70	Good water and grass.
McMullen’s	4	74	Old road branches here} Road by Martinez’s Cañon.} west of
Cullen’s	10	85	Good water and grass. } Date Creek
Date Creek Crossing	36	121	Good water and grass. } Mountain.
Date Creek	9	130
Martinez’s Cañon	7	7	Water, grass and wood; road boggy in wet season. Right fork to Ehrenberg.
Vulture Mill	18	26	Last six miles of road sandy.
1Wickenburg	1	27	Settlement.
2Camp on Hassyampa	5	33	Water (except in very dry season), grass and wood.
Road leaves Hassyampa	2	35	Quicksands in Hassyampa sometimes impassable. (See Note.)
Mud Tanks	12	48	Water in rainy season.
Point of Mountain	7	55	Permanent water in White Tanks,1½ miles to right of road.
3Forks of Road		56	Right fork to Salinas Lower Crossing.
Crossing of Agua Frio Ranch	9	65
Phœnix (Swelling’s R’ch)	19	85	Settlement.
Acequia	1	86
Forks of Road	12	98	Right fork to Maricopa Wells and Camp Grant.
Camp McDowell	11	110