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Old 08-19-2010, 09:32 AM
 
Location: California
8 posts, read 11,242 times
Reputation: 10

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Despite my screen name, I know very little about the Old West.

I am planning an historical research road trip to southeastern and central Arizona (from California) and am hoping to dig a bit deeper into the history of the area than the overview I'm finding in my Google searches.

I'm particularly interested in the Eagar, Show Low, and Lake Montezuma areas during the 1870's to the turn of the 20th century. Information regarding long-distance transportation (such as trains or commercial/military trails), daily living amongst townsfolks, encounters with the Native Americans, as well as any stories about local figures of the period.

Feel free to discuss any information or direction to informational areas in this forum or DM me if you have specific questions or thoughts.

I really appreciate any assistance!
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Old 08-19-2010, 10:43 AM
 
Location: California
8 posts, read 11,242 times
Reputation: 10
Also looking for any infomation on driving through the Apache and Sitgreaves National Forests. What's the terrain like? How many small towns might I come across? How's the weather? Etc.

Thanks!
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Old 08-19-2010, 03:16 PM
 
260 posts, read 511,551 times
Reputation: 221
Quote:
Originally Posted by ex-cowboy View Post
Despite my screen name, I know very little about the Old West.

I am planning an historical research road trip to southeastern and central Arizona (from California) and am hoping to dig a bit deeper into the history of the area than the overview I'm finding in my Google searches.

I'm particularly interested in the Eagar, Show Low, and Lake Montezuma areas during the 1870's to the turn of the 20th century. Information regarding long-distance transportation (such as trains or commercial/military trails), daily living amongst townsfolks, encounters with the Native Americans, as well as any stories about local figures of the period.

Feel free to discuss any information or direction to informational areas in this forum or DM me if you have specific questions or thoughts.

I really appreciate any assistance!
The best way to start, is to travel to the area, you are interested in , and look for old cemeteries, and names, and talk to the old folks in the area, bring some wine, and vodka, ask them if they know some old songs, that never been written down, and old stories , dances, etc.
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Old 08-19-2010, 04:00 PM
 
4,235 posts, read 14,057,787 times
Reputation: 4253
Quote:
Originally Posted by mosesmoses View Post
bring some wine, and vodka
be a little careful around Show Low and Eager/Springerville with the potent potables....some good, God-fearin' folk in those parts (LDS)......

lots of history up there.....you might want to look into the Pleasant Valley conflict centered in the Young area: a famous sheepherder vs. cattleman conflict....lots of people died....google the book, "A Little War of Our Own"...

the Crook Trail (Genl. George Crook) ran from Fts. Whipple (Prescott) to Apache during the Indian wars thru some spectacular country.....parts can be very easily hiked from nearby paved roads if you know where to look.....

the Battle Of Big Dry Wash (Indian vs whites) site is near the Rim Road (FS 300) via a dirt road near the awesome Mogollon Rim....near here just below the rim is the old railroad tunnel - an attempt to build a railroad to atop the rim...only 70 feet of a proposed 3100-foot tunnel was completed before funds ran out....hiking required....

lots more, but all I have time for now....google all the above I mentioned and look around....some sites better than others.....
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Old 08-20-2010, 09:44 AM
 
Location: California
8 posts, read 11,242 times
Reputation: 10
excellent information! thanks a bunch!

i will get googlin' on those events/places you mentioned, azdr.
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Old 08-21-2010, 08:16 PM
 
Location: Pinetop-Lakeside, AZ
2,925 posts, read 3,090,239 times
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Well, I appologize about the vagueness of my info. I have none about Lake Montezuma. Some of the obvious about Eagar is John Wayne's 26 bar ranch. Springerville (just north of Eagar) is where Ike Clanton (of Tombstone [in]fame) met his demise.

Now there was a Jake Springer came from New Mexico to open a store, but the outlaws in the area took all his goods and his store so he went back home, but in a curious jest they named the town after him, hence "Springerville". It seems as though the (1882+) Springerville area was purt-near full of the outlaw type after they got runned out of Tombstone by Wyatt Earp's vendetta.

There used to be a rail line from Holbrook to McNary and a freight wagon trail from Corydon Cooley's (ShowLow area) ranch as well. It was said that they had to move the wagon trail a bit to the west to get out of the clay-mud that would clog the wagon wheels to the point of no travel at all. ?Corydon Cooley married the daughter of Chief Alchesey, a White Mountain Apache? Fort Apache was built (around 1865?) upon the request of the White Mountain Apache tribe (smart move, just check out their reservation) and some to that band of Apaches served as scouts to capture Goyatele (Geronimo).

I'm just posting these tidbits from (my rotten memory so forgive me if some is wrong) a presentation that I saw (and recorded) once upon a time on the local ShowLow (channel 4) channel with two pretty complete histories of the ShowLow/Pinetop/Whiteriver/Snowflake, etc. areas.

If I get some time, I'll either dig it up and figure a way/place to post it and/or watch it again to refresh more memories. Suffice it to say, LOTS of history. I guess you could also go to the ShowLow historical society and see what they got as well.
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Old 08-22-2010, 11:37 PM
 
Location: Palmer, Alaska
894 posts, read 2,201,285 times
Reputation: 733
For starters, check out some old west Arizona books. I am reading one now that has opened my eyes to so much western history that I never knew existed, and most of it is just 30-40 miles south and southwest of where I live and grew up. Such as the Butterfield Overland Trail. It was the only route through the lower part of Arizona, into California. It is what made Cochise and Geronimo famous.
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Old 08-23-2010, 12:19 AM
 
Location: Palmer, Alaska
894 posts, read 2,201,285 times
Reputation: 733
For a response to you seeking an Arizona History Buff, I invite you to come spend a day in Arlington, with the Mayor, myself and my buddy. We are all Arizona amateur historians, and the mayor can tell you more stories than you care to hear. You could also contact the Buckeye town historian, my old teacher from High School, and member of my Church, Verlyne Meck, she knows everything about everything that has happened in these parts. She also has a website, check it out....
Verlyne Meck - Buckeye, Arizona
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Old 08-23-2010, 01:12 AM
 
Location: Pinetop-Lakeside, AZ
2,925 posts, read 3,090,239 times
Reputation: 4452
Quote:
Originally Posted by AzDesertRat86 View Post
<snip> Such as the Butterfield Overland Trail. <snip>
Wulp, I think the OP was looking more towards NE AZ as they call it on the mountain, but the snippet I quoted above reminded me of the house I lived in in Lake Elsinore (Lakeland Villiage), CA on Stoneman Ave that was reputed to be a stop on that trail. I tended to believe it since there was a huge chain with a hitching ring imbedded (grown into) this swarm(?) of Live Oak trees. It looked like about five trees, each individual trunk approx. 2-1/2 to 3 feet in diameter and at the base of these approx 8-10 feet in diameter.

teddy's ramblin' agin . . .
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Old 08-23-2010, 10:46 AM
 
Location: California
8 posts, read 11,242 times
Reputation: 10
teddy - the rambling is much appreciated!

desert rat - our trip is shaping up to take us to SW new mexico and central AZ, but i will see if we can head towards buckeye to take you up on our offer. that would be an asset to our research, for sure!
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