Arizona Real Estate: Wickenburg Arizona. History Of Wickenburg AZ

Wickenburg Arizona. History Of Wickenburg AZ

In the early 1820s, stalwart hunters and trappers explored the Hassayampa River in search of beavers, whose pelts were sold to hat makers in the eastern United States and in Europe. Their reports helped pique American interest in the West. The Wickenburg area and much of the West became part of the United States following the Mexican-American War in 1848.

An 1862 gold strike on the Colorado River near the present-day Yuma inspired hardy prospectors and miners, predominantly from California and Mexico, to search for minerals throughout central Arizona. The names of these settlers now label many of the surrounding geographic landmarks, including the Weaver Mountains and Peeples Valley.

Among the gold searchers was an Austrian man named Henry Wickenburg. His quest for gold was rewarded by the discovery of the Vulture Mine, where over $30 million in gold has been dug from the ground. Throughout the foothills surrounding Wickenburg are relics of other mines that stand as a tribute to the pioneer miner and prospector. The mining lore of the region, past and present, adds much to the charm of the area.

Ranchers and farmers who built homes along the fertile plain of the Hassayampa River accompanied the miners. Many of the resourceful and committed settlers came from Sonora, Mexico, giving this area the distinction of being the northern edge of the Hispanic ranching frontier. Together with Henry Wickenburg and the miners, they helped found the young community of Wickenburg in 1863.

As the number of settlers grew, they encroached on the indigenous Yavapai Indians, who lived, farmed, and hunted along the Hassayampa River. The settlers staked mining and water-rights claims, bred livestock that damaged vegetation and scarce water sources, and drove out native species on which the Yavapai relied for meat. Eventually, many White settlers decided to eradicate the Yavapai. The settlers initiated a series of planned raids against the Yavapai. The Yavapai fought back, and approximately 1000 Yavapai Indians and 400 settlers died in the so-called "Indian Wars" during 1860-1869. Eventually, the US Army convinced the weary Yavapai to settle on a permanent Reservation. Due at least in part to inadequate government rations supplied to the reservation dwellers, the Yavapai began to raid stagecoaches and other resources.[4]

In 1872, General George Crook began an all-out campaign against the Yavapai, both those on the reservations and those still living freely within their traditional territory. In December 1872, the Skull Cave (or Skeleton Cave) battle in the Superstition Mountains decisively routed the Yavapai, and within a year Yavapai resistance was crushed. Yavapai today remember this battle as the most catastrophic event in their history. They were compelled to move to the Rio Verde Reservation, where their excellent land management led to a flourishing Yavapai economy. After only two years on the Rio Verde Reservation, however, local officials grew concerned about the Yavapai's success and self-sufficiency, so they persuaded the Federal Government to close their reservation and move all the Yavapai to the San Carlos Apache Reservation. As such, the Yavapai are now the only Arizona Indian tribe moved completely away from their traditional homeland.

Wickenburg was also the home of Jack Swilling, a prospector from the eastern US who mined in the town and later visited the Salt River Valley in 1867. Swilling carried out irrigation projects in that area and was involved in the establishment of Phoenix.

The infant town of Wickenburg went through many trials and tribulations in its first decades, surviving the "Indian Wars," as well as mine closures, desperados, drought, and a disastrous flood in 1890 when the Walnut Creek Dam burst, killing nearly 70.

Through it all, the town continued to grow. Its prosperity was ensured with the coming of the railroad in 1895. In those years it had even once been seen as a candidate for territorial capital. The historic train depot today houses the Wickenburg Chamber of Commerce and Visitor's Center. As of 2007, only freight passes through because passenger trains ended their runs in the 1960s.

Along the town's main historic district, early businesses built many structures that still form Wickenburg's downtown area. The abundant clean air and wide-open spaces attracted new residents. Guest ranches offered a unique experience to tourists who fell in love with the West. The Bar FX Ranch became the first true guest ranch in 1923, followed by Remuda, Kay El Bar, Rancho de los Caballeros, and Flying E ranches, just to mention a few. The construction of the Phoenix to California highway (Highway 60) brought even more tourists, making Wickenburg the Dude Ranch Capital of the World. As of 2007, some of these ranches still offer their hospitality. Rancho de los Caballeros is now a golf resort, while Remuda has been converted into the nation's largest eating disorder treatment facility and is now Wickenburg's largest employer . The Hassayampa community became a vital contributor to the US effort during World War II when the Army trained thousands of men to fly gliders at a newly constructed airfield west of Wickenburg. After the War, modern pioneers and home builders developed Wickenburg into a typical American community.