11 "The Beginning....

-·•;r '-':-,'.,, ,..,_ �, ;;_I!-_ -

. ,,_ './' .;/,I,,,,"'. � �,. /?,5;.,�,,::..�-;,, . .,.� ,::-,,., ? \-�:��� ARIZONA STATE PARKS ACQUISITION HIST0 RY Table of Contents

Acknowledgments ...... 3

Arizona State Parks Created ...... 4

Parks, According to Acquisition

Papago Park ...... 6 Tubae Presidio State Historic Park...... 9 Tombstone Courthouse State Historic Park ...... 11 Yuma Territorial Prison State Historic Park...... 12 Lyman Lake State Park ...... •...... •.•...... 14 Jerome State Historic Park ...... 15 Lake Havasu State Park and Cattail Cove State Park ...... 16 Painted Rocks State Park ...... 19 Buckskin Mountain State Park ...... ••...... 21 Picacho Peak State Park ...... 22 Yuma Crossing State Historic Park ...... 24 Alamo Lake State Park ...... 26 Fort Verde State Historic Park ...... 27 Dead Horse Ranch State Park ...... 28 McFarland State Historic Park ...... 32 Roper Lake State Park ...... •.....••...... •...... •...... 34 Patagonia Lake State Park ...... •.•...... 35 Boyce Thompson Arboretum State Park ...... 38 Lost Dutchman State Park ...... 39 Riordan Mansion State Historic Park ...... 40 Catalina State Park ...... •...... 43 Slide Rock State Park ...... 48 Red Rock State Park ...... 50 Oracle State Park ...... 54 Verde River Greenway State Natural Area ...... 57 Homolovi Ruins State Park ...... 61 Kartchner Caverns State Park® ...... 64 Tonto Natural Bridge State Park ...... 68 Fool Hollow Lake Recreation Area ...... 75 Sonoita Creek State Natural Area ...... 77 San Rafael Ranch State Natural Area ...... 79 Spur Cross Ranch Conservation Area ...... 82

Appendices

1 ...... 84 1-A ...... 85 2 ...... 86 3 ...... 87 4 ...... 88 5 ...... 89

Parks Creation Governor and Arizona Parks Board, 2006------

JANET NAPOLITANO Governor

WILLIAM C. PORTER Kingman Chair

WILLIAM CORDASCO Flagstaff JANICE CHILTON ---- Payson WII.LIAM SCALZO Phoenix ELIZABETH STEWART Tempe JOHN U. HAYS Yarnell MARK WINKLEMAN State Land Commissioner

KENNETH E. TRAVOUS Executive Director Arizona 5t te Parka Parks Creation Arizona State Parks ...... The Beginning

By Charles R. Eatherly

Acknowledgments

The encouragement to write this history telling of how each of the state parks came into the system first came from former State Parks Board member, Sheri Graham. The Parks Board held a meeting in Flagstaff. At dinner, following a tour of the Riordan Mansion State Historic Park, I shared information about the early meetings I had attended with members of the Riordan family. After I had finished telling my story, Sheri said, "That is a great story about this park and I think you should write a description of how and why each of the areas and sites became state parks because you have been involved in so many of the park acquisitions. This information would benefit the Parks Board and particularly the staff working at the parks."

Jean Emery, Chief of Resources Management for State Parks, made a like request that I write the history of how each of the state parks came into the system. I was working on a project to build a digital database of all the legal documents for each of the state parks. As this project neared completion, Jean requested that I write paragraphs telling the story of how and why each area or site had become a state park. My involvement with the acquisition of state park properties since 1971 has given me first-hand knowledge. Jean knew that I had provided a great deal of information to Jay Price and edited the draft of the book he wrote, Gateways to the Southwest-The Story of Arizona State Parks.

These requests, combined with similar requests from various park staff members, were enough to encourage me to begin compiling the information in this document. I gave a draft to the each respective park manager to review for any omissions or necessary additions that were needed. I want to thank all the park managers and employees for reading the draft and providing your comments. My thanks to Vivia Strang for taking all of my documents and formatting them into the draft. Thanks also to those who have reviewed the draft of this text Jay Ziemann, Ellen Bilbrey, Kay Whitten, Ruth Shulman, Fran Simpson, Monica Enriquez. Thanks as well to Ray Warriner and Monica Enriquez for helping scan photographs and to Bob Sejkora for creating the park boundary maps. A special thank you to Scott Stahl not only for scanning photos, but also for his artistry with them and their incorporation into the narrative of this document. I appreciate his patience in working on the photographs and scanning new pho­ tographs until I was satisfied with the results. Lastly, I want to thank the Arizona State Parks Board, agency staff, friends and family members who have encouraged and supported me during this effort.

3 Parks Creation Arizona State Parks ..... The Beginning ARIZONA STATE PARKS CREATE=-D------'--~~

Arizona became the 48th State of the United States on February 14, 1912, making it one of the youngest states. This is also true for the Arizona State Parks System, which is young compared to other state park systems, as it was established in 1957.

The origin of Arizona State Parks can be traced to a period just after World War 11. Between 1950 and 1958 the State's population grew approximately 66 per cent. The United States Bureau of Census recorded the rate of in­ come growth in Arizona as the highest in the nation for this time period. The State's wealth once scattered among cattle ranches, farms, mining operations and logging mills, rapidly shifted to concentrate in financial establishments and industrial developments in Phoenix and Tucson. On the national scene, the American Institute of Park Execu­ tives and the National Recreation Association encouraged the development of parks with facilities and programs to provide activities for people's leisure time.

In the early 1950s, several legislators introduced bills in an effort to establish a state agency to promote, develop and provide for the use and conservation of the State's natural resources. In 1952, Representative Robert E. Morrow of Mohave County introduced a bill to create a Department of State Parks and Monuments. His bill received little serious consideration that session and was introduced again the following session where it again died in committee. A bill that would have created a Natural Resources Board was introduced in 1954, but died in committee. It was introduced the next session with the same results. A bill was introduced in 1956 that authorized the establishment of a study committee to investigate and report back to the legislature the next session on the need for a state parks department. That bill passed the House but died in the Senate. These bills failed because the political influence of the grazing and agriculture interest was so strong.

Following the numerous unsuccessful attempts to create a state parks system, some influential individuals begin building a public interest group. This interest crystallized around a 1956 articlewritten by Ben Avery, the outdoor reporter for the Arizona Republic. The article pointed out to citizens that Arizona was the only State in the nation that did not have a state parks department. The article stated that many historical landmarks and scenic areas of the State were being vandalized through a lack of public interest and concern. As a result of Avery's article outdoor­ smen, conservationists, and interested citizens joined in an effort to protect some of these areas. Notable speakers met with the group to support their cause, one of which was Conrad Wirth, Director of the National Park Service. The group received support from the National Park Service, the National Recreation Association, the American Insti­ tute of Park Executives and the National Conference on State Parks. Meetings of this group led to the formation of the Arizona State Parks Association to carry the cause for legislation to create a state parks agency.

The Arizona State Parks Association was officially established on June 22, 1956. Composed of many influen- tial citizens, well organized and funded, the Association accepted the task of encouraging the State legislature to establish a state parks and monument department. The Association contacted all legislative candidates to inform and seek their support for the 23rd Legislature to pass a bill to create a state parks agency. The Association estab­ lished a speakers group to take the cause to civic groups, public organizations, churches and any group that need­ ed a speaker. The Association anticipated opposition from the agriculture and grazing lobbies in the legislature. So, the Association invited representatives from statewide grazing and agriculture organizations to work with them to get a state parks agency created.

At the Association meeting in October 1956, Dennis McCarthy, Henry Swan, Charles Reitz, and Kenneth Smithee, representing the Arizona Recreation Association, presented a motion requesting that the word "Recreation" be added to the name of the Arizona State Park Association. The Constitutional Committee of the Association gave serous consideration to including "Recreation" in its name. Following lengthy discussion, the Committee conclud­ ed that the recreation field was well represented in the State by the Arizona Recreation Association, thus, there was no need to add it to the Associations name. So by vote of the Association, the motion failed.

4 Parks Creation Arizona State Parks..... The Beginning

Through the efforts of the Arizona State Parks Association a draft bill was prepared and ready for discussion at the December 1956 meeting. Two budget proposals were included for consideration with this first draft. The budget request for the first year of operation was for an appropriation of $30,000 to establish the State Parks Board, select a Director, and initiate a survey of potential park sites. The second year budget proposal called for an appropriation of $100,000 to develop two pilot park projects. This roughly drafted bill caused considerable debate at the meeting. Opposition came primarily from the agriculture and grazing interests, with several areas of concerns identified throughout the bill.

The draft bill was reworked and submitted for a second review at the January 1957 meeting. A compromise was reached with the agriculture and grazing representatives. The compromise provided for the protection of water and grazing rights and for the appointment of a seven member parks board by the governor. The board would have two members representing the grazing industry, one employed in the professional field of parks and recreation, and the State Land Commissioner. The remaining three would be selected at large.

Some Association members expressed opposition because of the heavy representation given to the grazing industry. However, the Association approved the reworked bill when the grazing industry assured the members that it would support this bill if it were introduced as drafted. The bill was described as a reasonable compromise although some members of the recreation group thought the Association had compromised too much, particu­ larly as related to the 160 acre limitation which the grazing interest succeeded in placing on any land acquired for state park purposes.

The draft bill as approved by the Association and support­ ed by the grazing and agriculture interests was introduced as House Bill 72 and as Senate Bill 61 in the 23rd legislature. In the House the bill was introduced by the Committee on Livestock and Public Lands. Because of the strong public support, House Bill 72 passed the House during the week of February 11, 1957. Senator Robert E. Morrow, an advo­

cate of the state parks system who had first introduced state ■ ri.t[inl .tn-=- \uilf' Parl.J Huard, /9.�7. fop 1/lr1: \/ux { ,iun111/1,N1e1i Narid. l:.::.tbtlr.,1or . 0/,d UUHII lfofltJfJIfllllln'I 1/;r1· -lltrd.?11, --C/Hirl� ltir..,.;:...a , ,,,.,1/m:,r parks legislation five years earlier, guided the House bill through its passage in the Senate.

Governor Ernest McFarland signed House Bill 72 into law on March 25, 1957. This legislation mandated the State Parks Board to "Select, acquire, preserve, establish and maintain areas of natural features, scenic beauty, historical and scientific interest, and zoos and botanical gardens, for the education, pleasure, recreation, and health of the people, and for such other purposes as may be prescribed by law." As there was an Emergency Clause in the Bill, the legislation became immediately effective.

of Stale AriLona Parks BOdrdPickup Truck Governor McFarland announced the appointments to the first State Parks Board on April 22, 1957. The members appointed were: Max Connally, Chairman from Tempe, Charles J. Reitz from Yuma, Ezekiel B. Taylor from Cottonwood, Ricki Rarick from Tucson, A.V. (Virgil) Mercer from Mammoth, Frances Weedon from Phoenix and O.B. Lassen, State Land Commissioner.

The enabling legislation appropriated $30,000 to the Parks Board for its first year of operation. The new Board's first act was to initiate the transfer of title for Papago Park. It also received ap- iyman lake State Park, 1964 .______. plications for the director's position and began the survey process for potential park and monument sites. 5 Parks Creation Arizona State Parks..... The Beginning Papago Park Location: Phoenix

A Presidential Proclamation No. 1262 was signed by Woodrow Wilson on January 31, 1914, establishing Papago Saguaro National Monument. This Monument was abolished by an Act of Congress April 7, 1930. The Papago Park lands were granted to the State of Arizona for park purposes, except for certain parcels of land (a) transferred to the Arizona National Guard, (b) sold to the City of Tempe or (c) purchased by the Salt River Valley Water Users Association.

An Act passed by Congress on July 7, 1932, accepted relinquishment of certain lands by the State of Arizona and the City of Tempe. These relinquished lands were then granted to the Salt River Valley Water Users Association. All of the remaining lands within Papago Park were officially conveyed to the State of Arizona for park purposes by Patent No. 1093785 dated November 17, 1937.

At the May 27, 1957, meeting of the Parks Board, Senator J. Morris Richards stated, "One thing that came up immediately during discussions of the legislation that created the State Parks Board was whether the Parks Board would have control of Papago Park." The legislature thought this transfer could be accomplished by the Land Com­ missioner. During this same meeting Max Connolly, Chairman of the Board, referred to Papago Park as the Boards' only State Park but it was under the jurisdiction of the State Land Department. The Board voted to request a letter from Mr. Bernard Caine, Assistant Attorney General, outlining the procedure the Board should follow to secure the transfer of Papago Park from the Land Department to the Parks Board. The Board decided that at its June meeting two organizations would be requested to meet with the Board. The Phoenix Community Council and the Papago Park Recreation Area Committee would be invited to make presentations to the Board.

At the June 17, 1957, meeting of the State Parks Board, the Board heard presentations from the Phoenix Community Council and the Papago Park Recreation Area Committee about their interest in acquiring and developing Papago Park as a City of Phoenix Park. Following the discussion of Papago Park, the Parks Board voted to accept the transfer of Papago Park from the State Land Department, subject to all outstanding encumbrances and that the Attorney General's Office was requested to prepare the necessary papers to effect this transfer.

On July 15, 1957, the Chairman of the State Parks Board received a letter from Mrs. James C. Eikner, Chairman of the City of Phoenix Parks Board. The letter advised the Parks Board of the City's interest in acquiring Papago Park and that on May 11, 1957, the Phoenix voters had approved a million dollar bond issue for the development of Papago Park. Enclosed with the letter was a copy of the City of Phoenix's Proposed Park Development Plan for Papago Park prepared by the Phoenix City Planning Department.

At the August 11-12, 1957, meeting of the Board, the Chairman reported that the necessary papers to transfer Papago Park had been signed and delivered to the Governor's office by Mr. Caine. As a point to this discussion, Mr. Lassen, State Land Commissioner, stated that in his opinion the Governor does not have the power to make such a transfer. He thought that legislation would be required to authorize the transfer.

Because of the concerns related to the proposed transfer of the Papago Park lands, the Parks Board at the Sep­ tember 7-8, 1957, meeting authorized the filing of an application to lease all the unencumbered land in Papago Park from the State Land Commissioner. While the lease was being processed, a determination was made that legislation would be required to transfer Papago Park to the Parks Board. So, at its October 21, 1957, meeting, the Board voted to request Legislative Council to prepare the necessary legislation to transfer the jurisdiction and administration of Papago Park, in its entirety, from the State Land Department to the Arizona State Parks Board, subject to outstanding leases. The Board requested Director McCarthy to seek a professional opinion from the National Recreation Association on Papago Park as it had just completed a recreation survey of Maricopa County.

6 Papago Park Arizona State Parks..... The Beginning A commercial lease was issued by the State Land Department to the State Parks Board for the unencumbered lands in Papago Park on December 27, 1957. This information was reported to the Parks Board at its January 23- 24, 1958, meeting. At this same meeting, the Parks Board approved the bill that had been drafted by the Leg­ islative Council to transfer the jurisdiction and administration of Papago Park, in its entirety, from the State Land Department to the State Parks Board, subject to outstanding leases. The Parks Board requested the National Park Service do a study of Papago Park to determine •.,...._ ...... ,...... _..._.....,.__ ...... ,.___---...... __...... ,.___...._...... _._, its future status. • • • The jurisdiction and administration of Papago Park • was transferred from the State Land Department to the • Arizona State Parks Board by an act of the legislature on March 18, 1958, just a year after the creation of the Parks Board. Thus, Papago Park became the first state park in our system containing 1,176.34 acres. The legislation authorized the Parks Board to develop, operate and maintain the lands transferred or to lease or sell the land in one parcel to a municipality for park purposes. Mandatory provisions relating to lease or transfer of Papago Park lands were included in the ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• legislation. Any lease or deed would have to contain the following terms and conditions:

1.The lands shall be used only for municipal, park, recreation, or public convenience purposes, and if the lands or any part thereof shall be abandoned for such use, such lands, or such part, shall revert to the State of Arizona.

2.All leases and any deed shall be subject to any existing leases or permits on the lands or any parts thereof, and the holders of said leases or permits shall have the right to successive renewals thereof for terms of five years each for as long as said lessee or permittee shall comply with the terms of said lease or permit.

3.The lessee or grantee shall maintain and keep in good repair any monument, marker, or tomb on said lands.

The Parks Board was formally advised at its March 31-April 1, 1958 meeting in Tubac, that Senate Bill 144 had passed and been signed by Governor McFarland. The Board learned that the bill as originally approved by the Parks Board had been amended considerably during the legislative process. The Chairman reportedon a meet­ ing held on March 25, 1958, concerning the future of Papago Park and the discussion relative to either leasing or selling Papago Park to the City of Phoenix. Mrs. Eikner and Cedrick Austin of the City of Phoenix Parks and Recreation Board; Milton Graham, Milton Gann and J.R. Clemmons of the Phoenix Community Council; Max Connolly and Dennis McCarthy of the Arizona State Parks Board; and Bernard Caine of the Attorney General's of­ fice attended this meeting.

Following the discussion, the Parks Board appointed a "Papago Park Committee" to act on a very limited basis for the Board and to report back to the Board. The Committee was comprised of the Parks Board Chairman and two Board members. The Parks Board then instructed the Chairman to contact Senator Carl Hayden by letter to ask the following questions:

1.May the State Parks Board now lease Papa go Park for more than ten years? 2.May the State Parks Board sell Papago Park?

The Board also wanted clarification of the intent of Congress when it stipulated in the patent granting Papago Park to the State of Arizona, four uses for Papago Park-municipal, Park, recreation, and public convenience. The Board was concerned because in the Act of congress transferring Papago Park to the State there were only three uses stipulated-park, recreation, and public convenience. 7 Papago Park Arizona State Parks..... The Beginning At the May 26-27, 1958, meeting, the reporton and plan for Papago Park prepared by the National Park Ser­ vice were submitted to the Parks Board. The Director reported that Bernard Caine, Assistant Attorney General, had been requested by letter to prepare an instrument of transfer for the State Land Department's whereby the jurisdiction; and administration of Papago Park would transferred to the State Parks Board. The Chairman also reported on a meeting of the Papago Park Committee with the officials of the City of Phoenix held in the Mayor's office on May 21st_ On May 27th officials of the City of Phoenix met with the Parks Board and formally requested the sale of Papago Park to the City of Phoenix.

The Papago Park Committee had new members appointed by Chairman Reitz on September 19, 1958. The Committee composed of Chairman, Ricki Rarick, and members Taylor and Mercer, was authorized to meet with Mayor Jack Williams on the stipulations and conditions to be included in a conveyance document transferring Papago Park to a municipality. The Director was instructed at the earliest convenient time to:

1. Have Papago Park appraised by appraisers other than those in the State Land Office, 2.Advertisethe sale of Papago Park, and 3. Prepare a draft of the conveyance document.

At the October 28-29, 1958, meeting, the Papago Park Committee reportedon its meeting with the officials of the City of Phoenix to review the draft of the conditions and stipulations to be included in a 'notice of sale' of Papago Park. A number of revisions were suggested and each was discussed with the Parks Board. Following a lengthy review, the Parks Board approved a revised draft of the conditions and stipulations for the City of Phoenix to review. The Committee met with Mayor Williams on October 28th at 3 pm and reviewed the changed language and then presented a final revision for the Board's consideration. The Parks Board approved the conditions and stipulations as presented and requested that Governor McFarland be informed of the Board's action as he had written a letter to the Board Chairman urging that the Papago Park matter be expedited.

The Director's Report to the Parks Board at the December 9, 10, and 11, 1958, meeting advised the members that the materials necessary for the Notice of Sale of Papago Park were complete and that publication was set for December 16, 1958. By letter dated November 17, 1958, the State Land Commissioner recommended that the Parks Board set the appraised value of the land contained in Papago Park at three dollars ($3.00) per acre. The Parks Board voted to officiallyset the appraised value of the land at Papago Park at $3.00 per acre. The Board also set a tentative date for the sale of Papago Park to be at the next meeting of the Parks Board on February 20 and 21, 1959.

Final arrangements were made for the sale of Papago Park at public auction at 10 AM on Wednesday, February 25, 1959, on the front steps of the Maricopa County Courthouse, Phoenix, Arizona. At 9:55 AM the Parks Board Chairman, Virgil Mercer, called the Wednesday, February 25, 1959, meeting of the State Parks Board to order on the front steps of the Maricopa County Courthouse. The Director proceeded with the sale of Papago Park, in sub­ stantial conformity with the laws regulating the sale of State land, and in conformity with ARS Section 41-511.15 through 41-511.18. The City of Phoenix submitted the minimum and only bid of $3,529.02. The Director issued a receipt for that amount to the Phoenix City Assessor. A Conditional Certificate of Purchase was issued initially. Upon the verification of the City of Phoenix that it had secured the approval of the Secretary of Interior for the transfer of title and change of use, a Patent from the State of Arizona was issued to the City of Phoenix for the lands known as Papago Park.

8 Papago Park Arizona State Parks .....The Beginning Tubae Presidio State Historic Park Location: Tubae Opened and dedicated September 28, 1958

Tubae Presidio State Historic Park has the distinction of being known as Arizona's first State Park, however in realistic terms, it was the Parks Boards' second acquisition. The inaugural Parks Board recognized that Tubae, more than any other site in the State, was worthy of State Park status because of the tremendous and continuous contributions it made to the State's development.

Tubae played an interesting and exciting role from archaeological times through the Spanish contact and colonization, Mexican occupation, and the westward and territorial expansion periods.

The story of New Spain's presidios is unique, and Tubae is one of the few sites where it can adequately be told. Tubae Presidio State Historic Park's primary purpose is to preserve the ruins of the oldest Spanish Presidio site in Arizona, San Ignacio de Tubae, established in 1752. The cavalrymen were stationed at the Presidio to protect the settlers from Apaches and Seris, to control the Pima Indians and to further explore the Southwest. Juan Bautista de Anza Ill was the second commander and the person who organized and led an expedition to California that resulted in the founding of the city of San Francisco in 1776. The expedition included 240 colonists from Sinaloa and Sonora, 63 of whom were from Tubae. The colonists gathered over 1,000 head of livestock-cattle, horses, and mules at Tubae for the expedition.

Of the presidia sites in New Spain-Tubae, Tucson, Santa Barbara, Monterey, San Diego and many in Mexico­ only a small portion of these original presidios are available for interpretation. Development claimed much of the physical evidence of their earlier history. Tubae is more fortunate because the Park comprises about one-sixth of the El Presidio San Ignacio de Tubae, excluding the acequia (canal) and irrigated fields along the Rio de Tubae (Santa Cruz River) and the land where soldiers built their homes to the north and south of the Captain's house.

Tubac's historic significance is heightened by the rarity of presidia sites. Only two others existed in Arizona: one is now under downtown Tucson and the other, El Presidio Santa Cruz de Terranate, lies on the western banks of the San Pedro River near Fairbanks in Cochise County.

Tubae in 1856 was described by a member of the U.S. boundary survey party as "half-deserted, half in ruins". In the next five years, Tubae became virtually deserted because of the marauding Apache Indians. It was revived in 1856 when Charles DeBrille Poston arrived from Texas with some 300 miners. Poston made the presidia head­ quarters for his Sonora Mining & Exploring Company.

The Park also preserves and interprets one of the oldest Territorial Schoolhouses. Further, the Park exhibits the hand press used to print the first newspaper in Arizona. The Weekly Arizonan was published in Tubae on March 3, 1859.

9 Tubae Presidio State Historic Park Arizona State Parks .....The Beginning

Six governments have existed at Tubae: New Spain, Mexico, the United States of America (when the Gadsden Purchase acquired the southern part of what is now Arizona on December 30, 1853), New Mexico Territory,The Confederate States of America,and the Arizona Territory (State of Arizona).

The State Park contains the ruins of the Spanish presidia founded in 1752 and the first European settlement in what later became Arizona. Credit for this site becoming a State Park belongs, in large part, to interested and generous residents of the community. Frank and Olga Griffin persuaded the Santa Cruz Board of Supervisors to recommend and support the Tubae Presidio as the number one potential state park site in the County. • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • The Griffins were •• • • • • active in preserving • the local history,es- • tablishing the Tubae • Restoration Founda- • tion,and influenc­ • ing the Parks Board •• to establish Tubae Presidio as a State • • Park. The Griffins • • made the initial • donation of three • lots to the Parks Board on December 21,1957. A Board Resolution ap­ proved at the Febru­ ary 6, 1958, meeting officially accepted this donation. The lots contained the bulk of the founda- tion of the Spanish Presidio. William Morrow also donated property for the Park and encouraged other residents to donate adjacent properties to the Parks Board. The donations of the Griffinand Morrow parcels comprised the core of the Tubae Presidio State Historic Park.

Tubae Presidio State Historic Park was officially dedicated on Sunday, September 28,1958, with Senator Neilson Brown serving as the Master of Ceremonies. The featured speakers were Governor Ernest McFarland,Alvarro Obergon, Governor of Sonora, Mexico, and Zeke Taylor,Vice Chairman of the Parks Board. Paul Deno was the first Park Manager.

By 1960,six additional properties had been donated for park purposes and on February 2, 1964, the Parks Board dedicated the new visitor center/museum. Since that time,seven properties have been added to the Park. Three of these properties contain significant historic structures: the Old School-1885, the Otero School-1914 and the Rojas House-1890.

10 Tubae Presidio State Historic Park Arizona State Parks .....The Beginning Tombstone Courthouse State Historic Park Location: Tombstone Opened and dedicated 1959

Cochise County was created by a vote of the citizens in 1881 with Tombstone serving as its county seat. The two-story courthouse, designed in the Victorian style, was constructed of red brick in 1882. The courthouse, a splendid example of territorial architecture, continued to serve as a county facility until 1931 when the county seat was moved to Bisbee. The City of Tombstone leased the courthouse building until the County transferred it to the City on January 5, 1942. The City leased the building to the Tombstone Restoration Commission, and they restored the first floor and opened the building to the public in 1956.

Mrs. Edna Landin, President of the Tomb­ stone Restoration Commission, brought the proposal of making the Tombstone Courthouse a State Park to the attention of the State Parks Board shortly after the legislation passed creat­ ing Arizona State Parks. In April of 1958, Mrs. Landin and several members of the Tombstone Restoration Commission attended a meeting of the Parks Board in Tubae to advise the Board that the City of Tombstone would donate the property, if the Parks Board accepted it as a State Park.

The State Parks Board tentatively accepted the Tombstone Courthouse as a State Park _,.., - pending acceptable agreement between the City of Tombstone, the Tombstone Restoration Commission, and the Parks Board. During the process of transferring the property, it was learned that the City of Tombstone did not own the land under the Courthouse as that land had originally been leased to the County for 99 years. The agreement was finalized and the City transferred the courthouse, its contents and the remainder of the 99-year lease on the property to the Board on August 1, 1959. Because of the restoration and rehabilitation work done by the Tombstone Restoration Commission, Tombstone Courthouse State Historic Park was ready to open to the public and was Arizona's first operational State Park. Dell Lamb was the first Park Manager.

The Tombstone Restoration Commission transferred owner­ ship of a lot across the street and east of the Courthouse to the Park Board on April 4, 1960. This lot has been continually been used for visitor parking. The old Law Offices located across the street and north of the Courthouse were acquired by State Parks on January 12, 1973. State Parks negotiated a lease for the property under the Courthouse from the min­ ing company in 1981. The Agency continued to lease the property until it was purchased on January 25, 1994. The last parcel acquired for the Park was the Ed Schieffelin Monument site located 3 miles north and west of the City. This property was donated to State Parks on December 31, 2003.

11 Tombstone Courthouse State Historic Park Arizona State Parks .....The Beginning Yuma Territorial Prison State Historic Par Location: Yuma ------Opened and dedicated January 1, 1961

Sitting on a bluff overlooking the Colorado River, three miles west of the confluence of the Colorado and the Gila River, stand the ruins of Arizona's famous Territorial Prison, and a short distance west are the remaining buildings that served as a part of the Yuma Quartermaster's Depot. Fernando de Alarcon, who accompanied Coronado on his search for the Seven Cities of Cibola, passed this site in 1540. Padre Kino saw the present loca- tion of the Prison and the Quartermaster's Depot in 1683, and Padre Graces established a mission directly across the river and was later killed there by the Indians in 1781.

Yuma began to experience the American west- ward surge when countless immigrants crossed by ferry from Yuma on their way to the California gold fields in 1849. In 1850, a military post was established at Yuma, and when rich placer gold strikes on the Colorado River precipitated a gold rush in 1858, Yuma experienced a boom. In 1871 Yuma incorporated and became the county seat of Yuma County.

The Territorial Prison was authorized by the Legislature in 1875 and $25,000 was budgeted for the project. Ground was broken on April 28, 1876, and some of the prisoners were pressed into service to build their cells. The first seven inmates moved into the facility on July 1, 1876. The Prison held a variety of law violators, includ­ ing the legendary stagecoach robber Pearl Hart. The Prison continued in operation for 33 years when, due to overcrowding, all inmates were moved to a new facility in Florence, Arizona.

From the date of closure, the prison's facili­ ties have been occupied and used by various groups. After Yuma High School burned, the High School Board rented four structures and used them from 1910 until 1914. The school athletic teams became known as "The Criminals". The County Hospital utilized the facilities from 1914 until 1923. In 1924, the Southern Pacific Railroad demolished the western one-third of Prison Hill to make way for the new tracks. The Veterans of Foreign Wars leased the guard's quarters in 1931 and used it as their clubhouse until 1960. Hobos, riding the trains in the 1920's and 1930's, stayed in the cells, and homeless families during the Great Depression lived in the cells.

The first request to preserve the Prison came in the early 1930's, and in 1939 local residents began to raise funds for renovation of the guard tower and construction of a museum to be located on the site of the mess hall. The City of Yuma operated the museum and prison area until 1960.

12 Yuma Te rritorial Prison State Historic Park Arizona State Parks .....The Beginning

Chairman L. Max Connolly at 2:15 p.m., Sun­ day, August 11, 1957, called the fourth regular meeting of the Arizona State Parks Board to order in the Stardust Room of the Stardust Hotel in Yuma, Arizona. The first order of business that day was the introduction of Senator Harold Giss as a great friend of the Board and Arizona. Fol­ lowing comments by Senator Giss, the Board was taken to the Territorial Prison with the thought in mind of its becoming a State monument. Mr. Charles Reitz, State Parks Board member and Superintendent of Parks for the City of Yuma, distributed materials to the Board on the Arizona Territorial Prison (1875-1909). Mr. Marcus and Mrs. George, of the Yuma Parks and Recreation Department, escorted the Board members through the museum and cellblocks. Mrs. Clarisa

Windsor, custodian of the museum, welcomed the Board and explained the history of the pieces in the museum.

The City Council and the citizens of Yuma strongly supported the Territorial Prison becoming a State Park. At the January 24, 1958, Parks Board Meeting, the Board unanimously agreed to accept the Territorial Prison subject to the resolution of various issues.

On February 6, 1958, the Board agreed that the Territorial Prison would be accepted as a priority and as the first donation from a municipality. Land ownership issues held up the transfer until October 4, 1960, when the City of Yuma sold the Territorial Prison to the Parks Board for one dollar. The Yuma Territorial Prison State Historic Park opened to the public on a limited basis January 1, 1961. Clarisa Windsor served as the first Park Manager.

13 Yuma Territorial Prison State Historic Park Arizona State Parks ..... The Beginning Lyman Lake State Park Location: 11 miles south of St. Johns on US 191 (formerly US 666) Opened and dedicated July 1, 1961

Lyman Lake is located in northeastern Arizona along the Little Colorado River in Apache County between St. Johns and Springerville just offof US 191 (formerly US 666). This 1500 maximum surface acre lake is an irriga­ tion district reservoir that can experience a considerable annual draw down for irrigation purposes. The lake is a popular fishing spot and is stocked by the Arizona Game and Fish Department. When the surface acreage is large enough, water sports activities are very popular. The lake is located at an approximate elevation of 6,000 feet and is close to the White Mountains.

Lyman Lake was first brought to the atten­ tion of the State Parks Board at its meeting on June 6, 1960. Director Dennis McCarthy reported to the Board on a meeting he had with Representative James S. Shreeve, from Apache County, and Game and Fish Com­ missioner E. J. Becker, of Springerville, when Lyman Lake had been suggested as a poten­ tial state park. He also advised the Board about a herd of Buffalo to be grazed in the area of the Lake and adjacent to the highway that could be considered as an additional tourist attraction. As a result of that meet­ ing, the Director had the State Parks land­ scape architect, Howard Cox, spend a week at Lyman Lake gathering information to develop a preliminary report on the potential of this area as a state park.

At the October 3, 1960, Parks Board meeting, the Director McCarthy reported to the Board that on June 12, 1960, he had met with members of the Lyman Water Company, Apache County Board of Supervisors, and inter­ ested citizens in St. Johns. Following that meeting, the Director and his staffhad numerous contacts with the Lyman Water Company to obtain the necessary information to provide a comprehensive report and preliminary Master Plan for consideration by the Parks Board. The Board authorized the Director to negotiate a lease with the Lyman Water Company for 160 acres of desirable and necessary land adjacent to the Lake.

The twenty-five year lease agreement between the Parks Board and the Lyman Water Company for 160 acres on the lakeshore was signed on December 1, 1960. Thus, Lyman Lake became Arizona's first recreational State Park and the fourth in the system behind Tubae Presidio, Tombstone Courthouse and Yuma Territorial Prison. The offi­ cial dedication of Lyman Lake was held on July 1, 1961. Raymond Rucker was the first Park Manager.

Over the years, additional lands have been included in the Park. In 1964, 60-acres were added through a Recreation and Public Purposes Patent. A lease from the State Land Department added 220-acres in 1979. In 1984, 820-acres were added thought a Recreation and Public Purposes lease. However, 360 of those acres were relinquished by State Parks in 1998 to resolve a poten­ tial lawsuit. A Road Easement from the Lyman Water Company in March 2003 added 20-acres to the Park which increased the total acreage to 920.

14 Lyman Lake State Park Arizona State Parks .....The Beginning Jerome State Historic Park Location: Jerome Opened and dedicated October 16, 1965

The State Parks Board, in its evaluation of the State's resources for park purposes in the late 1950's, recognized that the town of Jerome could more than adequately tell the exciting mining history of the State. The Board knew Jerome was unique by its very location and existing condition; it is situated in a very scenic part of the State and in a historically significant region. All of the components were present for a State Park in Jerome, and it was placed on the Board's Ten Year Plan in 1957.

M.O. Lindner Sr., State Representative and resident of the Verde Valley, had expressed interest in the Douglas building as a state park. Lindner was a prime mover in getting the State Parks legislation passed in 1957. A feasibility study completed in 1960, made in conjunction with the National Parks Service, recommended that the Douglas Mansion would be an ideal visitor center and museum facility where the mining story of Arizona could be told and properly interpreted. Appointed to the Parks Board at its inception, and serving as Chairman in 1961, was Zeke Taylor, Verde Valley cattleman and merchant. Taylor helped in much of the preliminary work making the Park a reality.

From the Douglas home, one can better appreciate the uniqueness of Jerome as it sits dramatically and pre­ cariously on the side of a hill. There is also a full view of the abandoned mining operations around Jerome and an excellent view of the Verde Valley below. In the distance, there are panoramic views of Oak Creek Canyon, Sycamore Canyon and the San Francisco Peaks.

In August 27, 1962, the Parks Board concluded negotiations with Lewis Douglas and his brother, James Doug­ las, for the conveyance of the Douglas Mansion and 2.43 acres of land to the State for park purposes. The broth­ ers were members of a prominent pioneering Arizona Mining family. Lewis Douglas had served as the United States Ambassador to Great Britain. His father, the legendary James S. "Rawhide" Douglas, built and occupied the magnificent home in 1916 when Jerome was a booming mining town. The United Verde Extension, a Doug­ las enterprise, was one of the big ore producers in Jerome.

Phoenix Architect, Bennie M. Gonzales, was retained to oversee the first phase of remodeling and restoration. The Museum was designated as the "Douglas Memorial Mining Museum." Three rooms on the first floor were remodeled for museum display purposes. The original dining room became the entrance lobby with public rest­ rooms on one side and the manager's office on the other. The living room was redesigned with a lowered circular ceiling to accommodate the displays. Sculptor, Phillip Sanderson worked with Gonzales on many of the dioramas, photos and wall murals. A parking area was constructed nearby with a picnic area immediate! ad·acent.

On October 16, 1965, Jerome State Historic Park was dedi­ cated and opened to the public as the fifth State Park. Guests were welcomed to the Dedication by Joseph T. Pecharich, D.D.S., Mayor of Jerome, and Fred T. Boice, Chairman of the State Parks Board. Lewis and James Douglas were the honored guest speakers at the dedication ceremony. The Opening coincided with Jerome's annual "Spook Night" celebration, and the festivities lasted all day and into the night. When the Park opened, the admission fee was 25ct: for each adult. The Park Supervisor was Robert E. Ladd. 15 Jerome State Historic Park Arizona State Parks..... The Beginnings Lake Havasu State Park and Cattail Cove S f-- ale--- Par ------Location: Lake Havasu City, Cattail Cove: south of Lake Havasu City, on SR 95 Acquired 1965 At the fourth meeting of the State Parks Board held in Yuma on August 12, 1957, Alvin 0. Hurst, of the National Parks Service and serving as Chief of the Lower Colorado River Survey, made a presentation to the Parks Board. It showed the potential for recreation development along the Colorado River for 250 miles from Yuma (the Mexi­ can Border) to Davis Dam north of Bullhead City. The Parks Board was quite impressed with the presentation and stated that the Board should be considered as a future partner in the development of recreational facilities for some of the sites, which were to be held for those purposes. The Board felt it was too early in its existence to make a definite commitment that day. However, the Board requested the Director to continue to work with Mr. Hurst as some of the sites along the Colorado River would make excellent state parks in the future.

The Parks Board authorized staff to make an evaluation of the Lower Colorado River and its adjoining land from Bullhead City to the Mexican border for potential State Parks in early 1961. Those areas considered being of State Park caliber and statewide significance were identified and established as study areas by a Parks Board action taken in December 1961. Following that action, there was a continuous and intensive evaluation and study made in conjunction with the U.S. Department of the Interior's Lower Colorado River Land Use Office planning staff and through a series of workshops involving Arizona agencies. By April 1962, the Parks staff proposed the areas meeting the criteria for State Parks be adopted by the Parks Board with a flexible priority program relative to leasing, planning, development, and operation. The Parks Board adopted this program with the understanding it was subject to legislative and budgetary authorization.

The State Parks' study referred to as a "prospectus" was reviewed and evaluated by the Advisory Committee of the Lower Colorado River Land Use Plan and the Lower Colo­ rado Land Use Office. The areas that became Buckskin Mountain State Park, Lake Havasu State Park, and Cattail Cove State Park were included in the final general program as areas to be administered by State Parks. The Lower Col­ orado Land Use Plan was approved by the Advisory Com­ mittee and submitted to the Secretary of Interior, Stewart Udall (from Arizona), for his consideration and approval in March of 1963. The Plan included the recommendation from the Advisory Committee that the main body of Lake Havasu and the adjacent land areas be administered by Arizona State Parks. The Secretary of Interior approved the Lower Colorado Land Use Plan on January 13, 1964.

The U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Reclamation leased the lands contained within Lake Havasu State Park and Cattail Cove State Park to the State Land Department on January 14, 1965. Through Contract Number 14-06-300-1533, the State of Arizona leased 13,072.36 acres of land for 50 years (See Appendix 1). The State Land Department then subleased the properties to State Parks on February 1, 1965 for park and recreation pur­ poses. Also included in the lease document was the cancellation of the concession contract with McCulloch Properties Incorpo­ rated (MPI). A new concession contract on 1200 acres, mostly on Pittsburg Point, was completed between MPI and the State of Arizona for the SO-year term of the lease.

In 1965, the concession lease area contained the Lake Havasu Travel Tr ailer Park and the Cove Campground, later renamed Crazyhorse Campground. During the following three years MPI added Lake Havasu Airport, Nautical Inn, State Beach, and Lake Havasu Marina. The Park's headquarters was located on Lake Havasu Campground Concession, 1969 16 Lake Havasu State Park and Cattail Cove State Park Arizona State Parks ..... The Beginnings the concession area, and the first Park Manager was Woodrow Seney. The staff concentrated on developing and servicing boat-in campsites along the Park shoreline, protecting the resources and removing dead, submerged cottonwood trees from beneath the lake waters that constituted a serious navigational hazard for recreational boaters. The staff was responsible for overseeing construction on the concession lands to ensure approved plans were followed. During this period, initial development began at Cattail Cove with Glen Cross becoming its first Park Manager.

Between 1969 and 1971, the reconstruction of the London Bridge and the digging of the London Bridge Channel greatly changed the nature of the concession lands, and Pittsburg Point became an island. The London Bridge was acquired by MPI, taken apart in numbered pieces, and shipped to Lake Havasu City. With this historic attraction now in Lake Havasu City, the number of visitors to the area and the Park began to increase dramatically. Another factor that helped greatly with the increase in recreational visitors was the completion of Highway 95 be­ tween Parker and Lake Havasu City. Within the Park, two units were formed; Cattail Cove was already developed and open to visitors, and Windsor Beach was being planned for camping and day use developments.

During the 1970's, major recreation improvements were made at Windsor Beach, a concession operation was added at Cattail Cove and improvements were made to the more than 250 boat-in campsites along the shore­ line. The improvements to the boat camps included shade ramadas, picnic tables, and fire grills for the individual sites. New restroom facilities were provided in close proximity of the boat camps. A headquarters building was constructed at the location of the original office on Pittsburg Point. The State Lake Improvement Fund (SLIF) and the Land and Water Conservation matched by State Funds provided the monies for improvements in the 1970's and 1980's. Site Six, the old McCulloch out­ board motor test facility, was purchased in 1979 and renovated to create a First Aid and Safety Center for Lake Havasu. Campground and boat ramp improve­ ments were made at both Cattail Cove and Windsor Beach.

In 1986, a land exchange between the Federal Government and the Arizona State Land Department resulted in a boundary change for the Park. This land exchange was desired because the Bureau of Recla­ mation had taken State Trust lands across central Ari­ zona for construction of the Central Arizona Project (CAP). The land takings were in excess of 30,000 acres with a value of $110 million. The Federal Government was required to compensate the State Trust with federal land of comparable value. The most valuable federal land in the State was Pittsburgh Point at Lake Havasu City. These lands were used to offset the major part of the Federal Government's land debt to the State.

The State Parks Board agreed to revise the Park boundaries to make the lands available for transfer to the State Land Department. Pittsburg Point, with its concession operations, was transferred to the State Land Department along with the northern section of the Windsor Beach Unit and the land west of Highway 95 from Mudshark Beach to Contact Point. Lake Havasu City received a land patent for Rotary Beach, 4 acres of Windsor Beach for a police station, and the Site-Six building and property. State Parks received a land patent for the remaining 331 acres of the Windsor Beach Unit and a patent for 286 acres of land along Oak Creek (Red Rock State Park) southwest of Sedona. The exchange reduced the Lake Havasu State Park acreage to 10,866 acres. 17 Lake Havasu State Park and Cattail Cove State Park Arizona State Parks..... The Beginnings

Shortly after the 1986 land exchange, the Park was divided into two separate units for administrative and op­ erational reasons. The Upper Lake Unit was responsible for the Park area from Standard Wash north to Contact Point and Windsor Beach. The Lower Lake Unit that operated out of Cattail Cove was responsible for the Park area from Standard Wash south to one mile past the Larned Landing area. In January 1987, the Lower Lake Unit became a separate Park known as Cattail Cove State Park and is located 15 miles south of Lake Havasu City off AZ 95.

The Lake Havasu State Park headquarters moved into the new Water Safety Center located at Contact Point in 1993. This multi-agency facility replaced the facilities at Site-Six and the old office located on Pittsburg Point.

In 1995, the Park boundary changed again. The Parks Board relinquished its lease in return for patents and long-term leases on the lands it had developed along the shore of Lake Havasu. At Lake Havasu State Park, Con­ tact Point Unit, the agency received a patent, deed and lease on 591.94 acres. At Cattail Cove State Park, the agency received patent and lease on 2374. 70 acres. Since 1995, the agency has patented 5 acres and purchased 1.258 acres that have been added to Windsor Beach Unit. Thus, the total acreage of Lake Havasu State Park is 928.076 acres (See Appendix 1-A).

Lake Havasu State Park provides water-oriented recreation opportunities for its visitors. The climate is ideal for year-round use. The mild winters bring large numbers of people from cool­ er parts of the country, while the hot summers draw a younger, boating-oriented crowd mainly from southern California and Arizona.

Cattail Cove State Park provides the visitor with a base of operation for recreational access to Lake Havasu. Park visitors can hike, picnic, camp, swim, fish, water ski or boat on the lake. The Park is a favorite access point for utilizing the boat-in campsites along the shoreline.

18 Lake Havasu State Park and Cattail Cove State Park Arizona State Parks .....The Beginning Painted Rocks State Park Location: 15 miles north of 1-8 west of Gila Bend Opened March 1965 The historically significant Painted Rocks which is a large collection of petroglyphs located northwest of Gila Bend, were included in the State Parks Board's First Ten Year Plan. An application to purchase this site from the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) was filed by the State Parks Board on January 1, 1964. On March 8, 1965, Patent No 02-65-0090 was signed that gave title to the 20-acre site contain- ing the historic Painted Rocks under the terms of the Recreation and Public Pur­ poses Act, at $2.50 per acre. This acqui­ sition was possible because the Arizona Conservation Foundation made a grant of the $50.00 to the State Parks Board to pay the acquisition costs. The BLM had previously constructed a chain link fence around the large mound of Painted Rocks to protect them from vandalism and theft. Thus, the Park was immediately available for public use.

The Lands, Buildings, and Improve­ ments Budget approved by Governor "Jack" Williams on May 21, 1971, included development and acquisition funds for Painted Rocks. State Parks filed an application with the BLM on November 3, 1971, to acquire for $2.50 per acre an additional 110.4 acres adjacent to the 20 acres already patented to State Parks. Patent No. 02-73-0001 was signed on July 3, 1972, and thus, gave State Parks 130.4 acres for the Painted Rocks State Historic Park. With the development funds ap­ proved in the 1971 budget, State Parks was able to make major improvements to the Park.

The Borrow Pit Lake area located approximately five miles north of the Painted Rocks State Historic Park had long been an area that the community of Gila Bend had wanted Maricopa County Parks or State Parks to acquire, develop and operate as a park. The area was part of the lands administered by the Corps of Engineers in the management and operation of the Painted Rock Dam, a flood control structure on the Gila River. The Borrow Pit Lake is located in front of the dam and was created when soil was removed to construct the dam. The Borrow area filled with water and became an important fishing and birding lake. The Corps had developed minimal facilities for public use but the area needed more developments and on site man­ agement. Maricopa County Parks and Arizona State Parks had been on the site and made evaluations of the area's recreation potential. Both had determined it did not meet their criteria for a park.

In 1978, with strong political pressure from Willis Williams, Mayor of Gila Bend, and other supporters of a recreational park for their area, the Legislature was persuaded to appro­ priate $240,000 to the State Parks Board to lease, operate, manage and develop the Painted Rocks Borrow Pit Lake as a state park. Deputy Director Wallace Vegors, Ken Wagner,

19 Painted Rocks State Park Arizona State Parks..... The Beginning

Chief of Operations, and Charles Eatherly, Chief of Planning, were called to a meeting with legislators and were informed that the lake would be a state park.

In order to implement Senate Bill 1283 (Chapter 96, 33rd Legislature, 2nd Session, 1978), State Parks immedi­ ately contacted the Army Corps of Engineers to request a recreational lease on 412 acres around the Borrow Pit Lake. State Parks determined it would lease the lands from the Corps of Engineers with the concurrence of the BLM and assurance from the BLM that in the event the withdrawal did not occur, the BLM would issue a Rec­ reational Lease to State Parks. The staff submitted an application for the Corps lease on August 30, 1978, and following an on-site discussion with Corps personnel, revised the application on September 27, 1978, to include additional land. After almost a year of continuous, frustrating work with the Corps of Engineers, State Parks received a finalized version of the proposed lease on July 26, 1979. The Parks Board accepted the lease and the Board authorized the Director Ramnes to sign the Painted Rocks Borrow Pit Lake lease at its meeting on Septem­ ber 14, 1979.

By a letter dated January 24, 1980, the Corps of Engineers provided State Parks with an original executed copy of Lease No. DACW09-1-80-131. This lease was for public park and recreational purposes and included 2,560 acres of land and the Borrow Pit Lake. Major new developments were constructed and the site and park rangers were housed there to provide maintenance and law enforcement for the new park. The recreation area and the historic site became units of Painted Rocks State Park. The Parks Board managed this Park until environmental issues became such a concern to the Parks Board that the recreation lease was relinquished to the Corps of En­ gineers and the patent was reconveyed to BLM on September 20, 1990 with and effective date of December 31, 1990.

20 Painted Rocks State Park Arizona State Parks .....The Beginning Buckskin Mountain State Park Location: 12 miles north of Parker on SR 95 Opened and Dedicated October 29, 1967

As previously mentioned in the Lake Havasu section, Buckskin Mountain was identified in the Lower Colorado River Land Use Plan as an area to be administered by State Parks. The Parks Board had identified the area as a top priority on its first list of potential park sites. The Community of Parker had strongly supported the creation of a State Park in their area to bring in addi­ tional visitors. On June 1, 1965, the Bureau of Reclamation leased lands along the Colorado River, approximately 12 miles north of Parker, to the State Land Department for park and recreation purposes through Contract No. 14-06-300-1590 (See Appendix 1 ). The properties were immediately sub-leased by the State River Island 1981 Land Department to the State Parks Board. The Contract was for 50 years with the end of the lease to be May 31, 2015. The original lease was can­ celled on January 18, 1968, and a modified lease was issued to the State Land Department on October 31, 1968. The 1676.56 acres of land covered under the new lease, Contract No. 14-01-0002-0008, were then sub-leased to the Parks Board by the State Land Department. The lease was for 50 years with an ending date of October 30, 2018.

Construction of park facilities began in 1965, and John Eager was hired as the first Park Manager. The Park opened for public use and an official dedication was held on October 29, 1967. A concession for a general store with boat gas was add within the Park in 1972. In the mid 1970's, additional cabanas, campsites and restrooms were developed.

The River Island Market with gas, boat storage and laundromat was added in the late 1970's. The River Island Unit of Buckskin was developed with a contact station, campground, day use area and restroom in the early 1980's. This Unit is located approximately one and one quarter miles north and east of Buckskin proper. It also provides shoreline access and a boat ramp to the Colorado River just off State Highway 95.

In 1995, a Memorandum of Understanding between the Bureau of Land Management and the State Parks Board changed the Park boundary. The Parks Board relinquished its lease in return for a patent on 907 acres of land that contained the major developments at Buckskin Mountain and River Island (See Appendix 1-A).

Buckskin Mountain State Park and its River Island Unit are water based, high intensity, recreation areas along the Colorado River two miles below Parker Dam. The high intensity recreation use occurs from March through October each year. Then the winter visitors, who are retreating from the cold climate of the North and Midwest States, come and stay for most of the other part of the year. 21 Buckskin Mountain State Park Arizona State Parks .....The Beginning Picacho Peak State Park Location: 60 miles south of Phoenix on Interstate 10 Opened and dedicated May 30, 1968

The unique shape of the 1,500- foot Picacho Peak has been used as a landmark by travelers since prehistoric times. One of the first recordings was in the 1700's by the Anza Expedition as it passed through the area.

In 1848, the Mormon Battalion constructed a wagon road through Picacho Pass. The forty-niners on their way to California used this road. In the late 1850's the But­ terfield Overland Stage was carry­ ing passengers through this area. Picacho Peak's most noted historic

event occurred on April 15, 1862, when Confederate and Union scouting parties met in the Battle of Picacho Pass during the Civil War. This was the largest Civil War clash to take place in Arizona.

Picacho Peak is not a volcanic cone, but is part of a volcanic flow that has been partially eroded away. It has long been known for its spring display of wildflowers. If rains come at the right times in the winter, the spring will bring an explosion of gold to the bajadas of the moun­ tain that appear as a tapestry of color. The wildflowers are predominantly Mexican Gold Poppies.

The Picacho Peak area was identified and included in the 1958 State Parks Board plan for potential acquisition as a State Park. This area of unique geological signifi­ cance, outstanding and varied desert growth, and histori­ cal importance easily met the criteria for a State Park. During 1961, petitions to make this site a state park were received from the Coolidge City Council, Eloy Business and Professional Women's Club, Eloy Women's Club, Common Council of Eloy, Town Council of Florence, Oracle School District Board and the Pinal County Board of Supervisors.

Late in 1962, State Park's staffinitiated a feasibility report on this proposed park. In March 1963, the Parks Board adopted the feasibility study and authorized Direc-

22 Picacho Peak State Park Arizona State Parks..... The Beginning tor McCarthy to begin negotiations for the acquisition of section 15 from the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). The feasibility study identified the primary purpose as protection of the resource with adequate land to develop compatible public use facilities. An interpretive program based on the unique geological and botanical signifi­ cance coupled with the regional historical significance was envisioned for the park. The Park's staff was working with the Transportation Department on the site as early as 1963 to ensure adequate access would be provided to the proposed park when the interstate highway was con­ structed.

With strong local support for the Park, the Legislature in Chapter 73, Laws 1965, authorized the creation of Picacho Peak State Park and appropri­ ated funds for the acquisition of 640 acres of land (Sec­ tion 15) at the site. On April 26, 1966, the agency acquired its first 640 acres through the Recre­ ation and Public Purposes process for $2.50 per acre. Development plans were quickly completed and Jon Clow, Park Manager, initiated construction on the first park facilities and interior roads and parking areas. The State Park officially opened to the public on Memorial Day, May 30, 1968. The Civil War skirmish near Picacho Peak was commemorated at the opening day festivities by honoring the known dead and wounded from that action.

The legislature passed House Bill 217 that was signed by Governor Jack Williams and became Chapter 157, Laws 1970. This legislation authorized the purchase of an additional 2,760 acres of land from the Bureau of Land Management under the Recreation and Public Purposes Act for inclusion in the Park.

During the mid 1970s, legislation was pass that provided for land exchanges of private parcels around Picacho Peak for State trust lands. The Parks Board leased one of these exchange parcels located in Section 10 adjacent to major park developments from the State Land Department. This parcel provided an additional 258 acres to the Park when it was leased on August 1, 1981. In the 1990's, two parcels were purchased and added to the Park for a total acreage of 3,747.

23 Picacho Peak State Park Arizona State Parks..... The Beginning Yuma Crossing State Historic Park Location: Yuma Opened and dedicated 1997

Sitting on a bluff overlooking the Colorado River, three miles west of the confluence of the Colorado and the Gila River, are the remains of Arizona's famous Territorial Prison, and a short distance west are the surviving build­ ings that served as a part of the Yuma Quartermaster's Depot. Fernando de Alarcon, who accompanied Coro­ nado on his search for the Seven Cities of Cibola, passed this site in 1540. Padre Kina saw the present location of the Prison and the Quartermaster'sDepot in 1683, and Padre Graces established a mission directly across the river and was later killed there by the Indians in 1781.

Yuma began to experience the American westward surge when countless immigrants crossed by ferry from Yuma on their way to the California gold fields in 1849. In 1850, a military post was established at Yuma, and when rich placer gold strikes on the Colorado River precipitated a gold rush in 1858, Yuma experienced a boom. In 1871 Yuma incorporated and became the county seat of Yuma County.

The Yuma Crossing State Historic Park is located on a portion of the grounds of the old U.S. Army Quartermas­ ter Depot (QMD) constructed in 1862. This site is significant in the history of the Arizona Territory. The Parks Board administers and operates this Park. In addition, the City of Yuma, through an Intergovernmental Agree­ ment, supports operational costs at this Park. The purpose of the Park is to protect its historic structures and interpret the diverse history of the site.

Major William B. Hooper established the QMD on a high bluff overlooking the Colorado River. Supplies were brought from California by ocean-going vessels traveling around the tip of the Baja Peninsula and then north as far as the mouth of the Colorado River. At this point supplies were transferred to river steamboats and brought up river to the QMD. The QMD served as a storage yard and a military supply center for fourteen military posts in Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada, Southern Utah, and West Texas. The QMD maintained a six months' supply of ammunition, cloth­ ing, and food at all times.

The QMD had been identified in the early 1960's as a potential historic park site. The Parks Board first acquired the structure referred to as the Office of the Depot Quartermaster from the federal govern­ ment on June 3, 1969. The adjacent water reservoir and property were acquired from the federal government on December 23, 1980. At the July 10, 1981, meeting of the State Parks Board, the Board adopted a resolution to support Senator Dennis DeConcini's and Representative Bob Stump's efforts to secure legislation that would 24 Yuma Crossing State Historic Park Arizona State Parks..... The Beginning provide the Secretary of the Interior the authority to relocate the Yuma County Water Users Association and to transfer the remainder of the historic Quartermaster Depot Complex to the State. Senator DeConcini (S 698) and Representative Stump (HR 3168) had introduced legislation to accomplish this purpose. The legislation was sup­ ported by resolutions from the Yuma Crossing Park Council, Yuma City Council, County Board of Supervisorsand the Yuma County Water Users Association.

Arizona State Parks hosted a groundbreaking cer­ emony for the Office of the Depot Quartermaster on October 29, 1986. Don Charpio, Executive Director of State Parks, introduced members of the Yuma Crossing Park partnership, Denny Mundell, Chairman of the Yuma Crossing Park Council, Donald Soldwedel, Chairman of the Yuma Crossing Foundation, and Mayor Jim Buster, City of Yuma. The Honorable Senator Dennis DeConcini gave the keynote address. On this occasion, Mayor Jim Buster provided Reese Wooding, Chairman of the State Parks Board, a document to transfer ownership of the property and the structures known as the Commanding Officers Quarters (COO) and the Commanding Officers Kitchen (COK) from the City of Yuma to the Parks Board. This transfer was officially completed on January 13, 1987. This property and structures had been acquired by the City of Yuma from the General Services Administra­ tion (GSA) in 1956 because of their historical value.

The Corral House, warehouses, and other structures and land were leased by State Parks from 1988 until they were acquired on March 19, 1999. After all the properties were under the management of the Parks Board, the site was operated as a unit of the Yuma Territorial Prison State Historic Park un­ til 1990. That year the nonprofit, Yuma Crossing Foundation, Inc., entered into a concession agreement with the State Parks Board to develop, operate and manage the site as a living history mu­ seum. This concession agreement was terminated on June 30, 1996. At that time, the City of Yuma offered to assist Arizona State Parks with $1,000,000 for major redevelopment and enhancement of the site and a contribution of $150,000 annually to the YCSHP's operating budget.

To oversee the renovation and enhancement of the Park to have it ready for the public opening, Kevin Eatherly was hired as Unit Manager. On September 27, 1997, a dedication ceremony initiated a two-day celebration of the grand reopening of the Yuma Crossing State Historic Park. Ken Travous, Executive Director of State Parks, introduced special guests and provided them an opportunity to speak. They were: Joe Holmwood, Parks Board Chair, State Senator Pat Conner, State Representative Bob Mclendon, City of Yuma Mayor, Marilyn Young and City Administrator, Joyce Wilson.

25 Yuma Crossing State Historic Park Arizona State Parks .....The Beginning Alamo Lake State Park Location: 38 miles north of Wenden and US 60 Opened and dedicated November 1969

The Alamo Dam Project was recommended for approval by the Chief of Engineers, Corps of Engineers, and authorized by Congress in the Flood Control Act of 1944. The purposes of the project were to protect the Lower Colorado River area from floods originating on the Bill Williams River drainage and to provide water storage and public recreation. Along with the construction of the dam, the Army Corps of Engineers constructed a number of recreational features including a campground, picnic area, beach area, restrooms, boat ramp, administrative office, and the paved entrance road to the site that came from the small farming community of Wenden 38 miles south of the lake.

Alamo Lake 1971 The Parks Board, in its 1958 ten-year plan, had identified the potential for a state park located at Corps of Engineers projects. Alamo had been identified as a State recreation area in the Lower Colorado Land Use Plan. Early in 1963, the Corps of Engineers initiated dis­ cussions with Arizona State Parks and Arizona Game and Fish concerning the operation and management of Alamo Lake. Staff members from the two agen­ cies began doing feasibility studies and met with Corps officials for an on-site inspection on October 22, 1963.

The Parks Board reviewed and discussed the potential management Alamo Lake Boat Ramp 1971 agreement with the Arizona Game & Fish Commission before it was finalized and signed by the Park's Board in April 1969. The Manage­ ment Agreement provided for State Parks to manage the visitor facilities on the shore of the lake while the Arizona Game and Fish Commission managed the lake surface. The Parks Board signed a 25-year recreation lease with the Corps of Engineers to operate Alamo Lake as a State Park. The original lease was extended for 3 years, and on September 1, 1997, a new 25-year lease was secured by State Parks. Alamo Lake State Park was dedicated and opened to the public in November 1969 with Wayne Perault as its Park Manager.

26 Alamo Lake State Park Arizona State Parks .....The Beginning Fort Verde State Historic Park Location: Camp Verde Opened and dedicated October 10, 1970

The site that is now Fort Verde State Historic Park was occupied by U.S. Army troops in the summer of 1870. Construction of the Fort began in 1871 and was completed by 1873. The Fort was an active primary military base during the Central Arizona Indian Wars. The installa­ tion was abandoned in April 1891 and the site was divided into small parcels and sold at auction.

The establishment of Fort Verde State Historic Park was the result of the dedication of Camp Verde citizens who recognized the importance of protecting our State's heritage. The Camp Verde Improvement Association's (CVIA) initial efforts were strongly sup­ ported by Harold and Margaret Hallett. The CVIA worked from the mid 1950's until 1961 to save the remaining components of the Fort from destruction.

In 1961, the CVIA became the Fort Verde Museum Association. To further their preservation goals in the late 1960's, the Fort Verde Museum Association began working with the State Parks Board to make the Fort a state park. Following lengthy negotiations, the first transfer of properties was effected on July 21, 1970. Three parcels came with this transfer that included the museum, the Commanding Officer's Quarters, the Bachelor Officers' Quarters, and a large collection of artifacts.

Additional properties were added through purchase and bargain sales over the next seven years to complete the Park as it currently stands at 11.25 acres. The Park contains four historic buildings, two ruins, three support structures, and a portion of the old parade ground. In 1977, the State Parks Board requested Yavapai County abandon Coppinger Road that ran between the Parade Ground and Officers' Row. This was accomplished with the assistance of Mr. Coppinger, who, at the time, was a member of the Board of Supervisors. The Abandonment Resolution was approved on July 25, 1977.

Fort Verde State Historic Park is significant as the best surviving assemblage of Indian Wars era military architecture in the State. Thus, the Park is important as a unique site for interpreting a cultural conflict crucial to the development of Arizona.

The Park was established in recognition of the importance of the historic site and the need to preserve the remaining structures of old Fort Verde. The primary resource of the Park consists of the site of the 1870-1891 U.S. Army Post in the Verde Valley. Located on this site are the primary artifacts of the Park and the four surviving buildings. Aside from their Indian Wars' association, these buildings are significant in their own right as architectural expressions. Buildings of this type constitute a rare and rapidly disappearing historic resource. Fort Verde State Historic Park was officially dedicated by Governor Jack Williams on October 10, 1970, during Fort Verde Days. Hollis Cook was selected as the Park Manager.

27 Fort Verde State Historic Park Arizona State Parks .....The Beginning Dead Horse Ranch State Park Location: Cottonwood Opened and dedicated June 1, 1977

Dead Horse Ranch State Park is located adjacent to and across the Verde River from the community of Cottonwood. It is centrally located near several major population centers such as Flagstaff, Phoenix, and Prescott. When using Dead Horse Ranch as a base, one has a variety of attractions to visit, including: Jerome State Historic Park, Fort Verde State Historic Park, Red Rock State Park, Slide Rock State Park, Tuzigoot National Monument, Montezuma Castle and Well National Monuments, Oak Creek Canyon, Prescott National Forest, Coconino Na­ tional Forest, and the popular towns of Sedona and Jerome.

Calvin "Cap" lreys purchased Dead Horse Ranch in 1950. "Cap" told State Parks Director Dennis McCarthy that his children named the ranch. The first time the family looked at the property, they saw a dead horse lying in the field, and after looking at a number of properties "Cap" asked them which one they liked the best. The answer was the one with the dead horse. After they acquired the property, they named it Dead Horse Ranch.

By 1971, "Cap" lreys was ready to sell his ranch. He contacted Duane Miller, another rancher in the area, who was at that time serving as Chairman of the Arizona State Parks Board. "Cap" requested that Duane talk to the Parks Board to see if there was any interest on the part of the Board to acquire his property for a State Park. Mr. Milier con­ tacted Director McCarthy and asked him to talk with Mr. lreys concerning the potential of his property as a State Park.

The Board visited Dead Horse Ranch on October 25, 1971. Director McCarthy reported on his meeting with Mr. lreys, who had tentatively offered to sell 285 acres of the ranch comprising riverfront, pasture land, and bluff areas for $125, 000. Of the pasturelands, approximately 78 acres had historic water rights dating from 187 4-187 6. The Board supported the potential acquisition of the property and requested that the staff prepare a feasibility study for the Board's consideration. By a letter dated November 4, 1971, Mr. lreys was advised of the Board action and given a timetable for the required legislation and submission for a matching fed­ eral grant that would provide funds around January 1, 1973.

At the Parks Board meeting on December 13, 1971, the staff presented the feasibility study, a potential devel­ opment plan, and cost estimates for the next five years. The Board approved a motion to request Senator Boyd Tenney and Representatives Ray Everett and Gladys Gardner to introduce a bill to provide the authorization and appropriation needed to acquire Dead Horse Ranch as a State Park. The appropriation would be contingent on a matching grant from the Land and Water Conservation Fund. The local legislators enthusiastically supported the proposed introduction of a bill. On January 19, 1972, a group of legislators from the Senate and House made a trip to Dead Horse Ranch to see the site. In the group were Senator Boyd Tenney, Chairman of Senate Appro-

28 Dead Horse Ranch State Park Arizona State Parks..... The Beginning priations Committee, and Representative Stan Turley, Chairman of House Natural Resources Committee, Direc­ tor McCarthy, Deputy Director Wallace Vegors and Charles Eatherly, Chief of Planning. Charles Eatherly made a presentation to the group and showed a graphic plan that illustrated how the property could be developed as a State Park. The legislators were favorably impressed with the potential of the site. There were some humor­ ous comments concerning going to their fellow legislators and asking them to appropriate money to buy a Dead Horse (Ranch).

House Bill 2150 was introduced early in the 1972 legislative session. This bill authorized the creation of the State Park and allocated eighty-nine thousand dollars toward the purchase of the property plus another thirty acres along the Verde River. The use of the appropriation was contingent upon receipt of matching funds from the federal government to be used as partpayment for the cost of purchasing and developing the property as a State Park. At the March 13, 1972, Parks Board meeting, the Director reported that HB 2150 had unanimously passed the House Natural Resources Committee and was receiving favorable attention in the House Appropria­ tions Committee. During the hearings on this bill, and after Parks staff made its presentation, there were always comments related to the State wanting to purchase a Dead Horse (Ranch), but the humor brought on by those comments continually resulted in a positive vote for the bill. This bill became so popular with the legislators that as it made its way through the House and Senate, it was amended to include authorization to acquire land along the Hassayampa River for a state park, and also to accept 640 acres of federal land in Graham County, and autho­ rized $150,000 toward construction of a lake. At the May 23, 1972, meeting, the Parks Board reviewed the final version of HB 2150 and expressed its pleasure about the authorization and appropriation for Dead Horse Ranch. However, there was concern expressed about the other two partsof the bill where the legislature designated what should be a State Park. The Governor approved HB 2150 on May 24, 1972. The appropriation for Dead Horse Ranch was one of the first times the Legislature provided major funding for the acquisition of land for State Parks.

As the appropriation was assured for the acquisition, the Parks Board, at its May 23, 1972, meeting, approved the filing of an Application with the Arizona Outdoor Recreation Coordinating Commission (AORCC) requesting a federal match for acquisition of the Dead Horse Ranch property. The Commission reviewed and approved the funding request for Land and Water Conservation Funds (LWCF). On December 21, 1972, the Director reported to the Parks Board that the funding for the LWCF grant had been approved. Then the various required steps to­ ward acquisition were initiated. Mr. lreys signed the Deed selling Dead Horse Ranch to the State Parks Board on July 16, 1973. In recognition of this bargain sale, the Parks Board approved a Resolution to acknowledge his gift to the State of more than $200,000 for selling the property at a reduced price.

With the purchase of the property came approximately 78 acres of fields with water rights that were irrigated by the Hickey Ditch, a diversion from the Verde River. This property was the first land State Parks acquired with associated water rights. The ditch adds to the beauty of the Park and is directly responsible for several miles of secondary riparian growth. The Park is a party to a Cooperative Ditch Agreement with other property owners also holding water rights from the Hickey Ditch.

The acquisition of this Park brought some other issues that caused a variety of management problems for Parks staff. Mr. lreys retained 1 acre of land including a guesthouse that was located in the center of the Park. After the acquisition, members of his family and their friends were living in the guesthouse. This property was acquired in 1977 by State Parks. Mr. lreys also retained 18 acres on the east end of the Park and an access easement to it and another private parcel that was located just east of his property. This 18-acre parcel was acquired as a part of the Verde River Greenway in July 1986.

Access to the Park was a major concern that had to be addressed. At the time Dead Horse Ranch was acquired by State Parks, there were two access routes into the Park. The closest was off Alternate Highway 89 that passed through downtown Cottonwood along 5th Street and across the Verde River. The other was a much longer route through the Tuzigoot National Monument and Tavasci Marsh coming into the Park from the north. The Parks

29 Dead Horse Ranch State Park Arizona State Parks ..... The Beginning

Board passed a Resolution at its March 27, 1974, meeting requesting the assistance of the City of Cottonwood in providing access to the Park on 5th Street.

At the May 23, 1974, meeting, the Parks Board decided that it needed to make an on site inspection of Dead Horse Ranch and to meet with the Cottonwood City Council to explore alternatives for access. The meeting was scheduled for June 11, 1974, at 10:00 a.m. in Cottonwood. At this meeting Parks staff presented two access alternatives (5th and 6th Streets) and recommended that the Board consider 6th Street for the access. However, after discussion, it was the consensus of the Board that 5th Street should be the access road to the Park. During the luncheon meeting with City of Cottonwood officials, Parks Board Chairman, Dell Trailor, explained the Board's position on 5th Street and requested assistance from the City. The City did not feel it had finances available to assist the Board. Thus, the Board approved 5th Street as the access and authorized Parks staff to proceed with negotiations to purchases the necessary land based on appraised value. If the negotiations were not successful, the Board stated that it would proceed with condemnation.

By the October Dead Horse Ranch State Park, Parks Board Tour, 1976 29, 1974, Parks Board meeting, the appraisals had been se­ cured and the properties had been surveyed so negotiations with the various property owners could begin. At the February 7, 1975, Parks Board meeting, the Director reported that a third party, real estate agent Dottie Mabery, would act for the Board in nego­ tiations with the property owners and staff would withdraw from the negotiation process. Also, by Resolution on the same day, the Board authorized the Attorney General to institute condemnation proceedings against any property owner not willing to sell their property for access to Dead Horse Ranch.

At the March 25, 1975, Parks Board meeting, the Board had a lengthy discussion about the progress that had been made in acquiring the necessary right of way required for the new access road on 5th Street. The right of way required a 12-foot strip on one side and a 6-foot strip on the other side of the existing street. Following the discussion, the Board voted to request the Attorney General to file condemnation proceedings to acquire the remaining properties necessary for the road right of way.

John Memmott and Paul Harter, of the Attorney General's Office, filed the condemnation action on Septem­ ber 29, 1975, to gain immediate possession of the required properties. At the December 12, 1975, Parks Board

30 Dead Horse Ranch State Park Arizona State Parks .....The Beginning meeting held in Tucson, Mr. Harter DE AD HORSE RANCH reviewed the condemnation action previously taken by the Board in STATE PARK OPENS Cottonwood. Mr. Harter reported that Judge Hancock had no formal resolution that indicated the pur­ pose, rationale, and necessity for the 5th Street access. Following Mr. Harter's presentation, the Parks Board approved a Resolution, pre­ pared by Mr. Harter, that incorpo­ rated the substance of past Board actions. All of the property own­ ers included in the condemnation action were in attendance at the meeting along with their attorney.

The condemnation proceed­ ings were held in Prescott with attorneys John Memmott and Paul Harter and Charles Eatherly, Chief P(.ii,u.u19 the OHRSP fl\.l,\JV!ct •�g1t tool: 1ttaA.l1J all 11411116: ( l to III Mat CtUt�llo, Oave Pete,uo11, Ke11 Scnwi:i.\t: 1211d SuptAv�o� )011 Clow. of Planning, serving as the State Parks representatives. The court hearings proceeded through early 1976 and the Final Orders on the various properties were received from November 1, 1976, through February 9, 1978. The addition of this property brought the total Park acreage to 320 acres (See Appendix 2).

Dead Horse Ranch State Park celebrated its official grand opening with a dedication ceremony held on June 1, 1977. Michael Ramnes, State Parks Director, served as Master of Ceremony. Duane Miller, State Parks Board Chairman welcomed the visitors and dignitaries, Frank Sylvester, Director of the Bureau of Outdoor Recreation spoke of his pride in this Park because of the amount of Land and Water Conservation Funds that were received and used to match the State funds for its acquisition and development. Henry Barbarick, Verde Valley Chamber of Commerce, expressed appreciation on behalf of the Community for the new Park and Senator Boyd Tenney, Prescott, was the featured speaker. He gave praise to the Parks Board and especially Duane Miller for the roles they served in making this Park a reality. Senator Tenney was given a Certificate of Appreciation by the Parks Board for his interest in and support of Dead Horse Ranch State Park. Jon Clow was the first Park Manager.

31 Dead Horse Ranch State Park Arizona State Parks .....The Beginning McFarland State Historic Park Location: Florence Opened and dedicated January 27, 1979

The State Parks Board was first made aware at its meeting on May 31, 1973, that the old courthouse in Florence was for sale. A preliminary investigation was made to determine what the costs might be to restore the structure. However, no action was taken until former Governor McFarland contacted the Chairman of the Parks Board, Del I Tr ailor. McFarland requested an opportunity to appear before the Parks Board at the December 10, 1974, meet­ ing to make a presentation on the first courthouse in Florence.

Governor McFarland, who had signed the legislation creating the State Parks Board, was introduced to the Board members. He found that Ricki Rarick, whom he had appointed to the first Parks Board, was still serving. McFarland spoke of the historical significance of the first courthouse in Florence. He had purchased the Court­ house for $8,000, and he now offered to donate the structure to the Board. He also pledged to give his personal collection, an endowment of $27,000, and to deposit $40,000 of Mountain States Telephone Bonds in the State Park Fund. The monies were to be used for the restoration and preservation of the courthouse.

Following Governor McFarland's presentation, the Parks Board unanimously approved the acceptance of the first Pinal County Courthouse as a State Historic Park. The Board also recognized Governor McFarland as one of Arizona's most distinguished citizens and public officials, having servedas County Attorney, Superior CourtJudge, U.S. Senator, Majority Leader of the U.S. Senate, Governor of the State of Arizona, and finally, as Chief Justice of the Arizona Supreme Court.

The first Pinal County Courthouse in Florence was built in 1878 and is one of the first courthouses constructed in Arizona. Levi Ruggles drew the plans for the courthouse that was constructed of locally made adobe blocks. The wood for the building was brought from northern Arizona by wagon. The Courthouse was enlarged in 1882 to provide ad­ ditional offices and an upstairs for the sheriff's quarters. The sec- ond courthouse, in Florence, was completed in 1891 and the county offices were moved. The first court­ house building was then converted into a hospital that served the County for almost 50 years. When the hospital moved, the old build­ ing was converted into a public health and welfare center. From 1968 to 1970 the building housed the Pinal County Historical Society Museum. The building was vacant until it sold to Governor McFarland at public auction in 1974.

Ernest W. McFarland purchased and donated the building to the Parks Board for use as a museum. Monies from the McFarland donation and the State, funded the rehabilitation of the building. The rooms were returned to their original sizes and appearance. For the dedication ceremony, exhibits were prepared commemorating

32 McFarland State Historic Park Arizona State Parks .....The Beginning

McFarland's family history and his public service career. The Park exhibits tell two stories, one of the Courthouse and the area and one of Ernest W. McFarland. A new archive storage and restroom building was built on site in 1981. John Swearengin was selected as the first Park Manager.

A dedication of the Park was held on December 4, 1977, at 2 P. M. Chairman of the Parks Board, Duane Miller served as Master of Ceremony. He introduced The Honorable Ernest W. McFarland, Dr. J.E. Wallace Sterling, Chancellor, Stanford University and Rose Mofford, Secretary of State. Following the dedication a tea hosted by the ladies of the Pinal County Historical Society was held at Governor McFarland's restored historic home in Florence.

On January 27, 1979, the Park's official Opening Ceremony was held. Michael Ramnes, State Park Director, gave the welcome and introduced Parks Board Chairman, Josephine Bailey, who gave remarks on behalf of the Board and introduced Governor McFarland who spoke briefly of his appreciation to the Parks Board. Chairman Bailey then introduced Governor Bruce Babbitt who gave a great tribute to Governor McFarland and encouraged all to review the displays throughout the McFarland State Historic Park.

33 McFarland State Historic Park Arizona State Parks..... The Beginning Roper Lake State Park Location: 6 miles south of Safford off US 191 Opened and dedicated March 1975

For a number of years Graham County had been working with its legislators to have a State Park in their county. In 1972, HB 2150 authorized the acquisition of Dead Horse Ranch as a State Park. The bill also included autho­ rization to construct a lake and appropriated $150,000 for the construction of a 100 surface acre lake in Graham County to be operated as a State Park. Senator Ed Sawyer, a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, introduced the amendment to the bill.

Park's staff worked closely with Graham County officials, the Arizona Game and Fish Department, and the Bureau of Land Man­ agement to identify and determine the fea­ sibility of creating a water-based recreation facility in the vicinity of Safford.

On July 28, 1972, a Preliminary Engineer­ ing Feasibility Report was completed by the Game and Fish Department and submit- ted to the Park's Board. The findings and conclusions on the sites examined were not promising. The next alternative examined in cooperation with the Game and Fish Depart­ ment was the potential for a large lake on the Dankworth property two miles south of Roper Lake. The analysis of this site showed that a large lake was not feasible. After the investigation of other sites, the construction of a 100 surface acre lake was determined not to be feasible from an economic or engineering stand­ point.

The best alternative appeared to be the management of Roper Lake by State Parks and perhaps the future acquisition of the Dankworth site. Roper Lake is located approximately 6 miles south of Safford and consists of a 32-acre lake. The main part of the Park, located around Roper Lake, was developed in the early 1960's as a private recreation area. The lake and the property were sold to the Arizona Game and Fish Commission in 1969. The other unit, Dankworth Pond, has a 15- acre surface lake located about 3 miles south of the main Park. It was operated as a private catfish fishing lake before acquisition by State Parks in 1975.

State Parks began negotiations with the Game and Fish Department to secure an acceptable agreement wherein State Parks would operate and manage Roper Lake. These negotiations resulted in a Management Agreement approved by both the Parks Board and the Game and Fish Commission. On De­ cember 31, 1974, Roper Lake officially became a State Park. This Park opened to the public in March 1975 with Jeff Dexter as Park Manager. The park's two units totalled 338 acres.

34 Roper Lake State Park Arizona State Parks .....The Beginning Patagonia Lake State Park Location: 14 miles northeast of Nogales off AZ 82 Opened and dedicated April 1, 1975

Patagonia Lake and the associated recreation facilities were constructed in the late 1960's by a group of citizens incorporated as the Lake Patagonia Recreation Association, Inc. (LPRA). The LPRA had completed acquisition of the land on October 3, 1967.

A mild climate, the scenic and historic qualities of the Sonoita Creek water shed, and diverse water-related recreational opportunities led to popularity of the lake and facilities that the Association was not prepared for. Recreational uses were immediately successful with camping, boating, water skiing, fishing, picnicking, and swimming as the predominant activities. The LPRA soon recognized that insufficient capital was available to meet the demand, provide for the health and safety require­ ments of the increasing user base, and make the pay­ ments to the Farm Home Administration.

As early as 1972, Ted Blue contacted State Parks of- Gatehouse fering to sell the acreage he owned surrounding the · : , Patagonia Lake development and to assist the Agency in the acquisition of the lake and recreational improvements held by the Lake Patagonia Recreation Association. About this same time, Senator Scott Alexander, from Tucson, advised State Parks about his concerns regarding the condition and operation of the recreation area at Patagonia Lake. Ted Blue appeared before the Parks Board at its March 7, 1973, meeting to encourage the Parks Board to consider acquiring Patagonia Lake as a State Park.

The Parks Board requested that the planning staff determine the eligibility of the site and prepare a plan for the land that would be desirable if the site were to become a State Park. State Parks worked closely with the Game and Fish Department in developing various alternatives for the operation and management of Patagonia Lake as a State facility. By October 1973, the Chairman of the Parks Board, B. Marc Neal, had received a Resolution adopted by the Board of Supervisors of Santa Cruz County. The Resolution recognized the interest of State Parks and Game and Fish in acquiring Patagonia Lake and the surrounding lands for a State Park. It also stated that the Board of Supervisors felt it was in the best interest of the State and Santa Cruz County to have Patagonia Lake as a State Park and urged the Legislature to pass the necessary legisla­ tion.

In a joint meeting of the State Parks Board and the Game and Fish Commission held on December 19, 1973, the Board and Commis­ sion, after considerable discussion, agreed the best course of action was to acquire the 615 acres comprising the Lake, its water rights, rec­ reational facilities and additional buffer lands surrounding the Lake. Legislation authorizing the acquisition of Patagonia Lake as a State Park was introduced early in the 197 4 session. The legislation, House Bill 2295, was supported by the Parks Board, the Game and Fish Commission, the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors, the Lake Patagonia Recreation Association, and an influential group of citizens from the local area. House Bill 2295 passed the Legislature and was signed into law on May 13, 1974, by Governor "Jack" Williams as 35 Patagonia Lake State Park Arizona State Parks..... The Beginning Chapter 156. The bill established the state park, authorized its acquisition and appropriated the required amount of money from all State Park fees and revenues collected annually to assume the existing loan that the Lake Patagonia Recreation Association had from the Farm Home Administration. The Lake Patagonia Recreation As­ sociation had secured the loan to provide funds to construct the lake and develop the recreation facilities. The Legislature also authorized the State Land Department to exchange State Trust Land for the 3000 acres of pri­ vate land surrounding Patagonia Lake. The legislation also authorized the State Parks Board to acquire by either lease or purchase any of the lands acquired by the State Land Department for state park purposes. After working through lengthy, complex negotiations, Patagonia Lake was acquired by State Parks on February 3, 1975, and officially opened as a State Park on April 1, 1975, with Duane Hinshaw as Park Manager. State Parks leased 2043 acres of state land in 1991 making the Park's total acreage 2,658.

Land Exchange of properties surrounding Patagonia Lake State Park

The Arizona State Parks Board, by motion on January 30, 197 4, stated that the Board would actively support the passage of a bill to acquire Patagonia Lake and its management as a state park in cooperation with the Game and Fish Department. The Board would also supportthe acquisition of the private buffer lands through an exchange program for State Trust land.

Upon the passage of the Patagonia Lake legislation, the Parks Board began to closely monitor the status of the proposed land exchange. The Parks Board learned on September 30, 1975, that Application No. 61-34255 to exchange the 3,066 acres surrounding Patagonia Lake State Park had been filed by Continental Oil Company (CONOCO). CONOCO had obtained an option to purchase the acreage from Western Farms Investment Com­ pany. After acquiring the property, CONOCO stated it would apply its best efforts to effect the exchange to help create the State Park as contemplated by HB 2295. The purchase agreement stated that CONOCO would be under no obligation to pursue the land exchange afterJuly 31, 1976.

Following the completion of the appraisals on the offeredand se­ lected lands, it was learned the land CONOCO had selected exceeded the land value of the land offered. CONOCO offeredto pay cash for the difference in value. However, for the State Land Department to be able to accept the money, legislation was required· to provide the Department with the authority. Thus, Senate Bill 1342 was intro­ duced in the 1976 legislative session and passed and signed into law as Chapter 177 by Governor Raul Cas­ tro. This legislation authorized the State Land Department to accept cash payments for the difference in selected land values of a land exchange.

The Parks Board was advised by the State Land Department that the updated land appraisal was to be com­ pleted on May 21, 1976. At its July 20, 1976, meeting, the Parks Board requested that staff do an investigation to determine what the Board's obligations were related to the exchanged State land. The Parks Board also deter­ mined at this meeting that it would not request funds for acquisition of the exchanged land in the 1977-78 Bud­ get Request. 36 Patagonia Lake State Park Arizona State Parks..... The Beginning

The staff worked closely with the Attorney General's office and learned that the Parks Board was under no obli­ gation to either lease or purchase the land once it became the property of the State Land Department. The Parks Board decided it could wait until the exchange was finalized to request an appropriation from the legislature to either lease or purchase the land it desired.

The State Land Department gave Notice on October 18, 1976, that the State of Arizona, acting through the Arizona State Land Department and the Arizona Selection Board, had received and approved the application to exchange selected State owned land in Pinal County for private land located in Santa Cruz County. Both land areas had been appraised, and the land values would be equalized by payment in cash to the State Land Depart­ ment. The State Land Department received title to the 3,066 acres of land in Santa Cruz County on October 14, 197 6. The land appraised at $1,000 per acre for a total value of $3,066,000. CONOCO received Patent No. 6463 for 5,699.57 acres of land near Flor­ ence in Pinal County. The State land in Pinal County appraised for $3,419,742. Because of this difference in value, CONOCO gave the State Land Department a cash payment of $353,742 to compensate for the difference in value.

The Parks Board, at its Novem­ ber 17, 1989, meeting, autho­ rized Executive Director Travous to pursue a Commercial Lease from the State Land Department for a portion of the exchanged lands around Patagonia Lake State Park. That lease was granted to State Parks in August of 1991.

In June 1994, the Parks Board applied to purchase the State Trust land surrounding Patagonia Lake State Park (Application No. 53-100018). In May 1995, Headquarters West completed the appraisal of the state land. As the two agencies moved toward a public auction, the Parks Board was advised verbally by the attorney for the adja­ cent land owner (Circle Z Ranch, Inc.) that the Ranch had a prescriptive right of access for hiking and riding trails across the state land. On a number of occasions, State Parks' staff met with the attorney and owners in an attempt to negotiate a possible joint use of trails if State Parks were to acquire the state land. No satisfactory solution has been negotiated nor has the State Land Department reached a solution to the alleged prescriptive easement. In the fall of 2003, the two agencies met on site to see if there is any course of action that might help resolve the stalemate. The pursuit of this acquisition is on hold until the issue of the prescriptive easement has been resolved between the State Land Department and the title insurance company.

37 Patagonia Lake State Park Arizona State Parks..... The Beginning Boyce Thompson Arboretum State Park ______..;.;.;.....;.;a.;"""""" Location: 3 miles west of Superior on US 60 Tripartite Agreement March 30, 1976

The Boyce Thompson Southwestern Arboretum is located in beautiful and scenic Queen Creek Canyon, three miles west of Superior. Natural resource developer and philanthropist William Boyce Thompson established the Arboretum in the mid-1920's. The inspiration to create an arid-region arboretum sprang from a lifetime of fervent interest in things botanical, horticultural, and natural. It was specifically inspired by Thompson's visit to Russia dur­ ing the terrible famine years just after the First World War. Thompson, who was a Colonel in the Red Cross, came to realize how profoundly dependent human beings are on plants. It was Thompson's fervent desire to do some­ thing to enhance man's symbiotic relationship with members of the plant kingdom. A man of broad vision typical of the expansive "can-do" times, Thompson along with the Arboretum's first Director, Franklin Crider, fashioned a mission for the Arboretum that was vast and global in scope with economic utility and aesthetic appeal being of primary importance in accessioning material to the collection.

The Arboretum was the first purely botanical institution in this desert State and was founded to promote under­ standing, through scientific research and public education, for plant-people relationships in the arid and semi-arid parts of the American Southwest and the world. To further goals held in common, Boyce Thompson Southwestern Arboretum entered into a bilateral management agree­ ment with the University of Arizona in the mid 1960's. This agreement was expanded to include Arizona State Parks in 197 6, in recognition of the great recreational, educational, and historical significance of the Arboretum to the people of Arizona.

In the early 1970's, State Parks was looking for oppor­ tunities to expand its system, and the Arboretum had been identified as a potential addition. At this same time the Arboretum was facing financial difficulties. In 1972, Dr. Kassander and Dr. Younggren of the University of Arizona approached the Parks Board to see if there was enough interest to pursue a partnership for the operation and management of the Arboretum. The Parks Board was interested and instructed its staff to begin meeting with the Arboretum staff to determine what the Board's involvement might be. Following lengthy negotiations to develop an acceptable management agreement with the University of Arizona and the Boyce Thompson Southwestern Arboretum Board, the Parks Board signed a tri­ partite agreement on March 30, 197 6. Sharon Haennelt was selected as the first Park Manager.

In the years since its creation, the tripartite agreement proved to be a very effective way to support and man­ age this valuable and complex resource. The arrange­ ment weathered fiscal crises and because of the people involved has grown into a strong and flexible working relationship. Each partner brings to the arrangement the resources and expertise it is noted for. The result is a uniquely beautiful and useful desert garden for the education and enjoyment of the people of Arizona, the United States, and the entire world. Boyce ThompsonArboretum State Park, 1978

38 Boyce Thompson Arboretum State Park Arizona State Parks..... The Beginning Lost Dutchman State Park Location: 5 miles northeast of Apache Junction on AZ 88 Opened and dedicated December 5, 1977

Lost Dutchman State Park is located on the Apache Trail, State Route 88, north of Apache Junction. Highway 88 crosses the northwest portion of the Park, private land is on the south, and the Tonto National Forest on the north and east. The Park provides views and access to the most scenic portions of the legendary Superstition Mountains and maintains facilities to support the recreational activities. The famous tales of the Lost Dutchman Gold Mine are known throughout the world, with travelers from all over coming to seek the legend and experi­ ence the mystery. If not in search of the gold, they become entranced with the golden opportunities to experi­ ence the beautiful and rugged area known as the Superstition Wilderness accessible by trails from the Park.

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) developed Lost Dutchman State Park in 1972 as a day use recreation area. The infrastructure for the site included under­ \ Lost Dutchman State Park Dedidcati ground utilities, restroom buildings, ramadas, paved roads and parking areas and picnic facilities. The site also had a sewer treatment plant and primary three­ phase electrical system. In 1974, Glen Collins of BLM called State Parks and talked with Charles Eatherly, Chief of Planning, whom he had worked with in the past. Mr. Collins offered this developed recreation site to State Parks, if the agency was interested. The agency and the Parks Board quickly decided Lost Dutchman would make a good addition to the sys­ tem.

Legislation was introduced in the 1975 session to provide State Parks with the necessary funding to acquire the property through the Federal Recreation • and Public Purposes Act (R&PP) for $2.50 per acre. However, the agency was not successful in getting this legis- lation passed to authorize the park and appropriate the necessary funds for acquisition and operation. In the meantime, Congress passed legislation that amended the R&PP Act to allow acquisition of land for recreation use at no charge. The majority of the Park (292 acres) was obtained by an R&PP Patent in September 13, 1977, and formally dedicated as Lost Dutchman State Park on December 5, 1977, with Ron Craig as Park Manager. Michael Ramnes, Director, served as Master of Ceremony. Featured speakers were Rose Mofford, Secretary of State, representing Governor Wesley Bolin, Robert Buffington, State Director, Bureau of Land Management, and Duane Miller, Parks Board. In 1983, Parks acquired an R&PP lease for a 28-acre addition to the Park.

Lost Dutchman State Park, 1978

39 Lost Dutchman State Park Arizona State Parks..... The Beginning

Riordan Mansion State Historic Park______...... __....,._.::....;�i:lr;I Location: Flagstaff Opened and dedicated August 4, 1983

Riordan Mansion State Historic Park includes two almost identical homes built in 1904 by Michael and Timothy Riordan. The homes are connected by a rendezvous room and altogether contain 13,000 square feet of floor space and sit atop Kinlichi Knoll in Flagstaff. The Riordan brothers were members of a prominent Arizona family who played a significant role in the development of Flagstaffand northern Arizona and were involved in lumber, railroads, cattle, banking, and politics.

The architect for the Riordan homes was Charles Whittlesey, who was also the architect for the El Tovar Hotel at the Grand Canyon. Some of the similarities between the structures include massive stone arches at porch corners and rustic exterior consisting of log planks, wood shingles, and native stone.

Mr. Robert Chambers had known Beverly and Duane Miller (ASP Board member) for many years when, early in 1977, he requested a meeting with them to discuss the potential of his Riordan home as a State Park. Mr. Miller told staffthat Mr. Chambers only wanted to talk to Beverly because her family had settled in the Flagstaff area before his family had. In April 1977, Beverly and Duane Miller and Michael Ramnes, State Parks Director, met with Robert Chambers to evaluate possibilities of the Riordan home being donated to State Parks. Shortly after the meeting, Bob Chambers offered his home and some land to State Parks as a State historic park with several conditions: 1) Land, approximately five acres, and build­ ings included in the donation would be maintained and utilized only for State Park purposes. 2) Robert Chambers would retain the right of residing in the house, rent free, for the balance of his life. 3) Only furnishings specified by Mr. Chambers would be donated to State Parks. 4) Only his portion of the property would be included in the dona­ tion. His sister-in-law's portionwas not included.

The State Parks Board, at its September 23, 1977, meeting, reviewed a packet of information on the Riordan

,, house prepared by staff and a recommendation authoriz­ . ·-- ing staff to negotiate with Mr. Chambers and his represen­ Mansion Gate tative to finalize the terms of the proposed donation and Riordan Mansion State Historic Park, 1978 to bring that information back to the Board for its consid­ eration of acceptance of the donation.

During the December 9, 1977, meeting of the State Parks Board, Director Ramnes was authorized to accept the donation of Kinlichi Knoll #2 (the East side) on behalf of the State and to complete all necessary documents.

In a discussion on March 16, 1978, with Jack Malmgren, son-in-law of Robert Chambers, Director Ramnes was informed the donation would be delayed by 45-50 days pending consummation of the sale of the 50 acres sur­ rounding the 5-acre property that would be donated to State Parks. The legal description and map for the 5-acre parcel was sent to State Parks in May 1978.

40 Riordan Mansion State Historic Park Arizona State Parks..... The Beginning

Early in October 1978, Director Ramnes and Charles Eatherly, Chief of Planning, were invited to Flagstaff for a meeting with Blanche Riordan Chambers, sister-in-law of Robert Chambers, to discuss the possible donation of her property. Mrs. Chambers, her son, Brian Chambers, and her attorney, Ron Lee were in the meeting that was held in Mrs. Chambers' west wing second floor bedroom. Mrs. Chambers was lying on the bed and remained there throughout the meeting, saying very little. Director Ramnes explained the State Parks mission and how the agency proposed to utilize the donation as an historic park.

On October 20, 1978, Jack Malmgren called Director Ramnes and advised him that Blanche Riordan Chambers had agreed to donate her interest while reserving a life estate that would continue for one year after her death for her son, Brian Chambers. A letter was received on November 27, 1978, from Ron Lee, attorney for Mrs. Blanche Riordan Chambers and her son, Brian, requesting approval from State Parks for Brian to remove the six stained glass panels located in the breakfast room and the six stained glass panels located in the dining room prior to finalizing the Gift and Warranty Deed conveying the interest of Blanche Riordan Chambers. By letter dated De­ cember 5, 1978, State Parks granted approval for Brian Chambers to remove the six stained glass panels from the breakfast room and the six stained glass panels from the dining room of the west wing. Shortly thereafter, State Parks received the Gift and Warranty Deed from Blanche Riordan Chambers and Robert L. Chambers dated Novem­ ber 15, 1978, conveying the Riordan homes, much of their contents and five-acres of land surrounding the structures for State Park purposes.

The contents consisted of Riordan Mansion State Historic Park, 1978 an incredible array of original artifacts associated with the families of Timothy A. Riordan (east side) and Michael J. Riordan (west side). The artifacts consisted of furnishings, household accessories, clothing, personal items, photographs, documents, maps, letters, books, and magazines. A number of the pieces of furniture are fine period items designed and constructed by Gustav Stickly, recognized as the Father of the American Arts and Crafts movement. Some of the other furniture is turn of the century, custom made Flagstaff products from Douglas fir and Arizona walnut.

During 1979, a great deal of time was spent securing a primary access into the Park. Initially the entrance was to come from the north; however, with the sale of that land to a development firm, the plans for the north road­ way were changed. Staff worked closely with the City Planning and Zoning Department on the proposed devel­ opment plans for the property adjacent to the Park.

In July 1980, after the death of Robert Chambers, State Parks assumed the financial and physical management of the east side of the Riordan mansion. John Marvin, Park Manager of Tombstone Courthouse State Historic Park, was appointed as the Park Manager of Riordan State Historic Park.

An Ad Hoc Advisory Committee was appointed and met several times at Riordan Mansion to assist Parks staff in the development of the Master Plan. Members of this committee were: Robert Bowen, James Stalnaker, Paul Babbitt, Marshall Knoles, Rama Sharber, Christian Peterson, Augustus Cetera, Beverly Miller and Joanne DeSpain.

41 Riordan Mansion State Historic Park Arizona State Parks .....The Beginning

The Riordan State Historic Park Master Plan was presented at a public presentation in Flagstaffin January 1982. This Master Plan was reviewed and approved by the State Parks Board on April 29, 1983.

The public opening of the Park was held on August 4, 1983. At the opening, the tours were given of the east side once occupied by the Timothy A. Riordan family. The admission fee of 50 cents per visitor was waived on opening day.

The west wing of the house remained occupied by Blanche Chambers until her death in 1985. Because of the stipulation in the donation, the Chambers' family had one year after her death to use the house before it was available. State Parks took full possession of the west side and its numerous artifacts in 1986. Michael Riordan's side was opened to the public for self guided tours on April 27, 2002. At the Dedication Ceremony, John Schreiber served as Master of Ceremonies. He introduced all family members from both sides of the house and invited the Mayor of Flagstaff, Joe Donaldson to speak. Charles Eatherly, from the State Parks office in Phoenix, spoke of his involvement with the various family members in working out the donation of the property. Mike Davis, Assistant Park Manager, spoke about the history of the two families. All visitors gathered at the front door of the west side for official opening and a ribbon cutting.

42 Riordan Mansion State Historic Park Arizona State Parks .....The Beginning Catalina State Park Location: 9 miles north of Tucson on US 89 Opened and dedicated May 25, 1983

John Ratliff and his associates requested that Pima County rezone a 4,000-acre parcel of land lying east of U.S. Highway 89 (Oracle Road), north of Tucson in the early 1970's. The property known as Rancho Romero was lo­ cated adjacent to the western slopes of the Coronado National Forest's Santa Catalina Mountains. The proposed development included a variety of housing units that would accommodate 17,000 people, which would surround golf courses along the Canada de Oro and Sutherland Washes. When this rezoning request came before the Pima County Planning and Zoning Commission, there was so much opposition from the public that the proposed plan was put on hold. The people of Tucson preferred the preservation of this area as open space, with developed rec­ reational facilities.

Shortly after this action, a letter was sent to State Parks from Representative Charles King of Tucson request- ing staff to initiate a feasibility study on the Rancho Romero property. At the October 5, 1973, meeting, the Parks Board, was advised that the Chairman of the Pima County Board of Supervisors, Ron Asta, was creating a special committee called the Oracle Road Green Belt Committee, and had requested a delegate from State Parks. The Board selected Ricki Rarick to serve as a representative with Director McCarthy as his alternate. The Board also directed staff to prepare the feasibility study on the Rancho Romero property for presentation in six weeks.

At the meeting of the Parks Board held on November 19, 1973, the Director advised the Board of the activities of the Oracle Road Green Belt Committee, and staff presented its finding from the feasibility study on Rancho Rome­ ro. The feasibility study indicated this specific area would meet the criteria for a State Park. As a part of this discus­ sion, the potential for a State land exchange was explored. The Board took no action on this report.

At the December 10, 1973, meeting of the Parks Board Parks Board, the Director presented the Board with additional written material and a verbal re­ port concerning the status of the Rancho Romero project. After considerable discussion on the desirability of acquiring Rancho Romero and adjacent properties, the Board, by majority, voted to go on record against the establishment of a State Park at Rancho Romero.

Through the efforts of the Rancho Romero Co­ alition, an interested citizen's group from Tucson and an outgrowth of the Oracle Road Greenbelt Committee, and other action groups, Represen­ Catalina State Park, 1975 tative Charles King introduced House Bill 2280 early in the 1974 session to establish Catalina State Park. During legislative hearings, State Parks staff was asked to give presentations that supported this legis­ lation. There were times State Parks staff was sent to the field so they would not be available to testify before the legislative committees. Representative King became so frustrated with the Parks Board that he strongly considered legislation to abolish the Board. However, the Catalina State Park legislation, House Bill 2280, passed and was signed by Governor Jack Williams on May 1, 1974 as Chapter 65. Included in the bill was authorization to acquire over 13,000 acres of lands in both Pima and Pinal Counties (See Appendix 3). The legislation authorized the State Land Department to obtain any of the described lands through exchanges for state land of equal value.

Shortly after the legislation passed, Dr. Stanley K. Brickler, Professor in the School of Renewal Natural Resources at the University of Arizona, met with State Parks Director, Dennis McCarthy, and offered the services of one of his 43 Catalina State Park Arizona State Parks .....The Beginning classes to develop a master plan for Catalina State Park. Dr. Brickler secured the approval for the class to work with the Agency's planning staff to develop the plan. The Natural Resource Planning 224 class began its research at the beginning of the fall term. The class members initiated the process by meeting with State Parks Planning staff, Charles Eatherly, Chief of Planning and Allen Gross, Resource Planner, to discuss the scope and possibilities of the project. The students worked throughout the semester researching, compiling, analyzing and developing a master plan for the proposed park. The students, Patricia M. Bergthold, Robert W. Cordts, Dennis P, Donovan, Steven C. Flint, Jeffery P. Hogg, Charles Jankiewicz, Stephen E. Knox, Brent E. Martin, Jon Dorsey Marting, Stephen P. Martin, Patrick L. McKee, David Paul Murbach, Philip S. Parkhurst, William J. Ragsdale, Terry D. Shand, Gary S. Shellhorn, Robert K. Taylor, Tanna Tornburg, and John E. Wraight, Jr., presented printed copies of the master development plan for the future Catalina State Park to State Parks and Pima County officials in December 1974.

After review of the student's park master plan, evaluating numerous alternatives and working closely with the Planning Group Rancho Romero Coalition, the Parks Board delineated a potential park boundary that included 8,430 acres. The Parks Board took this action at the December 12, 1975, meeting in Tucson. The lands delineated by the Parks Board included 3,030 acres of State Trust land, 2,654 acres owned by Pima County, and 2,746 acres of private land.

In 1976 after Michael Ramnes became Director of State Parks, he appointed a citizens' planning committee to review the plan that was done by the University of Catalina State Park, 1978 Arizona students and assist staff in developing a new master plan for the Park. The members of the Catalina State Park Planning Committee represented a wide variety of interest groups and backgrounds. The primary leaders of this Committee were Betsy Rieke, MaryBeth Carlile, Pris- ContactStationConstruc:tion cilia Robinson, and Doug Shakel. Following numerous public meetings to review the proposed draft master plan, the Planning Committee endorsed the plan for presentation to the Parks Board. The State Parks Board reviewed and approved the Catalina State Park Master Plan at its meeting on December 9, 1977.

Two land exchanges involving sizable acreages with­ in the Parks Board's delineated boundary were initiat­ ed with the State Land Department. These proposed exchanges included the Ratliff-Miller-Muhrapplication to exchange 1,896 acres and Pima County's applica- CatalinaState Park, 1982 tion to exchange its 2,654 acres. The consummation of these land exchanges would place the major part of the property desired for the park in the ownership of the State Land department. In order to have the funds necessary to lease these lands, the Parks Board requested

44 Catalina State Park Arizona State Parks .....The Beginning the funds in its 1978-1979 Operating Budget Request. The balance of the land consisted of 850 acres of private property held by 30 owners, 2,950 acres of State land leased to four parties and 80 acres of unleased State land.

The Legislature appropriated $982,000 to State Parks during the 1978 session. The funds were to be used to acquire leases on State land and purchase private property within the designated Park boundary. To continue the implementation creating Catalina State Park, the agency filed an application to reclassify and lease State land within the boundary. The State Land Department reclassified the land but the lessee, Lloyd Golder, Ill, filed an appeal. During this same time, the land exchange for the Ratliff-Miller-Muhr property was completed and State Parks filed an application to lease the 1,889 acres of State land. The Parks Board also authorized the Director to pursue negotiations with Mr. Golder to acquire 175 acres of his property. Mr. Golder, by letter, declined the State's offer to purchase his land.

In March of 1980, Director Ramnes established the Catalina Land Selection Committee to assist the Parks Board in evaluating the private land within the Catalina State Park delineated boundary and to make a recommenda­ tion to the Parks Board on what lands should be acquired and in what priority. This Committee met in Tucson on several occasions and toured each of the private properties within the designated Park boundary. The Committee made its recommendations to the Parks Board and they were approved on July 25, 1980. At this same meeting the Board authorized the Director to file a new application with the State Land Department because the reclassifi­ cation previously filed had been overturned by the Board of Appeals in favor of Mr. Golder.

Shortly after the approval to file a new application for the State Land and make offers to the private property owners, staffcompleted these two items. On July 23,1981, a 19-acre parcel was acquired that provided access from the highway. On August 26, 1981, the Parks Board was issued a 25 year Recreational Lease on 4,692 acres of state land. (See Appendix 3). State Parks also received an appropriation of $368,700 in 1981 for initial con­ struction and $25,600 for aerial photography and topographic mapping. This appropriation was used to secure an additional $231,221 grant from the Federal Land and Water Conservation Fund to assist with park develop­ ment.

On March 11, 1982, Lloyd W. Golder, Ill filed suit in United States District Court, and sought $2 million from cur­ rent and former State Parks Board members, the State Parks Director, from current and former State Land Com­ missioners and a former Acting State Land Commissioner. Golder contended that these people had conspired to take his State graz­ ing land for the creation of Cata­ lina State Park. The suit asked for $750,000 in general damages and $1.25 million in punitive damages.

The Attorney General's Of- fice filed a Motion to Dismiss on behalf of the defendants on April 8, 1982. Judge Rickey of the United States District Court issued a Judgment and Order that dis­ missed the suit (Golder v. Ramnes, No CIV 82-129 TUC MAR) on June 24, 1982.

After a complicated series of land trades, leases, purchase of land and initial construction of facilities, Catalina State Park was dedicated by Governor Bruce Babbitt and the Parks Board and opened to the public on May 25,

45 Catalina State Park Arizona State Parks..... The Beginning 1983. The Master of Ceremonies was Director, Michael Ramnes. He introduced Duane Miller, Parks Board Chair­ man, who gave the welcome. Vice Chairman, Priscilla Robinson of Tucson spoke about the hours of citizen par­ ticipation that had gone into making this Park a reality. She introduced Governor Babbitt who recognized citizens, legislators, the Parks Board, and Park's staff for their service in making a dream come true with the long-awaited opening of Catalina State Park. Neil Donkersley was the first Park Manager.

On April 22, 1991, all of the State land within the boundary of the Park became property of the Coronado National Forest through the Santa Rita land exchange. The Park is managed by State Parks under a Special Use Permits from the United State Department of Agriculture, Forest Service and is 5,525 acres in size. (See Appendix 3).

History of the Catalina State Park area

Little is known about the Canada del Oro region and the area where Catalina State Park is located for the peri­ ods of Spanish and Mexican control over southern Arizona. The lack of historical documentation in this area may have been because of the fact that most of the activity in the Tucson Basin at that time centered around the mis­ sion of San Xavier del Bae. There was a small detachment of Spanish soldiers stationed at the mission and village of adobes a few miles to the north known as Tucson. Most of the population was concentrated in these centers rather than dispersed, because of the continual threat of attack by the Apaches. Exploring and exploiting the rich mining, ranching and farming potential of the Tucson area was a risky endeavor.

In 1853, the Gadsden purchase was signed which formalized the acquisition of southern Arizona by the United States. During the years following the purchase, United States army troops were sent to the Territory to con­ trol Apache threats to the increasing numbers of travelers, prospectors and settlers in the area. On of the posts established during this period was Camp Grant located 40 miles northeast of Tucson along the San Pedro River. The route from Tucson to the Camp paralleled the Canada del Oro Wash where it passed between the Tortolita and Catalina Mountains. This route became an important for movement of the troops in spite of the attacks by the Apaches along the Canada del Oro Wash.

Prospectors were attracted to the Canada del Oro region by the lure of gold in spite of the risks from the Apaches. Reports of placer mines established along the upper reaches of the "Canyon of Gold" continued until late in the 1920s. Apparently not much materialized since no mining activity has been found in Park area.

The most successful enterprise in the general area of the Park was ranching. The earliest known rancher within the Canada del Oro region was Francisco Romero who was born in Tucson between 1810 and 1831, the grandson of a Spanish soldier who had arrived in Tucson in the 1770s. Although little is known of his childhood, he is men­ tioned as establishing a ranch of 160 acres on the west side of the Catalina Mountains in 1844 near the Canada del Oro. Romero evidentially was a successful rancher, since he acquired additional pieces of property including 320 acres of farmland along the Santa Cruz River west of Flowing Wells and land on Main Street in the downtown Tucson business district.

Francisco and his wife, Victoria, had three children, one of whom became a rancher. His name was Fabian, born in 1864, and he is credited as the founder of Rancho Romero. His ranch is reported to have been 4800 acres. According to a map of Pima County drawn up in 1873, the Romero Ranch buildings were shown as located in section 4 that is within the Park boundary. A capped well and a concrete base for a water storage tank are the only remains that were found at that location. Fabian and his wife, Benardina had five children but it is not known if any of the children took ownership of the ranch before it passed out of family ownership. Romero Pass and Romero Canyon were named after the family.

46 Catalina State Park Arizona State Parks..... The Beginning

Another rancher to follow the Romero family to the Canada del Oro region was George Pusch, a young German immigrant and his partner, John Zellweger. They bought a large ranch in 1874 that was later named the Steam Pump Ranch due to the installation of a steam pump to ensure a predictable water supply. Pusch died in 1921 and the cattle ranch passed out of the family's possession.

The Sutherland family also ranched in the vicinity of the Canada del Oro Wash. William Henry Sutherland was the general superintendent and part owner of the Arizona Stage Company. Later, he purchased the Canada del Oro Ranch. According to the 1922 Pima County Highway Department map. The Sutherland ranch house was located in the northwest corner of Section 26, which lies within the central section of the Park. The Sutherland Wash, the major tributary of the Canada del Oro Wash that flows through the Park, was named for this family.

The history of the Park land is uncertain from the 1920s until the 1940s when J.E. McAdams purchased 4100 acres that he called Rancho Romero. His property is believed to contain parcels that had been owned by the Romero and Sutherland families. The McAdams family owned the land until 1971 when it was sold to Ratliff, Miller and Muhr Investments, Inc., who developed the plan to convert the ranch into a self-contained community. This plan was given to Pima County Planning and Zoning with the request to rezone the land.

47 Catalina State Park Arizona State Parks .....The Beginning Slide Rock State Park Location: 7 miles north of Sedona on US 89A Opened and dedicated October 1987

The U.S. Forest Service manages most of the land in Oak Creek Canyon. The Slide Rock area of Oak Creek Canyon is one of the most noted and popular tourist locations in the State. Pictures of the area are featured in all forms of media locally, nationally and internationally.

Frank Pendley homesteaded the land immediately south of Slide Rock in the early 1900's and developed a large apple orchard along with vegetable crops. Tom Pendley, his son, continued to operate and manage the property, and in the 1980's it was one of the largest parcels of land in Oak Creek Canyon in private ownership. In 1982, the family decided it was time to sell the property. When Governor Babbitt learned of this, he contacted the family to see about acquiring the property as a State Park. The Governor grew up in Flagstaff, had visited Slide Rock many times, and was well acquainted with the Pendley family. Tom Pendley told the Governor that he was reluctant to sell the land to a governmental entity because of the difficultieshe had experienced in dealing with the Forest Service. At the same time Governor Babbitt was talking with the family, William G. Roe from the Nature Conser- vancy was corresponding with State Parks Director Mike Ramnes, to let him know the property adjacent to Slide Rock was for sale.

In 1983, Governor Bab­ bitt created the Arizona Parklands Foundation and appointed members com­ prised of business, political and community leaders. In creating this Foundation, the Governor was imple­ menting one of the recom­ mendations that had come from the Governor's Task Force on Parks and Recre­ ation in Arizona, a special Slide Rock State Park, 1984 task force the Governor had appointed the year before. The Foundation was a non-profit corporation charged with acquiring property and receiving gifts for State Parks. All land the Foundation acquired would be donated to Arizona State Parks. Working with the Parks Board, a list of desirable properties for future State Parks was developed, including the Pendley property. After two years of negotiations, an agreement was reached with the Pendley family for sale of the property. This was the first prop­ erty acquired by the Foundation.

Now the Foundation had to come up with the necessary funding to complete the transaction. The Governor assisted the Foundation in working with four major banks to secure a loan to acquire the property. The banks that agreed to loan the $4,000,000 were The Valley National Bank, First lnterState Bank, Arizona Bank, and United Bank of Arizona. Shortly after the loan was secured, the Foundation purchased the Pendley property on February 7, 1985, for $3,600,000.

48 Slide Rock State Park Arizona State Parks .....The Beginning The Foundation soon learned they were not going to get the anticipated donations to support the acquisi­ tion of the Pendley property. The Foundation, Arizona State Parks Board, and the Governor, working in concert, requested that the legislature provide funding for the acquisition.

Early in the 1985 session, House Bill 2391 was introduced which provided a State Park Acquisition and Develop­ ment Fund, authorized the acquisition, development and operation of the Pendley Homestead, Oracle Site, Davis Camp, Hualapai Mountains, Yuma Crossing, and Picket Post House as State Parks, and made an appropriation. This bill received some strong criticism from a number of legislators especially Senator "Hal" Runyan, Chairman of Senate Appropriations, who stated he had been told the Parklands Foundation would be responsible for fund- ing any acquisition it pursued and no funding would have to be appropriated by the legislature. Senator Runyan further stated, "These kinds of actions and requests just fulfill my prediction that we have gotten into something we should not be in." In spite of the criticism, the bill passed and State Parks proceeded immediately to acquire the property.

A celebration was held on the Pendley property on June 21, 1985. The invited guests included Governor Babbitt, the Parks Board, the Foundation Board, legislators, local officials, Pendley family members, individuals from the community, and State Parks staff. The State Parks Board acquired the Pendley homestead on July 9, 1985, for $3,757,324.65 from the Ari­ zona Parklands Foundation. The Pendley homestead included the homestead house (1927), an apple packing shed (1932), three tourist cabins (1933), the Brown house (1926), and the historic apple orchard.

Now that State Parks had the property adjacent to Slide Rock, the agency worked with the Forest Service to confirm the concept initiated by Governor Bruce Babbitt and Regional Forester Jean Hassell for the management of Slide Rock to be integrated into the State Parks operations. This was ac­ complished when the two agencies signed a Memorandum of Understanding in August of 1986.

A small private in holding existed between the Park and For­ est Service land. As a result of efforts from the Foundation and Parks Board members, this property was graciously donated to State Parks by Burns International, Inc. on September 9, 1987.

The initial Park development included: a new entrance, paved interior roads and parking areas, walking paths, as well as renovation and restoration on several of the existing buildings. With these improvements in place, Slide Rock State Park officially opened to the public in October 1987. The first Park Manager was John Schreiber.

During the negotiations to acquire the Pendley homestead, Tom Pendley and Charles Eatherly became well acquainted. Because of this friendship, Mr. Pendley made a major donation of irrigation pipe and equipment and farming equipment to State Parks. The agency was so appreciative of these gifts that Tom Pendley was given a Life Time Pass to State Parks by Executive Director Don Charpia.

49 Slide Rock State Park Arizona State Parks ..... The Beginning Red Rock State Park Location: 6 miles southwest of Sedona, off US 89A on Red Rock Loop Road Opened and dedicated on October 19, 1991

In the fall of 1980, Governor Bruce Babbitt was hiking with friends along Oak Creek southwest of Sedona. When they reached a certain property, an individual approached the group, advised them they were on private property and requested them to leave. This caused Governor Babbitt to become concerned about Oak Creek and many other hiking areas along waterways that were being closed to public access.

The property where the group was stopped had been part of the Smoke Trail Ranch located along lower Oak Creek southwest of Sedona. Helen and Jack Frye had purchased the Ranch in 1941. Jack Frye was the president of Trans World Airlines and he and his wife used the site as a retreat from the East Coast where they lived. The property has a variety of panoramic views of the Sedona red rock formations. The land is divided by a meander­ ing 1.4 miles of Oak Creek that is lined with lush green riparian habitat.

In the early 1970's, a developer purchased the remaining 330+ acres of the Smoke Trail Ranch from Helen Frye. The developer in­ tended to build a resort complex, but a short­ age of funds caused them to lose the prop­ erty. In 1976 Eckankar, a religious group that Helen Frye was a mem­ ber of, became owner of the property. Ecka­ nkar (described as an "alternative religion") was developing the property as a religious retreat for their mem- bers. Thus, it was Eckankar who had evicted Governor Babbitt's hiking group from the property.

After researching ownership of the property and recognizing its recreation potential, the Governor came to State Parks to discuss the possibilities of creating a new state park. The Governor offered to work with Eckankar, Anamax Mining Company, and the State Land Department to see if they could negotiate a land exchange that would place this property in State ownership. However, he needed the support of the State Parks Board to get the necessary legislation passed to allow the exchange of land across county boundaries and to know that the Parks Board would accept this property as a State park. At the time the State Land Department could exchange lands within a county but could not exchange across county lines without specific legislation authorizing such an exchange.

The terms of the negotiation were for a three-way exchange where Anamax Mining Company would purchase the 286 acres along lower Oak Creek in Yavapai County from Eckankar. Anamax would then exchange this prop­ ertywith the State Land Department for State land Anamax had been leasing for use at the Twin Buttes Mine in

50 Red Rock State Park Arizona State Parks .....The Beginning

Pima County. Negotiations with Eckankar were initiated. However, nothing could be finalized until the Legislature passed a bill authorizing the exchange of State Trust lands across county boundaries.

State Parks worked closely with the Governor in support of the required legislation during the 1981 session. The bill that provided for the land exchange had been introduced in the Senate but had not passed in the re­ quired time frame. So the House selected Senate Bill 1184 and did a "strike everything" amendment, which included the necessary language for the land exchange across county lines. This bill passed the Legislature and Governor Babbitt signed it into law as Chapter 274 of the 1981 Legislature on April 27, 1981.

This legislation required that the Oak Creek land received by the State Land Department in the exchange be considered for use as a State park. The legislation also stipulated that State Parks had to prepare a proposal and a plan to address the use of the lower Oak Creek site as a State Park. The master plan and report had to include all aspects of establishing a park, i.e., funding, management, operations, and any further legislation necessary to implement the proposal and had to be completed by the end of December 1981.

To expedite the master planning process a 12-member Ad Hoc Advisory Committee was appointed. Members of the Committee were: Robert Lopez, Cup of Gold Estates; Robert Gillies, Sedona Rang- er District, US Forest Service; Kerry Baldwin, President, Arizona Association for Learning in and about the Environment; Dr. Eugene Mac­ Farlane, Keep Sedona Beautiful; Gene Palmer, Sedona-Oak Creek Chamber of Commerce; Howard Craig, Sedona Red Rock Taxpayers Association; Edgar Lindfors, Homeowner, Red Rock Loop Road; Sam Fitzpatrick, Coconino Taxpayers Association; Wallace Leininger, Cup of Gold Estates; Ed Rabovits, Headmaster, Verde Valley School; Jean Strong, Eckankar; and Dave Maggard, Director, Yavapai County Planning and Zoning Department. The Com- �e!:!�=:: - ,, _;:· ... mittee provided communications and served , o.w.eo� "� the.Fi�e ove� o·· ·. -re_e as liaison between State Parks, the private � sector and the business community. The •• Committee toured the site, visited Dead Horse Ranch State Park to become familiar with the behind the scenes operation of a state park and reviewed and made recommendations on the proposed Lower Oak Creek State Park Master Plan. At its October 1, 1981, meeting, the Committee reviewed and approved the proposed Master Plan. This Master Plan was then presented on October 16, 1981, to the Parks Board for its consideration. Following a staffpresentation and in-depth discussion, the Board gave conceptual approval of the Park Master Plan.

A presentation of the Master Plan was given to the Yavapai County Board of Supervisors on November 2, 1981, to fulfill the legislative requirement. A lengthy discussion pertaining to improving and paving the Red Rock Loop Road occurred following the presentation. At one point, a member of the Ad Hoc Advisory Committee told the Board of Supervisors that the Committee did not want anything to jeopardize this proposed State Park. The remainder of the discussion was much more congenial. The Board of Supervisors sent a letter to the President of the Senate supporting the plan for the Park.

Charles Eatherly, Chief of Planning, Tim Brand, Park Planner, and Paul Malmberg, Regional Manager gave a public presentation of the proposed Lower Oak Creek State Park Master Plan at the Sedona Elks Lodge on the night of November 19, 1981. The Park Master Plan proposed day-use areas for picnicking and recreation areas.

51 Red Rock State Park Arizona State Parks .....The Beginning

Existing structures were to be used where possible. One was to serve as a visitor center with views of Oak Creek and the Red Rocks and another for an environmental education center. Interior roads and parking areas were to be paved. Numerous hiking trails were planned with emphasis on interpretation of the natural and historical fea­ tures. Limited overnight camping was planned for groups participating in the environmental education programs. Over 125 individuals attended the public presentation in Sedona and following the presentation expressed sup­ port of the Park Master Plan.

At the December 4, 1981, Parks Board meeting, the Board reviewed and approved the final Master Plan and the Report for a Potential State Park on Lower Oak Creek. Copies of the Report and Plan were printed and submitted to the Governor, President of the Senate, Speaker of the House, and the State Land Commissioner prior to the December 31, 1981, deadline.

Representatives of Eckankar, Anamax Mining Company, and the State Land Department had been in discussion concerning the proposed acquisition and land exchange prior to the necessary legislation being passed to allow for the exchange. When Senate Bill 1184 passed and was signed by Governor Babbitt in April 1981, all parties were ready to expedite the acquisition and sub­ sequent exchange.

Once the appraisals and land surveys were completed, Anamax Mining Company pur­ chased the 286-acre parcel of land that was the major remaining portion of the Smoke Trail Ranch on July 22, 1981, for $5,148,000. The application to exchange had already been filed with the State Land Department by Anamax Mining Company and the State Land Depart­ ment had completed the majority of legal requirements to process the land exchange. With the acquisition cost established for the Sedona lands to be exchanged, the acreage of State land of equal value in Pima County could be determined and the exchange advertised for public review. This land exchange was completed in the fall of 1981 when Anamax Mining Company received title to the 3,947 acres of State Land in Pima County.

Following the acquisition of the 286-acre parcel by the State Land Department, the State Parks Board was granted a Special Land Use Permit for the protection and security of the property. Park Managers Mike Sipes, Jon Clow, and Duane Hinshaw provided administrative responsibility for this site until John Schreiber was selected as the permanent manager. During the early years, the public was not allowed on the site; however, numerous groups utilized the site and facilities for special meetings. The groups included: the Department of Administra­ tion Budget Office, Governor's Commission on the Environment, Arizona Game and Fish Project Wild Workshop, Natural Areas Advisory Committee, State Land Department, Inter-Tribal Council, Arizona Chapter of the American Planning Association, and State Parks for seminars, workshops and park manager meetings.

The Parks Board submitted budget requests to the Legislature each year in an attempt to secure funding to develop the property as a park, but with no success. During the legislative sessions of 1982 and 1983, State Parks incurred a reduction of 15 positions and over $500,000 in operating budget reductions. So, the initial appropria­ tion recommended for the Lower Oak Creek site was not addressed for several years.

52 Red Rock State Park Arizona State Parks..... The Beginning

On the weekend of September 30, 1983, six members of the Arizona Chapter of the American Planning Association (APA) donated their time to reevaluate and explore other development potentials for the Lower Oak Creek site. The APA members who volunteered their time were Betty Drake, John Sather, Dave Zlotshewer, Bruce Lindquist, Jack Bestall, and John Tandy. The Lower Oak Creek Charrette was the first APA volunteer project of its kind in Arizona.

The effort represented a cooperative spirit on the parts of the design team, the State Land Department, the Governor's Office and the State Parks Board. Some of their early conceptual plans for the park included an outdoor classroom center with dormitories for overnight stays and a restaurant and cabins on the hill south of the Creek. On Saturday evening the team presented their concept plan to Governor Babbitt, guests and staff. This plan was similar to the first master plan with the major exceptions being the proposed integration of facilities and programs that could generate revenue to help pay the annual State Land lease fee. The team, working with local citizens and staff members of several agencies, prepared an alternate planning document for consideration by the State Land Department and State Parks Board. This planning effort resulted in the Arizona Chapter receiving a National Award at APA's Annual Meeting in 1984

The State Parks Board had long been concerned about the State Land lease payments that would have to be paid for the Lower Oak Creek site after it was developed and opened to the public. In 1985, an opportunity was presented to the Parks Board where they could possibly get a Recreation and Public Purposes Patent on the 286- acre parcel. This would be accomplished through a complicated land exchange between the State Land Depart­ ment and the Federal Government. The Parks Board had to relinquish a portion of its Federal lease on lands within Lake Havasu State Park. This land included all of Pittsburg Point (a concession area within the Park) and a potion of the adjacent shoreline. These lands were the most valuable properties that the Federal Government had with the State of Arizona. The Federal lands would be used to repay the State Land Department for State lands the Federal Government had taken for the construction of the Central Arizona Project. As an incentive for the Parks Board to relinquish its lease hold interest in the land at Lake Havasu, the State Land Department and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) agreed to include the 286-acre Lower Oak Creek site. The Lower Oak Creek site would become property of the Federal Government.

A Memorandum of Agreement regarding the disposal of Federal Lands at Lake Havasu City was signed by the BLM, State Land, State Parks and Lake Havasu City in November 1985. However, as this complex exchange was progressing in June 1986 the National Wildlife Federation filed a lawsuit that resulted in a preliminary injunction against the BLM's Land Withdrawal Program. This action temporarily precluded BLM's involvement in the land exchange. This lawsuit had to be resolved before the exchange could continue. Finally, the land exchange was completed and State Parks acquired the 286-acre parcel from the Federal Government through a Recreation and Public Purposes Patent on November 7, 1986.

Following acquisition of the Lower Oak Creek site, the Parks Board officially named the site Red Rock State Park. In early printed materials, one can find this Park referred to as Lower Oak Creek State Park or Smoke Trail Ranch State Park. Operating and development funds were appropriated and the Arizona Department of Tr ans­ portation initiated design of the park entrance road (along the alignment of the Lower Red Rock Loop Road) in 1987. State Parks contracted with a private consultant to design and construct the park visitor center.

The dedication and opening of Red Rock State Park took place on October 19, 1991. Executive Director Ken Travous welcomed guests and introduced the Master of Ceremonies, Billie Axline Gentry, member of the Parks Board. Mrs. Gentry introduced Representative John Wettaw of Flagstaff, and thanked him for his assistance in getting the necessary legislation and appropriations for the Park. Representative Wettaw explained the history of the Park development. Then, Mrs. Gentry introduced Duane Miller, a Parks Board member for 25 years, his wife Beverly and their family. The Miller Visitor Center was named in their honor of for their years of service to Arizona State Parks.

53 Red Rock State Park Arizona State Parks .....The Beginning Oracle State Park Location: east of Oracle Opened and dedicated October 1, 2001

The Kannally Ranch was donated to The Defenders of Wildlife (DOW), a non-profit organization, in 1976. The will of Lucille Kannally gave the 4000-acre ranch to DOW with the stipulation that the property be perpetually used as a wildlife reserve. The DOW held this property (called the Oracle Wildlife Refuge) for ten years. For most of the time, the Oracle Education Project, under the leadership of Bob Hernbrode, utilized the Kannally Ranch House as its base of operation for a variety of environmental education programs.

In 1985, through the encour­ agement and efforts of Bill Roe, of the Arizona Outdoor Recreation Coordinating Com­ mission, the DOW decided to offer the property to the State for a State Park. The Arizona Parklands Foundation (APF), a non-profit organization cre­ ated by Governor Babbitt, worked with DOW and State Parks to facilitate the transfer of the property to APF for even­ tual transfer to the State Parks Board. In October of 1985, APF sponsored a dedication event to honor the future State Park. Governor Babbitt and the Parks Board members were in attendance. Graphic design panels, showing the name of the Park as Herberger State Park, and presenting concepts for intensive development of the property that would be a primary destination for public recreation, were exhibited at the dedication. Intended to generate enthusiasm and support for the new Park, the proposed name and developments actually generated strong opposition from the local residents.

The Parks Board held a meeting in December 1985 in Oracle to provide the people of the community an op­ portunity to air their concerns and to provide input and ideas for the proposed new State Park. A large number attended this meeting from the area and several volunteered to serve on a planning committee. The Parks Board accepted the offer of assistance and appointed a Planning Committee to serve as a liaison between the commu­ nity and Board and to develop an acceptable park master plan.

The Arizona Parklands Foundation held the deed to the property from November 1985 until it transferred the property to the State Parks Board in March 19, 1986. The deed restrictions that came with the property prohibit hunting, trapping, off-road vehicle use, and limited development of the property to no more than 10 percent of the acreage. Mike Mayer was selected as the first Park Manager.

The Planning Committee worked throughout 1986 and invested a great deal of time and effort in their charge. The large group, divided into five subcommittees, sought technical input and held numerous open meetings and

54 Oracle State Park Arizona State Parks..... The Beginning site v1s1ts. Many of the development ideas presented at the dedication were eliminated from further consider­ ation during this process.

Concurrent with the activities of the Planning Committee, Arizona Department of Tr ansportation (ADOT) con­ tracted on January 16, 1986, for design improvements of the Mt. Lemmon Road and the Kannally Ranch House Road. The Planning Committee questioned whether the existing entrance road was the most suitable for the Park and on February 3, 1986, requested that the consultant's scope of work be revised to analyze three alternate routes listing the advantages and disadvantages of each. The final selection would be made in conjunction with the master plan. In January 1987, the Ad Hoc Planning Committee presented its recommendations to the Arizona State Parks Board. The Board agreed with the recommendations in principle, including the recommendation that the Park have a dual purpose of serving as both a wildlife refuge and as a learning center for environmental education. In March, after reviewing the Committee's recommendations in full, the Board formally approved the report.

In November 1987, a complete site resource inventory was initiated. This research integrated studies of the Park vegetation, wildlife species, wildlife resources, geology, soils, watersheds, hydrology, topography and several other aspects of the site and surround­ ing vicinity.

In early 1988, the development of a Park master plan was initiated. State Parks informed the planning consultant, McGann & Associates, Inc. of Tucson, that certain basic issues related to the development of the Park had already been established. First and foremost was that Oracle State Park would be developed and managed as both an environmental education center and wildlife preserve. Also, the Ad Hoc Planning Committee had already deter­ mined the required facilities.

A Technical Advisory Committee was organized to assist the consultant and State Parks in the master planning process. This group included members of the previous Ad Hoc Planning Committee, community representatives, resource professionals and environmental educators. During the planning process, there were numerous addi­ tional opportunities for public input through the Committee members and through open public meetings.

A question that still concerned State Parks and the Committee was where to locate the Park entrance road and new facilities. All of the alternative routes were studied and all had some disadvantages. However, the end result of the exhaustive analysis by McGann was that the ranchers who had chosen the original road into the site knew the area well. That road traversed relatively gentle terrain in an area of steep hills and canyon-like drainage ways. A road in any other portion of the Park would require extensive earthwork (moving large amounts of fill and leaving exposed cut bands). Also, the original road was in harmony with the natural drainage pattern of parallel washes crossing the property. When biologists determined that the effects on the vegetation and wildlife would be minimized utilizing the existing ranch road, this route was chosen for the Master Plan.

Throughout the master planning process, public input significantly affected plans for the Park. A walk-in en­ trance was added to the plan so that visitors could leave vehicles on the periphery of the site and hike in. It was decided that signage would direct visitors to the main entrance but that the public would be encouraged to use

55 Oracle State Park Arizona State Parks..... The Beginning the pedestrian access as much as possible. At the request of local citizens, the name of the Park was changed to Oracle State Park-Center for Environmental Education.

The State Parks Board approved the Oracle State Park Master Plan in February 1990. The Plan outlined general description and design criteria for a new visitor center and limited picnic sites, a residential environmental edu­ cation facility with bunkhouses and dining hall, a group use area, a maintenance area and staff residence area. When all facilities, roads and areas impacted by construction were combined, less than one percent of the total Park acreage was to be altered by development. The Master Plan also called for construction of wildlife watering sites to enhance the wildlife habitat. As shown on the Plan, the entrance road and most of the new facilities are sited near the edge of the oak zone, just before the elevation drops in the mesquite scrub. The majority of the oak grassland habitat in the Park would remain undisturbed.

In February of 1993, ADOT entered into a contract with another engineering consultant to complete the design for the roads and parking areas as described in the Park Master Plan. During the early part of this design pro­ cess, public input raised the concern that when the walk-in entry was added (late in the master planning process), the capacity of the internal parking lots should have been re-evaluated. As a result, the total number of parking spaces within the Park was reduced from 128 in the Master Plan to 77. The only parking lot not significantly re­ duced was the one for the walk-in entry. A proposed one-way loop road within the Park was eliminated. Finally, a proposed divided alignment for a portion of the entrance road was deleted from the Plan as a result of comments on the Draft Environmental Assessment for the project.

In May 1993, a public meeting was held to provide the public with the opportunity to review and comment on the proposed road improvements. Seventeen individuals attended the meeting and comments were received from 10 individuals. The focus of these comments was on the master plan and the access route to the Park.

In February 1994, a final Draft Environmental Assessment was made available to Oracle area residents. Com­ ments were received from 5 individuals. These comments again dealt mainly with the master plan and access route issues. ADOT replied to these comments and made some minor revisions to the Environmental Assessment and revised one section of the interior Park road. On May 23, 1994, The Environmental Assessment was accepted by ADOT. The road design and the project specifications were finalized. Construction was completed in 1996.

The Park was continually available for environmental education programs on a reservation basis. Oracle State Park was officially dedicated and opened to the public October 1, 2001.

56 Oracle State Park Arizona State Parks .....The Beginning VERDE RIVER GREENWAY STATE NATURAL AREA Location: Cottonwood Opened June 1, 1995

The Verde River is a significant resource in the State of Arizona. It is one of the desert's few free flowing rivers sustaining a large wildlife population and lush riparian community. The River and its adjacent plant communities provide food and shelter for the wildlife traveling along its banks. This River corridor remained virtually unchanged except by natures's actions until the discovery of valuable deposits of gold, silver and copper in the nearby moun­ tains in the 1800's. Then came large mining operations, processing plants, cattle grazing, diverse agriculture opera­ tions, and later gravel operations in the River.

The State Parks Board initiated efforts to protect a portion of the Verde River in 1971 when a parcel of property along the Verde River was brought to the attention of the Board as a potential Park site. Working closely with the local legislators, the Verde Valley Chamber of Commerce, and the Community, the Parks Board received authoriza­ tion and an appropriation from the Legislature in 1972 to acquire the Dead Horse Ranch property. The appropriated funds were matched with Land & Water Conservation Fund monies for the purchase of Dead Horse Ranch. The property consisted of over a mile of river riparian land to rolling hills and offered a wide range of recreational op­ portunities.

The importance of this River's resources has been recognized for years. The 1983 Statewide Compre­ hensive Outdoor Recre­ ation Plan identified the need for easy and safe access to existing rivers and streams and for open space in rural communi­ ties. The next priority identified in the Plan that showed a dramatic in­ crease in statewide im­ portance was the need to preserve land in its natural state for environmental education, interpretation, wildlife viewing, hik- ing, riding, walking and other passive recreational pursuits. Protection of habitat for endangered wildlife and critical riparian areas was recommended for immediate action so areas could be set aside for future generations.

Late in the summer of 1985, Governor Bruce Babbitt, State Land Commissioner Bob Lane, and Dan Campbell, State Director of the Nature Conservancy, met at Dead Horse Ranch State Park to hike along the Verde River. Fol­ lowing the hike, Governor Babbitt requested that Bob Lane prepare maps showing the ownership of all lands ad­ jacent to Dead Horse Ranch State Park with river frontage. The Governor then requested Dan Campbell to quietly initiate contacts with landowners along the Verde River in this area to determine how receptive they were to selling their properties for open space and passive recreation. Mr. Campbell began making contacts with landowners in the vicinity of the State Park in September 1985. Cap lreys who owned property on the east boundary to the Park was his first contact. The negotiations were kept low key because the funds of acquisition had not been appropriated by

57 Verde River Greenway State Natural Area Arizona State Parks .....The Beginning the legislature. Mr. Campbell received a willingness to cooperate on such a project from the majority of the indi­ viduals contacted.

Dr. Don Charpia, State Parks Executive Director, reported to the Parks Board at its March 14, 1986, meeting that Dan Campbell's negotiations for land along the Verde River was going well. The Nature Conservancy had purchased the lreys property and was in the process of purchasing options on two other parcels. He advised the Board that the key to the ultimate acquisition of these properties was tied to the approval of the Verde River Protection Bill that included $2 million to be spent on the acquisition of lands on the Verde River. State Parks had been designated as the primary agency for the acquisition and management of those lands. At that time the bill was going through the legislative process.

House Bill 2510 related to the Plan 6 Agreement passed during the 1986 legislative session. The Agreement re- ✓ quired the replacement of habitat for __,...,.!li!l!l��--lll!ltl'.,. �!Q,,1;------endangered bald eagles and other endangered species impacted by the construction related to the Central Arizona Project. Other requirements were for the State to establish the Verde River Protection Fund and to provide not less than a $2,000,000 appropriation. The Bill provided the authority and the appropriation to the State Parks Board to acquire real property, improvements and ease­ ments to enhance and protect the riparian habitat along the Verde River. With the cooperation of the State Land Department, the Board would acquire properties as prescribed in its enabled legislation and consistent with the following criteria: 1) Provide protection and preservation of the Verde River; 2) Provide habitat enhance­ ment and/or habitat protection; and 3) Can be managed most efficiently by the Arizona State Parks Board.

The legislation passed on April 9, Verde River Greenway State Natural Area 1986 with an emergency clause and became effectiveimmediate ly. By May 1986, State Parks had established a Verde River Acquisition Task Force including representatives from the Governor's office, the Nature Conser­ vancy, State Land Department, and Arizona State Parks to identify the most desirable properties meeting the criteria and to recommend proper- ties for potential acquisition. The Task Force determined that the area of concentration should be those proper­ ties along the Verde River between T uzigoot Bridge and the Bridgeport Bridge in the Cottonwood vicinity. A River Tour, 1987 Photo by Dan Engler, Verde Independent list of all the property owners along the

58 Verde River Greenway State Natural Area Arizona State Parks .....The Beginning

River in this location was compiled by the State Land Department and maps were produced to show the location of each parcel. From this information the Task Force compiled a list of 35 properties in priority order ranging in size from less than one acre to over eighty acres. This list was shared with Governor Babbitt at a meeting on June 19, 1986. The Parks Board authorized staffto pursue the acquisitions of these 35 properties in priority order at its July , 11, 1986 meeting. The project was initiated with the understanding of all involved that the estimated value of the desired properties far exceeded the funds available. The Parks Board decided early in the process that acquisition negotiations would only take place with willing sellers.

Following up on the contact options obtained by Dan Campbell and the priority list established by the Parks Board, staff members were assigned to handle the acquisitions. Jon Clow, Park Manager, Dead Horse Ranch, and Charles Eatherly, Special Projects Coordinator, began meeting with the property owners in 1986. The negotiations seemed to go slowly as the first step was to meet with the property owners and advise them of the purposes and potentials of the Greenway and secure the approval to proceed. Most of the properties required a survey as only parts of the land areas were to be acquired by the State. Following the surveys, appraisals of each individual parcel were completed to determine fair market value. The surveys and appraisals were discussed with each of the owners, and if they were willing to sell, escrow was opened and the acquisition proceeded. At this point in the process, the Governor's office became very concerned that very little progress was going to be made by the time the Governor left office. Thus, one of the Governor's staff advised Charles Eatherly that they would help expedite the procure­ ment processes. Mr. Eatherly expressed appreciation for the additional assistance. However, within a two-week time frame a call was received advising Eatherly to continue because the Governors' staff found that to secure the neces­ sary professional services the procurement process had to be followed.

A special presentation by Governor Bruce Babbitt and the State Parks Board on "The importance Of The Verde River - A Resource For All Gen­ erations" was held in Cottonwood on November 8, 1986. All of the proper­ ty owners along the Verde River and the public were invited to attend.

In the last meeting Charles Eath­ erly had with Governor Babbitt on December 30, 1986, the Governor expressed his appreciation for the dil­ igent work and the progress that had been made. By that time, State Parks had acquired 10 properties total- ling 258.62 acres and had expended over $1,496,728 from the original appropriation. By January 1988, State Parks had acquired over 318 acres of Verde River riparian lands with over $250,000 of land value having been donated to the project because of the enthusias­ tic support of the landowners along the Verde River Greenway.

The Parks staff began working with the Verde River Greenway Ad Hoc Advisory Committee in May 1988. Member­ ship on the Committee consisted of representation from the Game and Fish Department, U.S. Forest Service, Town of Cottonwood, Town of Camp Verde, To wn of Clarkdale, Yavapai County, Verde Valley Chamber of Commerce, Verde Valley Horsemen, the Audubon Society, and interested citizens. The Committee was established to provide input to the staff on ways the Greenway might be completed between Tuzigoot Bridge and the Bridgeport Bridge. The Committee expressed its feelings that time was of the essence in acquiring river frontage and as State Parks had been successful in its efforts to date and had a good reputation with the citizens of Verde Valley, it was the most appropriate agency to continue the Greenway Program. The Committee encouraged State Parks to expand its

59 Verde River Greenway State Natural Area Arizona State Parks .....The Beginning effortson the Verde River. The Committee agreed to establish a supportgroup to support the goals of the Green­ way. They also agreed to supportlegislation for additional acquisition funds and operating monies. The Committee was very concerned with the lake of knowledge and understanding the local residents had of the importanceof the Verde River and the Greenway. This concern lead to the establishment of Verde River Days held annually at Dead Horse Ranch State Park. It gives those interested in wildlife, environmental and outdoor issues a place to share information with the general public.

At the second annual Verde River Days, former Governor Bruce Babbitt, considered the Father of the Verde River Greenway, said "Protection of the river represents the most important task for local leaders in the years to come. We still have a chance here in the Verde Valley. That chance is gone on the San Pedro, the Gila and much of the Salt (rivers). It's not enough to have a State Park; it's not enough to have a riparian corridor; what we have to do now is work to protect the Verde River from start to finish." Verde River Days has become a very popular annual event held the last weekend in September.

Although the membership on the Parks Board has changed many times since 1986, the Board has continued to support the Verde River Greenway. The Parks Board has continued to acquire lands along the Verde River as money and opportunitiesare available, and as of March 17, 2004, (the date of the last acquisition) the Verde River Greenway encompassed 600.33 acres (See Appendix 2). The Board and the staff continueto investigate lands for potential acquisition for the Greenway. Because of strong community support, the Parks Board at its May 2005 meeting voted to expand the Verde River Greenway by more than three times its present length by including the entire stretch of the Verde River, from the Tuzigoot Bridge to Beasly Flats below Camp Verde. To more appropriately recognize the significance of the Verde River protection, the Greenway has become the Verde River Greenway State Natural Area.

60 Verde River Greenway State Natural Area Arizona State Parks .....The Beginning Homorovi Ruins State Park Location: northeast of Winslow on SR 87 Opened and dedicated May 22, 1993

Homolovi Ruins State Park was established in response to public concern about the devastation of the Homo­ lovi sites by illegal collectors of prehistoric artifacts. The damage to the sites peaked in the 1960's when a back­ hoe was being used at Homolovi II to dig through burials and kivas. The residents of Winslow and leaders of the Hopi people, supported by other people throughout the State, began to work to protect these sites. It was their dream that the entire area would become a State Park.

The primary Homolovi interpretive resourc­ es consists of archaeological sites includ- ing four major pueblos, numerous smaller structures, and site features ranging in size from one-room pit houses or simple artifact scatters to a 1200 room pueblo, and panels of petroglyphs with depictions of kachina and clan symbols. The sites date from three main periods: AD 620-850, AD 1050-1225, and AD 1260-1400. During each of these peri­ ods there was a concentrated population of people living near the Little Colorado River. Members of the Hopi Nation consider this area an important ancestral site and return to Homolovi for religious purposes.

In September 1980, Governor Bruce Babbitt along with State Land Commissioner Robert (Bob) Lane, and a local rancher and grazing lessee, Floyd Hahn visited Homolovi II. After viewing the extent of damage to the site and number of artifacts on the ground located on State land, the Governor invited several archaeologists and citi­ zens to a meeting to discuss potential actions that could be taken to preserve these cultural resources. As a result of these discussions, in November 1980 the Governor established the Archaeology Advisory Group to work with the State Land Department. At the direction of Governor Babbitt, the State Land Department developed a plan for the protection of the State-owned archaeological sites with an emphasis on the protection of the sites in the Winslow area, including Brigham City, Chevelon Ruin, Cottonwood Wash Ruin and Chavez Pass Ruin, in addition to Homolovi I, Homolovi II, Homolovi Ill and Homolovi IV. The 1981 feasibility study recommended that the best means of protecting the sites was the creation of a regional archaeological Park to include all of these sites.

By 1983, an advisory group called Homolovi Management Board (HMB), chaired by State Land Commissioner Robert Lane, concluded the preferred development plan would only include the four Homolovi sites, Cottonwood Wash Ruin, and Chevelon Ruin. The HMB had representatives from the City of Winslow, private property owners, New Mexico and Arizona Land Company, U.S. Forest Service, Arizona Game and Fish, and the Bureau of Land Management. The HMB created the Homolovi Planning Committee to provide ongoing direction and advice to the planning consultants. The Committee included representatives from adjacent landowners, the Hopi Tribe, the Arizona State Museum, Arizona State Parks, and the Governor's Office of Economic Planning and Development. Because of the importance of these sites in the history of the native people of Arizona, the Arizona State Museum began a ten-year research program in 1984 to determine the extent of archaeological resources within the Park and to study the development of the large pueblo structures.

Planning for a park began in earnest in 1985 when the Homolovi Management Board, through the State Land Department, hired Gerald Doyle and Associates to produce a plan for the establishment of the Homolovi Park. The completed plan included recommendations concerning the construction of a visitor center, trails, exhibits, 61 Homol'ovi Ruins State Park Arizona State Parks .....The Beginning limited camping areas and road improvements. The Master Plan for the Proposed Homolovi State Prehistoric Park identified approximately 10,000 acres for potential inclusion within the Park boundary (See Appendix 4, Phase II). This Park was expected to have a substantial impact on the depressed northeastern Arizona economic environ­ ment by drawing travelers off Interstate 40 to spend time and money in the area. The State Land Department, Arizona State Parks, U.S. Bureau of Land Management, and the Homolovi Management Board endorsed this Master Plan.

The Legislature established the State Park in 1986 when it passed House Bill 2498 (Chapter 396) giving the State Parks Board the authority to acquire, develop and operate the Homolovi archaeological sites as a Park and appropriated $890,000 for that purpose. Governor Bruce Babbitt signed the bill on May 21, 1986, during a ceremony held at Homolovi II. The Park was recognized for the importance of the prehistoric and historic sites located within its boundaries and for the need to protect this area from further vandalism and illegal collection of artifacts.

The Parks Board reviewed and approved the site plan for Homolovi State Park on July 11, 1986. The Board also authorized the Executive Director to pursue acquisition and/or leases as necessary for the protection and opera­ tion of the Park.

Funding was available in 1986, but acquisition of the majority of the land for the Park took much longer than antici­ pated. In November 1986 negotiations began toward the purchase of the New Mexico and Arizona Land Company's property and an application was filed with the Bureau of Land Management for the 80-acre parcel that included Homolovi I. The initial properties were acquired from the New Mexico and Arizona Land Company on December 5, 1986, and a second acquisition was made on May 17, 1989. The Bureau of Land Management application was pro­ cessed and a Patent was issued to State Parks on March 26, 1987.

Although a Commercial Lease Application had been filed earlier with the State Land Department, in May 1988, it was determined that the quickest way to obtain a lease of the more than 3000 acres of State land within the Park boundary was for the Parks Board to file an Institutional Taking. On May 12, 1988, State Parks filed the Ap­ plication for Institutional Taking of State Land with the Governor (not the State Land Department). The Governor approved and signed the Application on June 9, 1988, and State Parks took immediate possession of the State land. On July 21, 1988, a Complaint was filed against the State Land Commissioner concerning the Institutional Taking of the State land for park purposes. Mitchel Platt, attorney for John A. Thompson, one of the existing State lessees on land taken for park purposes, filed the Complaint. In September 1988, State Parks filed the Ap­ plication for an Institutional Lease on 2,960 acres. This Application was amended in October to include another 160 acres because the exchange had been finalized for the private acreage in section 30.

In March 1989, each grazing lessee within the Institutional Taking area was notified of the action and State Parks requested an inventory of their improvements that had been made on the State land. An appraisal of all the improvements was completed so individuals could be compensated as required by the Institutional Taking.

62 Homol'ovi Ruins State Park Arizona State Parks .....The Beginning The Institutional Lease No. 89-96378 was issued to State Parks on May 26, 1989, with an ending date of May 25, 1999. On July 19, 1989, State Parks received a Summons from Navajo County Superior Court on behalf of John A. Thompson. After Mr. Thompson released his legal counsel in the fall of 1989, Merv Mason, State Land Depart­ ment, and Charles Eatherly, State Parks, met with him several times in Winslow to work out an acceptable agree­ ment to resolve his concerns. The agreement was reached and the official Settlement Agreement was signed on November 30, 1989. On December 29, 1989, the Superior Court of Navajo County gave an Order to dismiss the Thompson's lawsuit. All other necessary legal documents were signed and Mr. Thompson was paid the appraised value of his leasehold interest and improvements ($36,400) on March 30, 1989, by State Parks. At that same time the other two State land lessees, Mr. O'Haco and Mr. Hahn were paid for their leasehold interest and improve­ ments $11,000 and $25,000 respectively.

The Board officially named the property Homolovi Ruins State Historic Park. Jones Studio of Phoenix was hired in 1987 to design and oversee the initial construc­ tion of Park facilities and the Department of Transportation hired a consultant to design the entrance and interior roads and parking areas. While the Park was under construction, the offices were located in the old Hubbell Trading Post in Winslow. Karen Berggren was selected as Park Manager.

After a long and difficulttime in acquir­ ing the land (See Appendix 4) and com­ pleting the improvements, the Park was dedicated and officially opened to the public on May 22, 1993. Billie Axline Gentry, Chairman of the State Parks Board, welcomed everyone. Mayor Georgia Metzger spoke about the 13 years that the Park had taken to evolve. A letter from Representative Karan English (D-Ariz.) was read. Hopi Tribal Chairman, Vernon Masayesva, spoke of the partnership represented by the Park. James Babbitt of Flagstaff represented his brother Bruce Babbitt, U.S. Secretary of Interior, and spoke of his family's interest in the Park. He referred to the work of Bruce Babbitt, Lou Ceballos and the Hopi officials in mak­ ing Homolovi Ruins State Park a reality. Dalton Taylor of the Sun Clan performed a Feather Blessing of the center. State Park Director, Ken Travous, thanked all the individuals who had helped make this Park a reality.

Of lesser importance to the Park, but of significance to the local community, is the historic site and cemetery of Sunset. Established in 1876, this Mormon settlement boasted the first post office on the Little Colorado River and was near an important ford of the river. The town was abandoned in the 1880's. The only obvious remains of this town are the headstones in the small cemetery.

63 Homol'ovi Ruins State Park Arizona State Parks .....The Beginning

Kartchner Caverns State Park® Location: 9 miles south of 1-10 on SR 90 Opened and dedicated November 5, 1999

In November 1974, Gary Tenen and Randy Tufts were exploring the limestone hills at the eastern base of the Whetstone Mountains. They were looking "for a cave no one had ever found" and found it. The two kept the cave a secret until February 1978 when they told the property owners, James and Lois Kartchner, about their awe­ some discovery. Since unprotected caves can be seriously damaged by unregulated use, they knew the cave had to be protected. Tenen and Tufts spent several years looking into the possibility of developing the cave them­ selves. Some members of the Kartchner family lived in Tucson and were very impressed with the development and operation of Catalina State Park by Arizona State Parks. They decided to approach State Parks to see if the agency was interested in acquiring this outstanding resource.

Late in 1984, Randy Tufts came to the Ari­ zona State Parks office in Phoenix for a meet­ ing with Charles R. Eatherly, Special Projects Coordinator for the Arizona State Parks Board. Eatherly was working with citizen commit- tees around the State to identify sites to be considered for future acquisition as State Parks. Tufts told Eatherly "as you are working on potential Park sites, I understand you are the one who can tell me how a site becomes a State Park." Tufts asked if he could close the door. After the door was closed, Eatherly asked, "What kind of a resource are we talking about?" Tufts responded, "I cannot tell you." Eatherly then questioned where the resource was located. Tufts again responded, "I cannot tell you." At this point Eatherly said, "I am not sure if I'll be able to tell you whether or not State Parks is interested or able to acquire this resource as a Park but I can tell you the neces­ sary steps."

The discussion continued on the various processes the State is required to follow in the acquisition of property for a Park from gather­ ing the information to the legislative process and everything in between. Tufts was advised that acquiring a site and creating a State Park was a lengthy process and could take from two to five years with no guarantee of success, and each step of the process would be open to the public.

Tufts insisted that Eatherly had to see the site. A meeting date was set for January 1985. Eatherly met with Tufts and Tenen at the San Pedro Motel in Benson. Eatherly was asked to sign an oath to guarantee secrecy. He advised the discoverers that as a State employee he could not sign such a document.

Shortly after dark, they met outside the motel room. It was a clear, cold evening with a dark sky filled with stars. Before they got into the car Eatherly was blindfolded. With the blindfold in place, the car was driven around town in various directions, and then out to the highway. After a period of time the car was driven off the paved road­ way, through a gate that had to be unlocked, and then over a stretch of very rough road. Soon the car stopped 64 Kartchner Caverns State Park® Arizona State Parks .....The Beginning and the blindfold was removed. Introductions were made to members of the Kartchner family. The first clue of what was in store came when Tufts said, "What we are going to see is a living cave with rooms filled with beautiful formations."

With flashlights in hand, the group walked across a flat area, down through a dry wash, and up a rather steep hillside to the edge of a large sinkhole. (Sinkholes are a natural depression occurring in limestone regions and usually formed by a collapse of a cavern roof.) The group dropped over the sinkhole side about ten feet to the bottom and waited for Tufts and Tenen to pull back some rubble from the entrance. Everyone crawled through the small hole and slowly descended down through small chambers and several tight holes towards the Blowhole. (A Blowhole is a vent that permits the escape of air or other gas.) Before entering the Blowhole, the group sat and talked about what was ahead.

After the group had crawled some dis­ tance in the Blowhole, Eatherly found he could not move. The space was too small for him to squeeze through. After a short while he managed to get free and back out of this small area into a space where he could sit up. The group decided it would be better to return to the motel.

Everyone returned to the motel and spent the rest of the evening talking about the cave and looking at pictures and slides of the caves beautiful, colored formations. Tufts and Tenen again re­ quested that Eatherly sign a pledge of secrecy. Eatherly said he could not sign the document but he would only talk to State Parks staff.

Tufts said Dr. Ed McCullough from the University of Arizona was going to be given a tour of the cave the next day. At this point, Eatherly requested that Tufts and Tenen give a slide presentation to State Parks staff in Phoenix. They agreed to give the presentation and discuss with staff the pressing need for secrecy to pro­ tect this outstanding resource.

Upon Eatherly's return to the State Parks office, he informed Director Mike Ramnes and Deputy Director Roland

Sharer of this outstanding potential State Park. He scheduled a meeting with ASP staff for February 6, 1985, to see the slide presentation of the cave Tufts and Tenen called "Xanadu". ASP staff attending the slide presenta­ tion included Mike Ramnes, Roland Sharer, Mike Pastika, Tim Brand, Jim Neidigh, Tanna Thornburg, Paul Malm­ berg, John Schreiber and Charles Eatherly. Everyone was ve ry excited about the possibility of acquiring this cave for a new State Park. The major concern of staff was getting the necessary appropriation to make the purchase and being able to complete the necessary developments. State Parks staff decided to refer to the cave as Secret Cave. Tufts and Tenen agreed to send the agency a copy of the slide presentation and other cave information to pursue acquisition by the State.

Kartchner Caverns State Park 65 ® Arizona State Parks..... The Beginning

Director Ramnes brought this outstanding resource to the attention of Governor Bruce Babbitt. Shortly after learning about Secret Cave, the Governor, who has a degree in geology, was taken on a tour through the cave by Tufts and Tenen. At the time State finances were very limited. Staff worked with Governor Babbitt on the poten­ tial of a State land exchange as one possibility. Governor Babbitt also brought in The Nature Conservancy to as­ sist with acquiring this wonderful resource for the State. Staff continued to pursue various options for acquisition of the cave but it did not prove feasible at the time.

Ken Travous became the Arizona State Parks Executive Director in 1987 and was very interested in Secret Cave. He set a high priority on the acquisition. Babbitt left office in 1987 and the cave lost one of its strongest positive supporters. Director Travous asked staff, "What do you think of using our revenue from Park fees to purchase the cave?" After receiving strong support for this idea, Travous initiated dis­ cussions with legislators and determined this would be an acceptable approach for funding acquisition of the property. This approach would not require an appro­ priation from the General Fund. Special legislation was required to authorize the acquisition and the use of a Certificate of Participation (COP) as the means to acquire the property. By utilizing this approach, State Parks could acquire the property and make monthly payments to pay off the acquisition costs. State Parks hired two appraisers, Sand- ers K. Solot and Associates for the ranch land and H.C. Cannon for the Cave and worked in partnership with The Nature Conservancy to acquire and protect this natural resource.

In January 1988, Eatherly was serving as legislative liaison for Arizona State Parks and assisted Travous in work­ ing with legislators to determine the most feasible approach to having the necessary legislation passed. At the time, Joe Lane was Speaker of the House and the cave was located within his district. It was very fortunate that John Hays was serving as Chairman of the Senate Natural Resources Committee as he had toured the cave with Governor Babbitt back in 1985. Representative Larry Hawk, Chairman of the House Natural Resources Commit­ tee, assisted the agency in getting a bill passed through the House before the beginning of the impeachment of Governor Evan Mecham. The bill provided the authority for State Parks to acquire the property and established the State Park Acquisition and Development Fund where all park fees and concession revenues would be depos­ ited. From these deposits, the monthly payments would be made to cover the Certificate of Participation (COP), and the remaining funds would be used to pay for the Park developments.

The agency managed to keep the location and identity of the cave a secret, per the wishes of the Kartchner family and the discoverers, except for those people who had to know. To assist in showing the Legislature what the potential State Park resource was, the staff requested and received assistance from Delbert Lewis, owner, of Channel 3 TV. Lewis had previously been involved with State Parks in the development of McFarland State Historic Park, as Governor McFarland was his father-in-law. Lewis agreed to send his staff to photograph the cave and prepare a video presentation for the agency.

Steve Bodinet, Channel 3 TV special reporter, went into the cave with Parks Director Travous to do the pho­ tography. Bodinet narrated, and with other Channel 3 staff, produced an outstanding video of the cave for State Parks. This video presentation was used in closed caucus meetings in both the House and Senate to show the

66 Kartchner Caverns State Park® Arizona State Parks .....The Beginning resource proposed for acquisition. Having the caucus meetings closed to the public helped ensure the information about the cave and its location were kept confidential.

Because 1988 was the year of Governor Evan Mecham's impeachment, the legislators were pleased to have a positive bill to take action on. To ensure passage of the State Parks' bill that authorized the acquisition of the cave property, the Senate and House met in session at the same time. As soon as one body completed its work on the amended bill, the other body would finalize its actions. This was accomplished in one afternoon and the bill was sent to Governor Rose Mofford's office for signature. This bill might hold the record for the shortest time taken for any bill to pass through the legislature and be signed into law.

On April 27, 1988, the Kartchner family, Randy Tufts, and Gary Tenen were introduced in both the Senate and House. They all joined Arizona State Parks Board members and staff that afternoon in the Governor's office to witness the signing of the bill by Governor Rose Mofford.

State Parks leased the property on April 29, 1988, and acquired the Option to Purchase from The Nature Conservancy in July 1988. Acquisition of the Kartchner property was finalized on September 16, 1988. Jeff Dexter was selected as the first Park Manager.

Overcoming more than 10 years of unforeseen challenges in research, planning, construction, legislative threats, mining concerns, and legal issues, the upper caverns were ready to open to the public. The develop­ ments to this point had cost over $28 million. The Conservation Celebration of Kartchner Caverns State Park was held on November 5, 1999. The ribbon cutting initiated the Celebration with Governor Jane D. Hull, legislators, past and present Parks Board members, Joe Lane, Assistant to the Governor, Ken Travous, Ex­ ecutive Director and members of the Kartchner family. The lower caverns opened to the public four years later on November 11, 2003. Governor, Janet Na­ politano, did the honors at this celebration.

67 Kartchner Caverns State Park® Arizona State Parks .....The Beginning Tonto Natural Bridge State Park Location: 10 miles north of Payson offSR 87 Opened and dedicated June 29, 1991

Since its creation in 1957, the State Parks Board made acquisition of the Tonto Natural Bridge a priority proj­ ect. In July 1967, the Parks Board adopted a revised development program, and the Tonto Natural Bridge was identified as the top priority. A letter was sent to Director Dennis McCarthy on July 31, 1967 ,advising the agency that Mrs. Randall, Executrix for the Glen Randall estate, had set the selling price for the Tonto Natural Bridge at $500,000. At the November 15, 1967, meeting of the Parks Board, the following motion was adopted unani­ mously: A motion was made by Member Fireman, seconded by Member Rarick that the Director be authorized to meet with the proper legislative committees (Natural Resources in the Senate and House) with the request that legislation be drafted and introduced for the acquisition of the Tonto Natural Bridge as a State Park, if the Legisla­ ture feels that this is an acceptable project. The motion carries unanimously.

On February 13, 1968, Representa­ tives Lyman, Getzwiller, Rosenbaum, Farley, Jones, Shaghnessy and Shelly introduced House Bill 272 (HB 272). The Act authorized the Park and ap­ propriated $250,000 from the State General Fund to the Arizona State Parks Board for the acquisition of the Tonto Natural Bridge. HB 272 passed the Natural Resources and the Game and Fish Committee and was referred to Appropriations and Rules. The Appro­ priations Committee amended the bill reducing the appropriation to $20,000 for appraisals and planning studies. The Second Regular Session of the Twenty- eighth Legislature adjourned without any further action on HB 272.

At the request of State Parks, the owners agreed to hold the property until after the next Legislative session. The Agency began to look for various other funding options such as the Four Corners Regional Commission and The Nature Conservancy. The acquisition, limited development, and operation of the Tonto Natural Bridge was included in the Agency's budget request for 1969-1970 Fiscal Year that was filed with the Commissioner of Fi­ nance on September 1, 1968. Jack Williams was the Governor at this time.

On November 7, 1968, the New Starts Committee, a Subcommittee of the State Parks Board, comprised of Chairman A.C. Williams, Duane Miller, and Ralph Burgbacher met at the Tonto NaturalBridge. Director McCarthy and Assistant Director Paul Crandall were also present for the meeting. The group toured the grounds and build­ ings, viewed the Bridge, and had lunch at the lodge.

In a letter dated November 29, 1968, Director McCarthy advised Representative Stan Turley that the Tonto Natural Bridge is the Parks Board priority project and its acquisition and development had been included as com­ ponents in the 1969-1970-budget request. The Parks Board would again seek the introduction of legislation to acquire and develop this site as a State Park. As Representative Turley had been named Chairman of the Natural Resources Committee, the Director requested that Chairman Turley create within the Committee a sub-committee on State Parks.

68 Tonto Natural Bridge State Park Arizona State Parks..... The Beginning In December 1968, Director McCarthy met with representatives of The Nature Conservancy and officials of the Bureau of Outdoor Recreation (BOR) in San Francisco concerning the negotiations to acquire the Tonto Natural Bridge. The Nature Conservancy was willing to assist, and the Regional Director of the BOR, Frank Sylvester, indi­ cated if the Arizona Outdoor Recreation Coordinating Commission approved this acquisition project, funds from the Federal Land and Water Conservation Fund would be approved by BOR in fiscal year 1970.

This information was reportedto Mrs. Randall and she advised the Director she would wait to see what the Legislature would do. She was enthusiastic about the prospect of its acquisition as a State Park, either through legislative action, or through The Nature Conservancy.

Speaker of the House Stan Turley, in a letter dated December 6, 1968, indicated to the Director that the acquisi­ tion of the Tonto Natural Bridge was probably one of the most logical projects the Board could place as priority #1 and he would do whatever he could to accomplish this objective. Speaker Turley authorized the Director to have Legislative Council prepare the necessary legislation to acquire Tonto Natural Bridge for introduction at the startof the legislative session.

In January1969, the acquisition and development of the Tonto Natural Bridge as a State Park was unanimously endorsed by the Arizona Conservation Council, the Governor's Commission on Arizona Beauty, the Arizona Parks and Recreation Association, and the Arizona Wildlife Federation.

On January 21, 1969, the House Natural Resources Committee agreed to introduce the Tonto Natural Bridge legislation, known as House Bill 65, which would appropriate $175,000 of State funds to be matched by a grant from the Federal Land and Water Conservation Fund. The Bill was heard and passed by the Natural Resources Committee on January 28, 1969. It passed in the House on March 21, 1969, with a reduced appropriation of only $55,000. The legislature felt that the agency would be able to get the necessary $120,000 through matches from The Nature Conservancy and the Land and Water Conservation Fund.

House Bill 65 (Chapter 63) passed the Legislature and was signed by Governor Jack Williams on April 9, 1969. This bill gave the authority to purchase the Tonto Natural Bridge and appropriated only $55,000 to be matched with Land and Water Conservation Funds for a partial payment toward the acquisition of the Tonto Natural Bridge property. The appropriation stood until June 30, 1971.

In May 1969, the Director authorized the initiation of the appraisal by Mr. Burke, an MIA appraiser located in Phoenix. In June 1969, the Agency prepared the Project Proposal to submit to the Arizona Outdoor Recreation Coordinating Commission on July 1, 1969. The appraisal was completed by August 12, 1969, on the Tonto Natu­ ral Bridge with a value of $125,000. Mrs. Randall rejected the appraisal and would not pay for another appraisal. By mid September, the Parks Board had secured another appraisal from Mr. Veldon Naylor, MIA, which set a value of $325,000. The Parks Board approved sending a letter to Mrs. Randall with an offerof $225,000. This offer was also rejected, and the Board was advised that the owners would not accept less than $390,000. The Parks Board considered this request and rejected it. By letter dated November 14, 1969, the Parks Board offered $250,000 to purchase the 160 acres that included the Tonto Natural Bridge.

In March of 1970, the Parks Board learned that the North Star Development Company of Flagstaff had secured an option to purchase the Tonto Natural Bridge. The Parks Board requested Board Member Duane Miller to contact the owners of the North Star Development Company and advise them of the Board's continued interest in acquiring the Tonto Natural Bridge as a State Park.

In February of 1971, the Director was instructed to send a letter to the principals of North Star Development Company expressing the Board's continued interest in the Tonto Natural Bridge. The Parks Board held a meeting at the lodge on August 19 and 20, 1971. After considerable discussion on all aspects of the project and propos­ als, the Board agreed to end its negotiations with the owners of the Tonto Natural Bridge. 69 Tonto Natural Bridge State Park Arizona State Parks .....The Beginning

Although the Parks Board had publicly ended its negotiation with the owners, through the early 1970's the Board continued to have staff investigate alternative ways to acquire the Tonto Natural Bridge. These alternatives included authorization to exchange the property for State Trust land outside Gila County, creation of a Revolv- ing Fund in the Governor's Office and possible condemnation. During the late 1970's and during the 1980's, the owners approached the Board on a number of occasions the see if the Board could secure funding. However, a very clouded title further complicated any attempt to pursue acquisition.

In the late 1980's, the courts determined that the Wolfswinkle family was the legal owner of the Tonto Natural Bridge. The Wolfswinkles renovated the lodge in 1987 to return it to its original condition. In 1989, a member of the Wolfswinkle family called Director Travous to see if there was still interest on the part of the Parks Board in the acquisition of the Tonto Natural Bridge. The opening to pursue the possible acquisition came in January 1990 during a presentation made on the status of State Parks to the Senate Natural Resources Committee. Follow- ing the presentation, Senator Leo Corbet stated the Tonto Natural Bridge should be a State Park and wanted to know if there was any possible way to get it into the system. The Committee was very supportive of making this area a State Park, so the agency quickly followed up with meetings with various legislators and budget analysts to develop an acceptable course of action.

Initially, the Senate Natural Resources Committee and the Governor sent letters to each member of the Arizona Congres­ sional Delegation to see if there was any possibility of federal participation in help­ ing acquire the Arizona landmark. Upon learning there would be no federal par­ ticipation, the Parks staff began to work closely with the legislative leadership to secure a bill to be used as a vehicle to pursue the purchase. Senator Pat Wright, Chairman of Senate Appropria­ tions, asked that one of her bills be used. By March 8, 1990, a "Strike Everything" amendment had been prepared and approved for Senate Bill 1030 (SB 1030). The amendment was introduced and passed the Senate Appropriations Committee on March 9, 1990. The bill authorized the State Parks Board to acquire, develop and operate the Tonto Natural Bridge as a State Park. It provided an appropriation for the first year of operation and authorized the use of a Certificate of Participation (COP) to acquire the property. It also required the State Park Acquisition and Development Fund (later renamed the Enhancement Fund) to be used to make the annual lease-purchase payments. The bill had additional support from those legislators who would be most directly affected by the addition of a State Park in their area. Those included Senator Bill Hardt, Senator Tony Gabaldon and Representatives Jack Brown, Polly Rosenbaum, Karan English, and John Wettaw (Chairman of House Appropriations). Within two weeks, SB 1030 passed the Senate, the House Appropriations and Rules Committees and was ready for final action by the House.

During this same time, the Joint Committee on Capital Review (JCCR) met and approved the use of lease-pur­ chase to acquire the Tonto Natural Bridge. The House passed the measure and Governor Rose Mofford signed SB 1030 on April 12, 1990, which became Chapter 48 of the laws of that session.

The Purchase Agreement between the State Parks Board and the Tonto Natural Bridge, Inc., was signed on July 19, 1990. The Lease Purchase Agreement was signed on October 1, 1990, and the Tonto Natural Bridge ap-

70 Tonto Natural Bridge State Park Arizona State Parks..... Th e Beginning pears as Project Unit No. 3, Docket 813, and page 378 of the recorded documents in Gila County. The Warranty Deed was signed on October 10, 1990, which conveyed the property to the Trustee. An Amended and Restated Lease-Purchase Agreement was completed by Bank One, Arizona, NA, Trustee as Lessor and the State of Arizona, by the Director of the Department of Administration as Lessee on December 1, 1993. This document was filed in Gila County on December 29, 1993, as Fee# 93-641916 with 52 pages. The Tonto Natural Bridge (160 acres) appears as paragraph VIII. Project Unit No. 8 on page A-7 of these recorded documents.

The entrance and interior roads and parking areas were realigned and paved; additional picnic facilities were constructed; an entrance sta­ tion was installed; and land­ scape improvements were completed before the Park was opened to the public. The of­ ficial Grand Opening Celebra­ tion was held on June 29, 1991, with a full day of activities. Ken Travous, State Parks Execu- tive Director, served as master of ceremony for the day. He introduced U.S. Senator John McCain, Governor Symington, special guests, Parks Board members, legislators, John Boeck, Park Manager, and park staff. At the Dedication Cer­ emony held at 6:30 PM, Ken Travous introduced Parks Board Chairman, Ron Pies who again introduced Governor Fife Sym­ ington, and together they cut the ribbon to mark the official opening of Tonto Natural Bridge State Park.

An additional 1.04 acres of land was purchased from the U.S. Forest Service on September 9, 1999. This parcel was needed as a portion of the roadway to the residence area crossed this property.

Early History of the Tonto Natural Bridge Area-Gathered from various documents

The following excerpts are from a report entitled "Tonto Natural Bridge-Proposed National Monument" pre­ pared in 1949 by Earl A. Trager with Hugh M. Miller, Charles A. Richey, Charles N. Gould, Clinton F. Rose, J.H. Tovreaand Vincent W. Vandiver collaborating. Trager, Gould and Vandiver, government engineers, prepared the geological report.

"Tonto Natural Bridge is located in ...the central part of Arizona .... It is in Pine Canyon, a tributary of East Verde River .... The country is mountainous, with deep canyons, towering peaks and precipitous cliffs. The elevation of the bridge in the bottom of Pine Canyon is approximately 4600 feet above sea level.

The outstanding feature that has made this place (The Mogollon Plateau Area) famous is the Tonto Natural Bridge. It is unique among natural bridges in that it is formed of travertine. Most bridges are either in sandstone, as witness Rainbow Bridge and other natural bridges in Utah, or in hard limestone, such as the famous Natural Bridge in Virginia." 71 Tonto Natural Bridge State Park Arizona State Parks..... The Beginning

(Quoting Bulletin of the Geological Society of America, entitled "NorthAmerican Natural Bridges" with a dis­ cussion of their origin.)

Not only is the bridge unique in respect to its origin, but also is, moreover, one of the most beautiful bridges in the United States. When the brilliant green of the irrigated, travertine-filled valley above the natural bridge comes into view, its beauty seems unusual .... Beneath the arch of the bridge are several caves of considerable extent, from the roof of which hang stalactites and from the floor of which stalagmites arise.

Darton... found 1150 feet of quartzite... exposed at Natural Bridge with basal conglomerate 300 feet thick ....

Two large springs discharge into the valley .... These springs also provide water for the large swimming pool, which has been constructed for the accommodation of the visitors.

These springs have been discharging for a very long time, provably for hundreds of thousands of years. The travertine thus formed has spread out and choked the gorge .... Our attention was called to one deposit along the face of the cliff that has been built out five feet in forty years, or at the rate of 1.5 inches per year.

Height of bridge 183 feet Width of tunnel 150 feet Length of tunnel 393 feet Thickness of travertineabove tunnel 60 feet Width of platform across valley on top bridge 1050 feet Length of platform, upstream 1320 feet Average thickness of travertine deposit 150 feet Number of cubic feet of travertine 200,000,000

There are within the tunnel 5 pools of clear water, one of which is said to be 40 feet deep. The present trail through the tunnel is practically unimproved, except that ladders have been built on the steeper cliffs. At one place in the tunnel there are 4 ladders, with 60 rungs. At many places there is a constant dripping of water from the roof. Stalactites are forming from above and stalagmites on the floor.

From the standpoint of geology we consider that Tonto Bridge is of national monument caliber and recommend its favorable consideration. The chief item which have influenced our decision are:

1. The Natural Bridge is unique, and so far as is known, there is no other occurrence comparable to it in North America.

2. In addition to the uniqueness of its composition being of travertine, its size compares favorable with the Natural Bridges in southern Utah.

3. The natural setting of the bridge in the valley of Pine Creek just south of the Mogollon Rim is fascinating.

4. It is believed that a most interesting and comprehensive geological story of the formation of the Natural Bridge and the surrounding area could easily be developed for the visitor.

5. The Bridge is located in an area of scenic beauty. Its addition to the Service will provide a splendid one-day trip for trans-continental travelers who may detour from Winslow to Tonto Bridge, thence to Montezuma Well and return to the highway at Flagstaff, Arizona, via Oak Creek Canyon.

72 Tonto Natural Bridge State Park Arizona State Parks .....The Beginning 6. The entire valley is teeming with birds. The bandtail pigeon is common. Both coniferous and deciduous trees abound.

(Numerous mammals abound in the area. It is the only natural location where both pine trees and cacti grow next to each other.)

Comparison of Virginia's Famous Natural Bridge with Arizona's

Natural Bridge of Arizona Natural Bridge of Virginia Length of Tunnel ...... 393 feet Length of Tunnel...... 90 feet Width of Tunnel ...... 150 feet Width of Tunnel ...... 60 feet Height of Bridge ...... 183 feet Height of Bridge ...... 215 feet Cu. ft. of Rock ...... 200,000,000 Cu. Ft. of Rock ...... 450,000

History-From State Park Reports

The white man discovered the Natural Bridge of Arizona late in the 19th century (approximately 1870's). How­ ever, the American Indians had long used it and its adjacent caves for homes and its top (5 acres) as a fertile field; but nature, through millions of years, had worked with patient labor and magnificent skill to construct this monu­ ment, 200,000,000 cubic feet of rock-15,000,000 tons of stone. Her tools were a mountain spring and an adja­ cent stream, both flowing through limestone out of the mountains toward the barren wastelands (now the Great Salt River Valley) to the south. Nature painted this masterpiece with dull red and ocher, soft shades of yellow and cream intermingled with delicate tracings of bluish gray.

One spring day in 1877, while prospecting for gold in the Tonto Rim area, David Douglas Gowan's eyes first beheld this enormous Natural Bridge. He descended from the mountains to the east to the beautiful little valley below that had a clear spring, in order to quench his thirst. After refreshing himself, he startedexploring the ad­ jacent area and made his unique discovery. After a few more trips to this "Garden Spot" with its unique beauty, Gowan decided this was the place for him to live.

However, others had decided to live there before him, and it wasn't long until Indians returned to their "Garden Spot" to plant their crops. Then began a long tiresome game between the Apaches and Gowan. The fact that Gowan was able to maintain and perfect his claim to this area is to pay high tribute to his ability and ingenuity in dealing with the Indians. He admitted, however, that in the interest of preserving his life, it became necessary at one point to hide for three days and nights in one of the deep caves under the Bridge until the Apache's war fever subsided.

Gowan homesteaded the 160 acres at the Bridge and planted walnut, apricot, peach, apple, cherry and pear trees. He builds a dwelling at the site, grew a small garden and hunted game to sustain him while he wandered about exploring for gold.

On one of his trips for provisions, David Gowan reported his discovery and an Englishman, traveling through the Phoenix area, considering it a news item of international importance,dispatched a story from Phoenix telling about the "secondstory farm" atop a large Natural Bridge in Arizona.

Reading the dispatch in a Scottish paper, David Goodfellow, a nephew of David Gowan (who had left Scotland many years previous to seek his fortunein America) wondered if this could be his "long lost" uncle. A letter ad­ dressed "David Cowan, near Flagstaff, Arizona Territory, United States of America" was sent. Giving full credit to the U.S. Postal Service, the letter arrived, putting Gowan back in contact with his relatives in Scotland.

73 Tonto Natural Bridge State Park Arizona State Parks..... The Beginning Gowan soon grew tired of his "Lonesome Paradise". Feeling his discovery offeredunlimited possibilities for someone willing to exertthe effortto develop it, he offeredit to his nephew in Scotland if he would come to America and settle there.

David Goodfellow arrived in America with his wife and three children in 1893. David had sold his tailoring busi­ ness in Durham, boarded a ship for New York City and then, traveled by train to Flagstaff, Arizona Territory. Davis Gowan hired a freight hauler from Payson and met the Goodfellows the train station in Flagstaff. They loaded their belongings into the wagon pulled by a team of horses and arrived at the Bridge six days later.

David Goodfellow with the help of his good wife and sons, built a road, converted the rocky travertine-covered acres into fertile farm land, and built a comfortable home to accommodate the family and the few curious who were daring enough to venture into this rugged semi-wilderness to see this amazing natural wonder lying at their doorstep. The Goodfellows continued to enterprisingly improve the site, by constructing six small guest cabins, then building a 10-room lodge with running water and improving access to the caves beneath the Bridge.

The Goodfellows owned the Bridge until 1948 when Glen L. Randall purchased it from them. Mr. Randall's grandfather first entered the area in 1879 and was one of the first residents to greet the Goodfellows when they moved over from Scotland. The Randal ls were the owners and involved in the operation the Bridge until the 1980's. However, during the late 1970's and early 1980's, the property title was clouded in a series of complex partnershipsand various legal entanglements. In the late 1980's, the Courtsdetermined that Clifford Wolfswinkle was the legal owner of the Tonto Natural Bridge.

74 Tonto Natural Bridge State Park Arizona State Parks..... The Beginning Fool Hollow Lake Recreation Area Location: 2 miles east of AZ 260 on Linden Road Opened and dedicated May 31, 1994

Fool Hollow Lake is located in the world's largest contiguous belt of ponderosa pine forest. A relatively flat basaltic plateau, broken by Show Low Creek and Fool Hollow Wash, characterizes the property. Fool Hollow Lake was created by construction of a dam at the confluence of Show Low Creek and Fool Hollow Wash in 1957 by the Arizona Game and Fish Department with federal assistance. This created a 149 surface acre lake surrounded by National Forest lands.

Fool Hollow first came to the attention of the Parks Board at its meeting on June 20, 1959. Director McCarthy advised the Parks Board that Fool Hollow and Show Low Lakes had a considerable amount of land around them for potential Park development. The Parks Board instructed the Director to advise the Game and Fish Depart­ ment of the Board's interest in these two areas as possible State Parks. The Parks Board made an on site inspec­ tion of Fool Hollow Lake during its meeting on August 1, 1959. With new Parks to be developed, budget limi­ tations, and other priorities, these two sites were not pursued after appearing on the State Parks' first Five Year Plan.

In 1988, the City of Show Low began making agency contacts with the U.S. Forest Service, Arizona Game and Fish Department, and Arizona State Parks to promote the concept of an intensively developed and managed recreation area at Fool Hollow Lake. At that time, Fool Hollow existed as a primitive recreational opportunity and had become a source of concern for the community and the Forest Service as a result of transients, unrestricted uses, and off-road vehicle traffic. Show Low recognized the economic benefits tourism tied to quality recreation areas would bring to the community. At this same time State Parks was looking for water-based sites in northern Arizona at higher elevations to meet the growing needs of residents and visitors.

75 Fool Hollow Lake Recreation Area Arizona State Parks .....The Beginning In 1991, the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest, Arizona State Parks, Arizona Game and Fish Commission, the City of Show Low, Arizona Public Service Company, and McCarty Construction Company signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). This MOU was entered into for the purpose of cooperating in the construction (if ap­ plicable) and the operation and maintenance of the Fool Hollow Lake Recreation Area for public recreation. A Partnership Agree­ ment was also entered into pursuant to the MOU on May 5, 1991. The Partners are all of the above entities except the Forest Ser­ vice. Through this MOU State Parks provided $1,000,000 and deposited it with the City of Show Low as its contribution toward the de­ velopment of facilities at the Park. The Parks Board also provided operational and manage­ ment support as funding became available.

On June 4, 1992, State Parks received a Term Special Use Permit from the Forest Service on 580 acres surrounding Fool Hollow Lake. This Permit was amended in June 1992 to include an additional 74 acres making the total acreage 654.

Construction of new facilities and improve­ ments at Fool Hollow began in 1991. The facilities included campgrounds, picnic areas, restrooms, water system, roads, and parking areas. Some of the new improvements were completed after the grand opening.

House Bill 2146 was introduced on Janu­ ary 11, 1994. This bill authorized Fool Hol­ low Lake Recreation Area as a State Park. It recognized that the Park was the result of an intergovernmental partnership with the Forest Service, Arizona Game and Fish Commission, and the City of Show Low. The bill established the development and management of Fool Hollow Lake and adjacent land as a State Park. The Governor signed this bill into law on March 26, 1994. The successful partnership celebrated an official opening on Memorial Day 1994 for Fool Hollow Lake Recreation Area. Michael Sipes was the first Park Manager.

76 Fool Hollow Lake Recreation Area Arizona State Parks .....The Beginning Sonoita Creek State Natural Area Location: From Patagonia Lake along Sonoita Creek to Rio Rico Opening and dedication February 19, 2000

In the early 1970's, the State Parks Board accepted the Natural Areas Program as a responsibility of the agency. The Program was developed to recognize those individuals and entities managing sites in such a manner as to protect their integrity and environmental qualities. The Heritage Fund, approved by the voters in the fall of 1990, changed the program from one of recognition to a program of acquisition and management of identified natural area sites as funding was provided for both of those purposes.

Areas along Sonoita Creek, in southern Arizona, had long been identified as desir­ able for potential park sites and the Board had acquired Patagonia Lake in 1975. The Natural Areas Advisory Committee also iden­ tified Sonoita Creek as a high priority area for potential acquisition for the Natural Areas program. The State Parks Board toured sites along the Santa Cruz River and lower Sonoita Creek as a part of its Board meeting held at Rio Rico Resort on September 18, 1992. The Board requested that Parks staff do further study and identify owners of the properties for consideration of potential acquisition.

One of the largest private parcels closest to Patagonia Lake State Park was owned by a partnership with John Ratliffas a partner. This was the same John Ratliffthat State Parks dealt with during the acquisition of Catalina State Park. Director Travous met with Mr. Ratliffin December 1992 to discuss the potential of acquiring the acreage owned by Rio Rico Investment Limited Partnership. Over the next few months, the staffand Assistant Attorney General Phyllis Hughes negotiated with Mr. Ratliff and his partner, Lloyd Levinsky. At the June 2, 1993, meeting, the Parks Board approved the acquisition of the 5,001 acres and authorized the Director to sign the Option Agreement. All the required work was com­ pleted; the check for the $2.8 million was deposited in escrow and John Ratliff, General Partner, signed a Special Warranty Deed on December 20, 1993. A legal survey of the property showed that the actual acreage acquired was 4,914.

Sonoita Creek State Natural Area (SCSNA) is located in Santa Cruz County downstream from Patagonia Lake State Park along lower Sonoita Creek, a perennial tributary of the Santa Cruz River. The area is about 50 miles south of Tucson, just northwest of State Highway 82 and 10 miles north of Nogales. The acquisition of the origi­ nal 4,914 acres of the SCSNA was finalized on December 20, 1993. In 1995, the State Parks Board applied to pur­ chase approximately 3,033 acres of State Trust Land owned by the State Land Department. The State Trust land extends from the eastern boundary of the SCSNA and surrounds Patagonia Lake State Park. This would be the exchange land discussed in the Patagonia Lake State Park Section. The State Trust land is included in this section because it is the intent of the Parks Board to acquire all or part of this land for the SCSNA.

SCSNA is bordered on the south by 2.8 miles of Sonoita Creek, a perennial stream that has a well-developed mixed deciduous broadleaf riparian forest with an adjacent upland watershed. The proposed purchase of Parcel 2 will add another 1.5 miles of stream and riparian corridor. The area supports uncommon plant species and a high diversity of birds and other wildlife. The federally endangered Gila topminnow, a rare native fish, thrives in Sonoita Creek and its tributaries, Fresno Canyon and Coal Mine Canyon. To provide security and educational

77 Sonoita Creek State Natural Area Arizona State Parks..... The Beginning

tours of the SCSNA, Rick Gagnon was hired as the first Manager in i 1995. Following improved access to SCSNA and development of a visitor center for the Natural Area located within Patagonia Lake State Park, the SCSNA was officially opened. The Grand Opening was held on February 19, 2000, with Ken Travous, State Parks Director, welcom­ ing over 200 visitors to the event. He told the group that volunteers are "our first line" in serving the public. Ken praised the park volunteers and invited them to participate in the ribbon cutting ceremony. Jay Ream, Assistant Director, also spoke and recognized the important role the Heritage Fund had in providing the money to acquire this land. Various presentations related to the SCSNA were held throughout the afternoon along with pontoon birding trips on Lake Patagonia.

Since the original acquisition did not completely include both sides of the creek, State Parks has acquired three lots for a total of 111.4 acres that border and include portions of Sonoita Creek. Another major ac­ quisition was completed on June 11, 2003, that added 259+ acres that includes property along a four-mile stretch of Sonoita Creek from the former western boundary of SCSNA to the confluence with the Santa Cruz River in Rio Rico. This land was purchased from Rio Rico Proper­ ties. This acquisition included a 10-year cooperation agreement that involves the donation of 2 additional smaller parcels for construction of a visitor center on one and a residence area/trail head on the other, design and planning services, and an annual contribution to the SCSNA for four years.

The State Parks Board and Rio Rico Properties, Inc. hosted a special unveiling in celebration of this acquisition on November 20, 2003. Suzanne Pfister, Chairperson of the State Parks Board, Ken Travous, State Parks Director, State Representa­ tive Jennifer Burns, County Supervisor John May­ nard and Guy To bin and Dennis Getman from Rio Rico Properties all shared in the Welcome and Opening Remarks.

On June 7, 2004, the State Parks Board final­ ized an Intergovernmental Agreement with the Game and Fish Commission that provided for management of the Coal Mine Springs (2600 acres) owned by the Commission. The Commis­ sion purchased Coal Mine Canyon for $2.25 million for the protection and conservation of the tiny Gila topmin­ now, one of the first species listed by the federal government as endangered. This property adjoins the SCSNA on the northeast corner.

A trail easement (1.62 acres) was acquired from the State Land Department (#16-105749) on September 13, 2004, that connects SCSNA to Patagonia Lake State Park. The total acreage managed within the SCSNA stands at 7,886.5 acres.

78 Sonoita Creek State Natural Area Arizona State Parks..... The Beginning San Rafael Ranch State Natural Area Location: 23 miles southeast of Patagonia Acquired January 27, 1999

The San Rafael Valley was identified in the early 1970's as a proposed natural area because it represented one of the finest stands of native grassland in the State. These grasslands have not suffered the problems of shrubs and cactus invasion nor have they been taken over by exotic plant species that affect so much of this vegetation type elsewhere in the State and the Southwest.

The valley extends over 90,000 acres and lies at the headwaters of the Santa Cruz River between the Patagonia Mountains, Huachuca Mountains, and the Canelo Hills. Marshy springs feed the river and the floodplain that includes several swampy stretches. Two springs lo­ cated within the San Rafael Ranch are Sheehy and Sharp Cienega Springs. Sheehy is considered the older of the two and is dominated by stands of cottonwoods. The great importance of the San Rafael Valley is an intact landscape, un­ fragmented and relatively undis­ turbed from the mountain ridges down to the valley bottom.

The San Rafael Valley is home to a wide variety of plants and animals. The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service estimates the "Madrean Sky Island" bioregion (which the valley is part of) harbors the greatest diversity of mammal species in North America. Big game species are abundant in the valley and surround­ ing mountain ranges. White-tailed deer, mule deer, and javelina are the most common species. Pronghorn antelope were reintroduced in the valley in the 1950's and the herd now numbers about 60 animals. Rare species found in this area include Canelo lady's tresses, Mexican garter snake, Huachuca tiger salamander, Gila top­ minnow, Gila chub, Sprague's pipit, and Baird's sparrow. Since the establishment of the Natural Areas Advisory Committee within State Parks in the early 1970's, the San Rafael Valley had been on the priority list.

Cattle ranching has been the predominant activity in the San Rafael Valley for approximately 175 years. The valley's pristine condition is due largely to the land stewardship by the ranchers.

79 San Rafael Ranch State Natural Area Arizona State Parks..... The Beginning

Spanning 22,000 acres, the San Rafael Ranch is the center of the San Rafael Valley. The Sharp family owned and ranched the San Rafael Ranch from 1903 to January 1999. The ranch consisted largely of the last fully intact Spanish land grant in Arizona and was the largest private landholding in the valley. The ranch with its rolling grasslands and wide open spaces was used as the setting for the 1955 Hollywood movie version of the Rogers and Hammerstein musical, Oklahoma.

In 1994, at the encouragement of Parks Board member Bill Roe, and long time acquaintance of Mrs. Florence Sharp, owner of the San Rafael Ranch, the Sonoran Institute held a workshop for those individuals who owned land in the San Rafael Valley. The ranch owners decided the most efficient way to protect the valley and their lifestyle was by conservation easements that would prevent subdivision and development of the ranches.

Early in 1997, Executive Director Travous met with Mrs. Stevens, owner of the San Antonio Ranch, and Bob Sharp, manager of the San Rafael Ranch, at their request. Both parties were interested in seeing their properties conservedand wanted to know if State Parks was interested in being a partner with them to accomplish this endeavor. As a result of these meet­ ings, appraisals were completed on the San Antonio Ranch and the Upper 17, a portion of the San Rafael Ranch. With the Parks Board's interest in these areas, the Natural Areas Program Advisory Com­ mittee (NAPAC) scheduled its November 1997 meeting at Patagonia Lake State Park so a tour of both properties could be made.

NAPAC spent time making a thorough tour of the San Antonio Ranch and then went to the San Rafael Ranch to meet with Bob Sharp and tour the Upper 17. The thought, at the time, was State Parks could possibly acquire a part of the Upper 17, located at the northside of the San Rafael Ranch and purchase a conservation easement over the remainder of the ranch. The NAPAC toured the Upper 17 and determined the most desirable loca- tion for a visitor center that would have a view over most of the San Rafael Valley. As a result of the tour, NAPAC recommended that the State Parks Board acquire the San Antonio Ranch and the Upper 17. The NAPAC further recom­ mended that the Board pursue additional opportunities for conservationof natu- ral area values in the San Rafael Valley through conservation easements.

At their January 1998 meeting, the Parks Board considered a proposal where the Board would acquire between 80 and 320 acres of the Upper 17 acreage for the development of a visitor center. A con­ servation easement would be acquired over the balance of the San Rafael Ranch. The Board instructed the staff to proceed with due diligence in activities pertinent

80 San Rafael Ranch State Natural Area Arizona State Parks .....The Beginning to acquiring the conservation easement on the San Rafael Cattle Company ranch. By May 1998, the purchase agreement on that portion of the Upper 17 and conservation easement on the remainder of the San Rafael Ranch was ready to be finalized upon the completion of the property survey. In early summer the family advised the Parks Board they could not proceed with the present proposal because of tax issues and would have to list the ranch on the open market for sale.

The Nature Conservancy (TNC) then stepped in and offered to negotiate the purchase of the San Rafael Ranch through acquisition of all shares of the corporation the family had set up many years prior. At the September 17, 1998, Parks Board meeting, the Board expressed its appreciation to TNC for its efforts in trying to save the San Rafael Ranch. The tentative agreement between TNC and the Parks Board was for the Board to purchase a portion of the ranch and a conservation easement on the Land Grant. The Board voted to encumber $8.3 million from the Natural Areas Acquisition Heritage Fund. The Board also committed staffto work with TNC in the de­ velopment of the necessary agreements for the land to be acquired and the conservation easement. Les Corey, Executive Director of TNC's Arizona Chapter, stated, "After discussion with the Sharp family, we have found a solution we feel best addresses the family's needs, the needs of the San Rafael community and meets the widely recognized conservation goals; a solution which prevents fragmentation of the landscape critical to wildlife and leaves the major property in private ownership."

At the November 19, 1998, meeting, the Parks Board viewed the draft proposal in which State Parks would purchase 3,557 acres of land on the lower section of the ranch (See Appendix 5). This property included the historic 1898 ranch house. North of the property to be purchased in fee, the Board would acquire a conservation easement on the 17,574-acre San Rafael de la Zanja land grant that would ensure the property retain its scenic, undeveloped, natural condition (See Appendix 5). The land grant property would then be sold to a conservation­ oriented rancher so it would continue to be used for ranching. The Upper 17, a 1,050-acre parcel of land above the land grant, would be excluded from the conservation easement held by the Parks Board. It would be pro­ tected by a conservation easement held by TNC and would allow TNC to become a partner with State Parks for the protection of the San Rafael Valley. Three small parcels, within the Upper 17, would be sold to Sharp family members. Following the discussion and public comment, the Board authorized staff to continue its due diligence process to acquire the San Rafael Ranch through a combination of fee simple and conservation easement pur­ chases. With all the necessary documents reviewed and finalized, the Parks Board, at its January 21, 1999, meet­ ing voted to acquire the conservation easement and fee simple land. The Parks Board became owner of the San Rafael Natural Area (conservation easement) and the San Rafael Ranch State Park (fee land) on January 27, 1999. Hollis Cook served as the first Park Manager.

81 San Rafael Ranch State Natural Area Arizona State Parks..... The Beginning Spur Cross Ranch Conservation Area Location: 4 miles north of Cave Creek on Spur Cross Road Acquired: January 2001

Spur Cross Ranch consists of over 2000 acres of land located northwest of the town of Cave Creek in Maricopa County. The property is generally mountainous and very steep in places. Access to most of the interior can only be gained by foot or on horseback. Elephant Mountain encompasses the western half of the property with foot­ hills and bajadas in the eastern half leading down to Cave Creek on the east boundary of the property. Where it crosses the property, Cave Creek is a small stream with a coarse gravel bed and extended pools.

Early in 1992, the Desert Foothills Land Trust started working on a project to pre­ serve the Spur Cross Ranch. The Land Trust felt that their riparian areas together with its numerous archaeological sites were worthy of preservation. The Land Trust met with repre­ sentatives of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Game and Fish Department, and State Parks. They found all inter­ ested in the protection of this unique property, but no entity was willing to take the lead in trying to acquire the property.

Then, there was a push for Federal involvement from U.S. Senator John McCain. He hoped that the Spur Cross property would be exchanged for Forest Service land, so that the property would become part of the Tonto National Forest. Because of strong opposition to the exchange idea, it was not pursued.

The State became actively involved with the Spur Cross when Governor Jane Dee Hull expressed an interest in making the property a State Park. The Governor appeared before the Parks Board at its January 21, 1999, meeting to request the Board's support for the protection of Spur Cross Ranch. This request involved the Board's support of the necessary legislation to authorize acquisition of the property and partial funding from the State Legislature. It also required the Parks Board to provide Heritage funds to match the State appropriation and staff to negotiate the proposed acquisition. The Board agreed to support the Governor, and authorized staff to begin working with the Governor's Office in exploring the options available for the protection of Spur Cross Ranch.

Quickly, in following the Due Diligence process, the Parks staff learned the ownership of the Spur Cross was split between the Great American Life Insurance Company (70 percent) and the Dreiseszun family (30 percent). As the staffand the Governor's Office proceeded with the Due Diligence, the land appraisal established a value of $15 million. A partnership was developed with Maricopa County who agreed to manage the property and to pro­ vide half of the appraised value. The County's $7.5 million would be matched with State funds. The Legislature passed a bill that provided a $3.25 million appropriation from the General Fund and the State Parks Board agreed to match the appropriation with $3.25 million from the State Park Heritage Fund for acquisition of the land. Now that all the pieces had been put together, it appeared the acquisition could be finalized. But an unexpected twist

82 Spur Cross Ranch Conservation Area Arizona State Parks ..... The Beginning threatened to kill everyone's efforts to preserve Spur Cross. Great American declared that the $15 million would only purchase the 70 percent and thus, the Dreiseszun 30 percent would have to be acquired separately.

After a receiving an updated appraisal, it appeared the State and County partnership would be short almost $7 million dollars. The crisis was solved when the Town of Cave Creek agreed to join the State and Maricopa County partnership. The Town of Cave Creek voters approved a $6.7 million bond issue that made it possible for the Town to purchase the Dreiseszun interest. After two years of intense negotiations, the development of required legal documents, completion of complex financial arrangements, and creation of the partnership, the property was acquired in January of 2001. Maricopa County Parks and Recreation Department manages the Spur Cross Ranch and opened it for public use March, 2001. The State Parks Board holds a Conservation Easement over the entire property.

83 Spur Cross Ranch Conservation Area Arizona State Parks .....The Beginning

Appendix 1

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Legend Land Ownership LJBLM LJPrival!! stale Trust -Wildlife Refuge

- LHSP/BMtSP

Colorado River Corridor­ Original 1965 Leases Lake Havasu State Park -- 13,072.36 acres Buckskin Mtn State Park -- 1676.53 acres

l.

ColRiv Corridor-1965 Lease2--RDS 09JAN06

84 Arizona State Parks ..••. The Beginning Appendix 1A

35 " i-1- -1

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33 32

Legend Land Ownership LJBLM LJPrivate -State Trust - Wldlife Refuge

- State Park Boundaries

s

Colorado River Corridor- 2005 State Park Boundaries

Lake Havasu State Park -- 928.078 acres Cattail Cove State Park -- 2374. 70 acres Buckskin Mtn State Park -- 907.55 acres

Col Riv Corridor-2005 ASP Boundaries-RDS 24Octo5 ' - --­ '- - _,.,__ -, ),

85 Arizona State Parks .....The Beginning Appendix 2

Dead Horse Ranch State Park & Verde River Greenway State Natural Area

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24 I

29

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Legend 03 � Dead Horse Ranch SP ::.-:..----- State Park Boundary -_ -. _-_-. -_--...... _____.IPrivate Property Inholding .-_-. J-0 1--:...... L- ---'�=---++=:....:...... -...:...12 _-1

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86 Arizona State Parks ..... The Beginning Appendix 3 Catalina State Park "' II""" � / L I L ~~ / ~� � N '(l -/ ~/ t \ I ,,---· w+ E �L ,- ' s

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ir..,h.; µ~ I CJ , .L L Jl J,----- jl LJ ~ � � �..:..ll "' " J<. ~ ~ - ~~ ;:;,~ r, ~ �- r, ,,_ 12',. xx; ~~ i.i' r '.c ,Q(:; 9 J L Legend X: - ,. I IX ell: ~ 11.; rx,,,. ' :;,, xx ' .,, 'i{,.. '.:JL - Catalina State Park ' • ,.,. 9 � 56 )';) roc~,,.,6( -I r~ ~ >I! Catalina-LegisBoundary I • c:::J ~~ )' >I! ~.T~ ... Ill.. �' Coronado Natl Forest L-/' y� State Trust Land CJ Private Ownership I J l

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87 Arizona State Parks..... The Beginning Appendix 4 Homolovi Ruins State Park . . . . '- . - ....

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Homolovi-JAN06--RDS

88 Arizona State Parks..... The Beginning Appendix 5 San Rafael State Natural Area

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Legend � San Rafael-Conservation Easement � San Rafael-Fee Title Lands - US-Mexico Border San Rafael-Jan2006-RDS

89 Arizona State Parks .....The Beginning Future Park: Tam O'Shanter Climbing Park

The park has been planned by a partnership of the U.S. Bureau of Land Management, Resolution Copper, Arizona State Parks, and the Arizona State Land Department. A bill, passed by the 2006 Legislature and signed by Governor Napolitano, authorized the State Parks Board to establish this rock climbing park contingent on the following; 1) conveyance of 2,000 acres of Bureau of Land Management land in Gila County, 2) conveyance or lease of three parcels of State Trust Land, and 3) establishment of park access road easement that is transferred to State Parks.

Parks Creation ARIZONA STATE PARKS

Board Members from 1957 to Present

Ezekiel B. Taylor Clarkdale 1957-1962

Ricki Rarick Tucson 1957-1980

L. Max Connolly Mesa 1957-1963

Charles J. Reitz Yuma 1957-1962

A. Virgil Mercer Mammoth 1957-1960

Frances B. Weedon Phoenix 1957-1963

Obed M. Lassen Land Commissioner 1957-1970

Fred T. Boice Arivaca 1960-1966

W. R. 'Bob' Blake Kingman 1962-1968

A. C. Williams Prescott 1962-1984

Bert M. Fireman Tempe 1963-1969

Ralph G. Burgbacher Phoenix 1963-1977

Duane D. Miller Sedona 1966-1991

B. Marc Neal Kingman 1968-1975

Dell Trailor Phoenix 1969-1975

Andrew L. Bettwy Land Commissioner 1970-1979

Josephine C. Bailey Tumacacori 1975-1981

Cabot Sedgwick Nogales 1975-1982

Sam Ramirez Phoenix 1977-1983

Joe T. Fallini Land Commissioner 1979-1982

Priscilla G. Robinson Tucson 1980-1986

Gwen Robinson Yuma 1981-1987

Reese G. Woodling Tucson 1982-1989

Elizabeth A. Drake Paradise Valley 1983-1989

Robert K. Lane Land Commissioner 1983-1987

Ray J. Molera Nogales 1984-1985

James S. Stalnaker Flagstaff 1985-1986 Joni Bosh Phoenix 1986-1990

William G. Roe Tucson 1986-1998

Ronald E. Pies Tempe 1987-1993

M. Jean Hassell Land Comnnissioner 1987-1997

Dean M. Flake Snowflake 1989-1994

Elizabeth Rose Tea Duncan 1989-1992

Penny H. Howe Phoenix 1992-1995

Betsy Rieke Phoenix 1990-1991

Billie A. Gentry Scottsdale 1991-1996

J. Rukin Jelks Elgin 1991-1997

Robert A. Frost Scottsdale 1993-1994

Joseph H. Holmwood Mesa 1994-2003

Ruth Udall Patterson St. Johns 1995-2000

Sheri J. Graham Sedona 1995-2001

Vernon Roudebush Safford 1996-2002

J. Dennis Wells Land Commissioner 1997-1999

Walter D. Armer, Jr. Benson 1997-2003

M. Jean Hassell Scottsdale 1998-1999

Suzanne Pfister Phoenix 1999-2004

Michael E. Anable Land Commissioner 1999-2003

John U. Hays Yarnell 2000-2006

Elizabeth J. Stewart Tempe 2001-2007

William C. Porter Kingman 2002-2008

Mark Winkleman Land Commissioner 2003-

Gabriel Gonzales-Beechum Casa Grande 2003-2005

William (Bill) Cordasco Flagstaff 2003-2009

Janice Chilton Payson 2004-2010

William C. Scalzo Phoenix 2005-2011

Reese G. Woodling Tucson 2006-2012 Arizona State Parks ..... The Beginning

Additional Notes

93 Parks Creation Arizona State Parks .....The Beginning

94 Parks Creation Arizona State Parks .....The Beginning

95 Parks Creation Arizona State Parks..... The Beginning

96 Parks Creation ., ;;,-,-- -

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This complimentary issue is provided by the Arizona State Parks Foundation