150 AZ 979.13 P42 C.2 PIONEER STORIES of Arizona's VERDE VALLEY Pub!lshed 1954 by The Verde Valley Pioneers Association Jesse M. Godd~rd, President Sam ISenedid, Vice President P•uline Boyer, Sec:ret•ry Supervised. by and with Preface and Introduetlon by lonni• and Ed Peplow Section 1 (pages 1 • 106) originally published 1933 by Verde Valley l)ioneers Association Section 2 (pages 170- 24t plus JntroductJon and Preface) added in 1954 Dedicated ••• To those oJI] t-imers whO:'$(>- roura~"f~. strength and perseveram•t> t~ed one of A.meMea:'s last <'Ontint>nt.aJ frontiers and mad(> thE' Verde Valley so good a place to Ih;e, ARIZONA STATE LIBRA,RV · ARCHIVES & PUBLIC RECORDS JUL 2 8 Z014 t':opyr:fght If).)~ h)' \'(>rde \'nlii'"J Pionen;. 44.S!Soci.ndon. Inc, ;\JJ right... l"'~S<'I'1:(•<!. ~ h J This fourth printing of "Pioneer Stories of the Verde Valley" is presented by the Camp Verde Historical Society, organized in January 197 2. The Society is the successor to the F art Verde Museum Association, and is dedicated to preserving the history of Camp Verde and the Verde Valley for future generations. Corrections: Page 125 Ewan Witt teacher at Middle Verde School in 1877 instead of 1886 Page 153 Wingfield and Rogers killed on July 2, 1899 instead of June 2. Page 171 Picture is of Mrs. Anna Scott, not Ida Zalesky. PIONEER STORIES OF THE VERDE VALLEY OF ARIZONA AS TOLD BY THEMSELVES AND COMPILED BY THE BOOK COMMITTEE Published December, 1933 I I THE HISTORY OF CAMP VERDE By Ruth Wingfield Geographically, Camp Verde is were guided by an Indian trail situated on the ferti1e banks of to the Verde River. Originally the the Verde 1\iver. The latitude is river was called the San Francisco :14 degrees. ar. d 34 seconds north, River, according to K. S. Woolsey, and longitude is 35 degrees west Lieutenant Colonel of Commanding from Washington. With an alti­ Volunteers from the Weaver and tude of only three thousand five Wa1ker mines, in his report of hundred feet, consequently, the August 28,1864, but later the name climate is moderate. Higfl sur­ was changed. At that time the rounding mountains lend protec­ river was only fifty feet wide tion against extremes of tempera­ and two feet deep. It was grown tures. Thus a plea;:;ant season may up with moss, while now it has be warranted nearly any time of a wide bed which carries large the year. floods every spring. Historically, Camp Verde is one After a trip of three days, the of Arizona's outst.lnding center::; party reached the river bank, wad­ of pioneer days. ed across, and camped on the Settlement began suon after the other side. Although it was mid­ organization of the Territorial winter there were traces of spring Government and the establishment in the valley as contrasted to the of Prescott, Arizona. A 'llong the snow in Prescott. Black grama earliest groups of hardy pioneers grass waved in the breeze. The who attempted to settle th-? banks men were pleased. Early next of the Verde River, there was a morning tQey divided into two party con;:;isting of Dr. J. M. Swet­ groups to explore the surrounding nam, William L. Osborri, ClAyton country for a site. One took the AI. Ralston, Henry D. Morse, Jake Clear Creek region then called Ramstein, Thomas Ruff, Edward Clear Fork, while the other ex­ A. Boblett, James Parrish, <tnd plored around the Beaver Creek James Robinson. Early in Janu<'.ry tributary. After three or four days in the year 1865, they left PresC·)tt they decided to settle in the v­ on foot. However:, one horse pack­ o;haped point between the Verde ed with blankets, cooking utensils, River and Clear Creek. The site and sufficient provisions to last ~ ad many advantages. Water could them ten days was taken along. Pe brought from Clear Creek for They knew the danger of the irrigation, and most essential of Apaches, but they were well arm­ dl, the position was advantageous ed. i11 instance of an Indian attack. Their route followed the road Ti·.e latter offered them a great to Woolsey's ranch, twenty-five deai of concern as moccasin tracks miles east of Prescott; thence had been found, and one party ex­ along the Chaves' Trail to the citedly related that they had seen head of Copper Canyon where they a group of Indians in the distance. 6 PIONEER STORIES Soon the group returned to a man standing on a stool. He Prescott to make preparations for poured the heads slowly on the establishing a settlement. At Fort ground, letting the wind blow the Whipple everyone tried to per~ chaff and straw away. Natural­ suade them to abandon the ven­ ly some of the gravel and dirt re­ ture. But early in February they mained in the grain. At first the set forth with a party of nineteen. quartermaster at Fort Whipple re­ Supplies and provisions were load­ fused to take the poor grade of ed in six wagons drawn by oxen. barley. In Sari Francisco a much Four days later they reached the better quality could be pur<;hased. Verde Valley. Dr. Swetnam. told him that the Trouble first came, not from the soldiers were sent to protect the Indians, but from dissension settlers, but they stayed at the fort among themselves over the site. while the settlers went into re­ Some \vere dissatisfied with the gions surrounded by Apaches and location. The weather wa;; dis­ did all they could to develop the agreeable and stormy. All were country; then after a11 manner of impatient at the delay, as they hanlships, the quartermaster re­ wished to get shelters built as fused to buy their product at any soon as possible. Fina11y J. M. price. He believed that it was the Melvin, Thomas Ruff, C. M. Ral­ duty of the fort to help them by ston, Mac Foster, Ed•vard Boblett, buying the barley. After this con­ John Lang, and Jake Ramstcin versation, the quartermaster of­ pitched camp at the place previM f<"!red the regular price and fin­ ously chosen between the river and ally made arrangements to pur­ Cl~ar Fork. Work began the next chase all the grain and corn that morning. An old ruin aided in the could be raised. construction of an enclosure sixty Indians disturbed the settlers a feet long and forty feet wide. A great deal. Lots of corn and grain well was dug, and after two sur­ were stolen. A group of Indians veys-the first was not exact and was caught rlriving away some of a waste of time-a ditch and dam the cattle. As a protection two or were complE.ted. three men were stationed on guard As quickly as possible and with at the fort all the time. On the few implements, the land was night of August 22nd when the cleared. By May lOth over two corn was ripe, the men decided to hundred acres had been plan'!"ed k('ep watch in the corn field. in barley, wheat, corn, potatoes, About two o'clock Dr. Swetnam beans, melons, and garden truck. and Polk James took their turn In August the first load of barley in the field. As they watched, the was taken to Prescott. It was not moon slipped behind a cloud. Swet­ good grain, but it was the result nam shot at something that mov­ of hard labor. The stems were so ed in front of him. It fell, and he short that they could not be cut quickly dragged the prostrate well with a scythe and cradle, so body nearer. Instantly arrows the men pulled the barley like flax, flew around them; then all was beat it out with flails, or tramp­ still. Thf> two men sat silently ed it out with oxen, and the grain listening, fearing every moment was separated from the chaff by that another shower of arrows PIONEER STORIES 7 pioneers! Altho the danger was not so great after the r-.. troops came, they suffered I fearlessly during the days of organization. Profits were small and labor was diffi­ I cult. Nearly all of the farms I had been built near the fort. Dr. Swetnam settled on what is known as the Shield Ranch. This ranch, situated at the point where the Verde River and Clear Creek come together, became recognized as the first permanent set­ tlement. As the e;:;tablishment slow­ ly grew, the. need for a more advantageom; position was realized. Camp Lincoln was established for this purpose in 1864 or 1865, two miles from the present site, on the east bank of the V crde Riv­ tllo11ume11t to Pioneers er. It was on the old Santa Fe and Apache Trail and would come. Breathlessly with was effective in protecting the gun~ loaded, they waited, trying settlers on the Verde by oper­ to quiet their excited minds. Soon, ating against the Apaclws east of howev<'r, they realized that the the river. The voluntC('fR who lo­ ru~t!ing sound was only the wind cated CalYlp Lincoln came across among the corn leaves. Swetnam the Mogollon Mountains, via Cha­ f'Xamined what he believed to be vez Lal.:e (afterward called Stone­ the inanimat{' body of an Indian. man Lake by John J. Marion). In stn·prise he dhc;covered it to be They consisted of New Mexico a bag- made of an Indian blanket. volunteers, Colonel Chavez, and fi!!ed with corn.