TABLE OF CONTENTS

CROWN KING, ARIZONA.. 1

2006 Historical Research Information. 1

TABLE OF CONTENTS. 2

Mining Time Table. 3

MINE NAMES – Within a 5 mile radius. 5

Arizona Journal-Miner, November 20, 1897. 7

The Tiger Mine and The Crown King Mine. 8

The Nelson Family. 8

Everett Yount 9

Bradshaw Mountain Railway Map.. 10

The Bradshaw Mountain Railway. 10

1901 Bradshaw Mountain Railway Co. 11

CROWN KING STATION.. 11

CROWN KING RAIL ROAD Crown King Railway YARD AND “Y”. 17

Helen Harrington Sweet. 1930. 21

Helen Sweet April 23, 1957. 28

Along the Santa Fe with Charles and Dora Titchenal By Charles E. Titchenal (1890 - 1969) 31

[1918] A First Look at Arizona. 31

The Train to Crown King. 32

Into the Mountains. 33

Our First Day in Crown King. 34

The Agent's House. 35

On the Job. 36

The Train Arrives. 37

Our New Friends. 37

The Saturday Night Dance. 38

Sundays. 39

Tired of Crown King. 39

[1919] The Move to Parker. 40

INDEX.. 49

Mining Time Table

1100 AD Hohokam Indians colonized the Bradshaw Mountains, built forts and mined copper.
1300 AD Hohokam Indians left and Yavapai Indians moved in and mined copper.
1800 AD Apache Indians use the Bradshaw Mountains as a stronghold - kept white men out
1850’s Mexican miners work in the area and built arrastras but were forced out by Apaches
1863 The first white men in the area led by William Bradshaw. The Walker Party arrives which includes

          Jack Swilling.
1864 Bradshaw commits suicide in La Paz.
1864 Mining district and mountains named for William and brother Isaac
1864 Famous battle between prospectors and Indians at “Battle Flat”
1868 Isaac “Ike” Bradshaw returns to prospect
1870 First big strike in the Bradshaw’s at Del Pasco
1870 Del Pasco strike followed 2 months later by the Tiger strike
1874 Bradshaw City post office established by Noah Shekels
1874 Oro Bonito (Oro Belle) claim work begun
1875 Crowned King Mine claim located by school teacher who trade to O.F. Place for saddle
1877 “Luke’s Mill” - soon to be the Crown King mill established and sold to pay off creditors
1878 Construction of road to Oro Bonito (Oro Belle)
1879 Tiger gets it’s own mill
1879 Disaster at Tiger- miners killed while being lowered into shaft
1879 Oro Bonito Mill started (legend of transportation of the mill)
1884 “Luke’s Mill” working again under new owners
1880 Post office at Bradshaw City closed, Tiger dwindles
1887 Isaac T. Stoddard purchases Oro Bonito and incorporates Oro Bella Mining Co.
1888 New road to Oro Bella constructed
1888 George P. Harrington, a banker from Illinois, partners with Place and Shekels in the Crowned King
1888 “Luke’s Mill” expanded and named Crowned King Mill
1888 Crown King gets first post office and Harrington is postmaster, Shekels superintendent of mine
1889 Oro Belle gets a new mill
1890 Mill shut down due to lack of water - no significant events at Oro Bella until 1900
1890 Ike Patrick opens saloon in Crown King (man who ran hoist at Tiger disaster)
1891 Prescott Miner calls for railroad to be built into the Bradshaw’s
1892 Cyanide process implemented at Crown King mill, a new 300 ft shaft begun
1892 Feud starts between Harrington-Shekels, and Place. Mine closed until 1893, assay office built
1894 Harrington moves family to Crown King
1895 New ore body found, mill runs 24 hours a day for a year making $40-50K/month
1896 Crown King gets electric light plant
1897 Harrington builds house for son Rube and new bride just above mill, general store
1899 New strike at Crown King - richest in Arizona at $180,000/ton, then mine shut down (feud)
1900 Harrington and son Rube take option on Oro Bella
1901 Eastern investors buy Crown King and install new electric plant and work tailings
1904 IGA buys Oro Bell and establishes post office in the name of Harrington
1904 Arrival of Frank Murphy’s Railroad to Crown King
1904 Road built from Crown King to Oro Bella (Harrington)
1905 Harrington replaced by Schlesinger as Oro Bella mine superintendent, and reinstated
1908 Harrington resigns, becomes county supervisor and moves to Prescott
1909 Crown King mine sold for $35K in cash and $35K in stock
1910 Approx. Harrington returns to Crown King and lives in assay office.
1916 Tom Anderson moves saloon from Oro Belle to Crown King and runs until 1950’s
1917 Harrington donates land and money for school and church
1922 Harrington dies of cancer in Los Angeles
1950 Fire burns houses and cabins, Harrington’s church, almost gets General Store
1976 FF ranch burns (moved from Tiger Mine)

Transcribed by: Neal Du Shane 10/16/05

MINE NAMES – Within a 5 mile radius

Crowned King (Crown King)

(Yavapai County, Arizona Territory)

Arizona Journal-Miner, November 20, 1897

Wednesday morning with many thanks to the Gladiator people (the Gladiator mine located a few miles north of the Crowned King) for the kindly courtesies extended us during our visit, we hit the trail over the mountain to the Crowned King, Distance to the hoist of a mile, and a mile further to the mill. You climb by gradual ascent for a half mile to the summit, then in the next half drop down 1,000 feet into a small circular valley hemmed in on all sides by high mountains leaving only a narrow gap at the southeast.

Crowned King is not only a mine, but makes some pretensions as to a mountain burg. It has a post office, company store, several saloons, two Chinese restaurants and a feed yard. From the hoist down for a mile to the mill, the town lines the stage road that comes down over the precipitous mountain. The mill, the mine and the town are lighted by electricity that burns all night long, the plant being run in connection with the mill.

The Crowned King is a neat camp; the buildings are all substantial, and an air of prosperity pervades the surroundings. The store is supplied with a big stock of goods and the store rooms contain a large reserve stock. The post office and telephone are located in the store. There are two company eating houses; one a mile above for the miners and one at the mill for the mill boys. The mill is substantially built and is certainly the best equipped 10-stamp mill in the Bradshaw Mountains. The officers of the company are: N.C. Shekels, of Los Angeles, president; J.M. Taylor, of Taylorville, Ill., secretary; Geo. P. Harrington, superintendent and treasurer. The company is known as the Crowned King Mining Company, and has a capital stock $6,000,000. The mill handles from 20 to 25 tons of ore a day. The extent of business done by this company in a year is shown by the following figures kindly furnished us by Superintendent Harrington, and taken from his report made to the directors: From August 1, 1896, to July 31, 1897, the amount of ore handled by the mill was 6,456 tons. The amount realized on the years run was $186,200.13, an average of $28.84 per ton. The amount of concentrates cuts an important figure at this mill, and many car loads are shipped every year. The Crowned King is a thoroughly home mine, having spent thousands of dollars in the county. On local freight alone, the company pays out close to $50,000 a year, and, where possible, buys their supplies of home institutions. The mine is a valuable property; splendid ore being take out with increasing depth. The company’s aim seems to be to provide for the comfort of its employees. This is shown in the plain but substantial building erected about the mill for their occupancy; even in the mill a bath room is found, while the houses have a like convenience. President Shekels, Superintendent Harrington, Accountant French and Assayer Hast are all courteous gentlemen, and take very special pains to entertain visitors. The Crowned King is certainly the best equipped mine in the Bradshaw’s, and is bringing in splendid returns to its proprietors.

There is now a daily stage between Prescott and Crowned King, a change that is highly appreciated by the mining people 

Transcribed by: Neal Du Shane 011306 (Initial Spelling, Grammar, and Punctuation Remain Intact as Originally Written)

The Tiger Mine and The Crown King Mine

The Tiger mine and the Crown King Mine were two of the principal operations In the Crown King area during the early days of mining In the Southern Bradshaw’s. A key figure in the promotion and operation of these properties was G.P. Harrington, a banker from Illinois, who came west to invest in and later operate various mining properties. Mr. Harrington was the first postmaster at Crown King and his wife served as school teacher. They also ran a Sunday school and George Harrington Is remembered as always having candy in his pocket for children.

Today, five generations of Harrington descendents later, the Nelson family still resides in Crown King.

The Nelson Family

The Nelson family is much beloved in Crown King and their history dates back to the 1890's when a Swedish man named John Nelson arrived to join the mining community. He married Elsie Harrington and owned the Nelson mine which is called the Philadelphia mine today. He became deputy of Crown King.

Hugh Nelson and Vivian Yount were Tony Nelson's parents. Grandma (Vivian) Nelson became nursemaid to Countess Minotto, a famous opera singer, after she fell off her horse. Today, Tony and Abbie Nelson have 3 children: Sherry, John and Lewis.

Everett Yount

Long-time Crown King Resident Everett Yount is Tony Nelson's uncle. His mother married Walter Tewksbury . Everett worked in the Gladiator, Swastika and Golden Belt Mines.

He also attended Crown King School when there were only four desks, bolted to a 1' x 4' board, which could be moved out of the way for dances, held weekly.

Everett made $30 a month and gave $25 of it to his mother.

He has many fond memories of his childhood, especially of his very first 22 rifle at the age of 13. He used to enjoy going to the bridge at the edge of Crown King and threw rocks at the goats which stood at the top of "the Gap". The goats were owned by Tom Anderson who was the proprietor of the Saloon.

Bradshaw Mountain Railway Map

The Bradshaw Mountain Railway

The Bradshaw Mountain Railway segment from Mayer to Crown King was incorporated on February 6, 1901 by Frank M. Murphy. Construction followed immediately and the railroad began operation during May. 1904. Primary purpose of the railroad was to serve the Tiger, Peck and Pine Grove Mining Districts. The value of ore production in two of these districts increased from $41.000 in 1903 to $339.000 in 1905 after arrival of the railroad. By 1914, closed and abandoned mines outnumbered active ones. In 1926 the company was forced to shut down the railroad. Rails and ties were removed from Crown King to Middelton.

1901 Bradshaw Mountain Railway Co.

Incorporated February 6, 1901 by Frank Murphy who was able to secure a favorable tax bill from the territorial legislature. There were two branches to this line. The Poland branch extended eight miles from the P & E to the Poland Mine. The Crown King Branch extended from the Prescott and Eastern at Mayer twenty-eight miles in the higher Bradshaw’s to the Crown King Mine. The Poland Branch was completed on 11 MAY 1902. The difficult Crown King Branch had ten switchbacks in seven miles of track (to travel two miles) with grades as high as 4%. At 6,000 - feet elevation the construction was hampered by heavy snow. Regular travel service to Crown King began in May 1904. This completed the Bradshaw Mountain Railway sixty miles out of Prescott. While the Bradshaw Mountain, the Prescott & Eastern and the Santa Fe, Prescott & Phoenix railways were three separate entities. The SFP&P furnished motive power and rolling stock. The trains operated out of the SFP&P yard. In 1926 the most spectacular and least profitable section from Crown King to Middleton was removed.

=====================================================================

CROWN KING STATION

1904 – 1926

Courtesy: Ghost Railroads of Central Arizona

By: JohnW. Sayre

The rail of the Bradshaw Mountain Railway reached Crown King in the late spring of 1904 and stimulated renewed interest in the mountainside community and local mines. The railroad laid its track and constructed its numerous buildings near Poland Creek about a mile south of the Crowned King Mine and one-half mile from the camp that served the mine. Business establishments and private dwellings quickly appeared near the railroad buildings, and most activity shifted to the new area of settlement. It did not take long before the road from the mine to the railroad spur was lined with buildings of all types. Many mines, including the Wildflower, Del Pasco, and Philadelphia, enjoyed increased production attributable to the arrival of the railroad in Crown King. The excellent production histories of these mines no doubt influenced the decision to build the railroad line to Crown King, but it was the rich Crowned King Mine that brought publicity, investors, and ultimately the railroad to the mountain village.

The Crowned King Mine was a discovery which dated to the early 1870s. Located and quickly abandoned as both the Red Rock and the Buckeye Mines, the property came to the attention of N.C. Sheckels in 1888. Sheckels claimed the property and. renamed it the Crowned King. Along with two partners, Sheckels formed the Crowned King Mining Company and began actively working the mine in January 1890. A small community that consisted of two boardinghouses, an assay office, and a store developed a short distance down the slope from the mine. The mine produced good quality ores in 1891, and much needed improvements were started on the road to Prescott.

The region was extremely rugged, and the roads to the Crowned King Mine were narrow, rocky, and dangerous. The mining company packed its rich ore and concentrates forty miles over the treacherous, winding road to Prescott. The freight rates were prohibitively high, reaching $21.50 to $30 per ton. The roads were also used by freight teams that hauled logs to the mine for use as support timbers in the tunnels and as fuel. The Crowned King Mine was included on several stage routes, but the roads were so terrifying that many visitors never ventured over the rugged terrain a second time.

Despite the difficulties encountered in transporting ore, the Crowned King and nearby mines came of age during the decade of the 90s. The Crowned King was tied up in litigation from 1892 to 1898 but still produced great amounts of ore. Even during its legal battle, the mine was one of the most active in the Bradshaw’s. Production went so well that the company ran electricity to many of its buildings in 1896 and even added a telephone. The underground tunnels of the mine were also wired for electricity and made the mine one of the most modern and best illuminated of its time. In 1899, an extremely rich deposit of ore was unearthed in the Crowned King Mine that caused excitement among stockholders and investors. Samples of the gold ore were displayed in Prescott, and the town was intoxicated with reports of immense wealth. This strike at the Crowned King Mine and ownership of the nearby Wildflower Mine by Frank Murphy probably were determining factors in the decision to build the railroad line to Crown King. People began dropping the "ed" off Crowned King as early as the 1880s, but both spellings persisted for several years.

The severe high country winter of 1903 - 1904 was unrelenting on the railroad crews working toward Crown King. The crews, dwindled in size, and even the hardiest workers were discouraged as they fought desperately to stay warm in the bitter cold. Construction was halted as snow, blown by violent icy winds, swirled through the mountains and drifts reached record heights. Gradually, the white blanket thinned and receded from the slopes. Work on the grade resumed but was hampered by wet and muddy conditions. The countryside was immersed in the green and warmth of spring before much progress was actually made.

After considerable delays, frustration, and expense, the railroad finally rolled into Crown King, elevation 6,000 feet, on 12 May 1904. Construction crews completed numerous railroad buildings in the community. One of the first buildings finished was the depot, which measured 20 by 94 feet. The baggage and freight portion of the building alone was larger than most other depots on the line. A house was constructed nearby for the station agent assigned to the community. Across the mainline from the depot, a twenty-four foot diameter water tank was built to serve the thirsty steam locomotives. A large tool house and a gasoline storage facility were built on the outskirts of town away from most of the other structures.

Numerous loading platforms, holding bins, and warehouses were scattered about town. Several different mining companies leased or utilized railroad property in Crown King. Separate spurs were laid in Crown King to serve three different mining operations. One spur served the Crown King Mine; the other two spurs served the Tiger Mine and the Philadelphia Group of mines. A siding capable of holding thirty cars was also built within the railroad yard in Crown King. The railroad track in Crown King was constructed in a wye configuration.

Like Middelton, Crown King was the home base for a crew of section workers. Bunkhouses for them, as well as a dwelling for the crew foreman, were also built in town and were not far from the water tank. The responsibilities of the section crew ranged from creosoting ties and replacing rail to painting buildings and repairing bridges. The thirteen mile stretch between Middelton and Crown King constantly needed maintenance of one form or another, and the crews from the two communities did their best to keep the track and structures in safe condition.

The town of Crown King kept pace with the rapid growth of mining in the area. As mentioned earlier, the town enjoyed the luxuries of phone service and electricity as early as 1896. Wells Fargo and Western Union established offices in the community in 1904. N.E. Anderson served as agent for both companies as well as for the railroad from his window in the Crown King depot. A post office was granted to the hamlet on 29 June 1888 under the name Crown King. The post office did an exceptional business for a camp of Crown King's size as the miners there were reportedly among the most literate in the Bradshaw’s.

Much of the mail and most of the supplies for Crown King came from Phoenix before 1904. Crown King was in the southern portion of the Bradshaw Mountains and did not develop strong ties to Prescott as many of the camps farther north did. Although more distant, Phoenix offered better roads, lower prices, and more selection in most product lines. After the railroad reached Crown King, the obvious ties were with Prescott, and trade was with that community via the railroad.

The population of Crown King fluctuated greatly depending on local mining activity. Prior to the turn of the century, the population fluctuated from fifty to six hundred. The figures leveled out at about two hundred by 1907. At that time, the town supported four saloons, three freighting companies, two general stores, two restaurants, a laundry, seven mining company offices, the hospital of Dr. J.K. McDonald, and the Crown King Cemetery.

A school was established in Crown King shortly after the arrival of the railroad. Records show the community maintained a schoolhouse in 1904 but also show that a school teacher was not hired until 1908. Nearby Oro Belle had a school much earlier, and children from Crown King undoubtedly attended this school until the local school opened. With a few exceptions, the Crown King School bell rang every year from 1908 until well after the railroad left the community.

Education and literacy were very important to the residents of Crown King, as was the right to vote. The primary elections were almost as popular as the general elections in the little town. The Republicans, although outnumbered almost two to one, were a noisy group and gathered at the schoolhouse to choose their candidates. The Democrats gathered at the Crown King Mining Company office to select their nominees for the November ballot. In 1904, sixty-one votes were cast in the general election; it is interesting to note that nine of those votes endorsed the Socialist Party. The same voting trend continued for several years. In 1912, the Democratic Party again carried the local vote twenty-four to twelve, with three votes for the Progressive Party and ten for the Socialists.

Aside from the thirst for political involvement, the community faced a thirst of another type. In the early days of the settlement, the water supply for the camp came from wells and the creek. These sources were not dependable during the dry months and were sometimes tainted by mining operations. To alleviate the problem, the railroad constructed a pipeline from Blanco White Spring near Middelton and piped the water twelve miles to its storage structures in Crown King. The town water supply was never in doubt after the pipeline was completed.

Bradshaw Mountain Railway Wyes

CROWN KING RAIL ROAD Crown King Railway YARD AND “Y”

Numerous loading platforms, holding bins, and warehouses were scattered about town. Several different mining companies leased or utilized railroad property in Crown King. Separate spurs were laid in Crown King to serve three different mining operations. One spur served the Crown King Mine; the other two spurs served the Tiger Mine and the Philadelphia Group of mines. A siding capable of holding thirty cars was also built within the railroad yard in Crown King. The railroad track in Crown King was constructed in a wyes configuration.

Despite the hardships of living in a mountaintop community that was bitterly cold in the winter, the residents managed to keep a sense of humor. Jokes and stories were popular forms of entertainment, as were reading and letter writing. Drinking at the local saloons and card playing also received attention from many of the men. By 1897 the sport of tennis bounced into the community. An area was graded in front of the boardinghouse in Crown King, and a net was erected. The sport enjoyed considerable popularity for several weeks until the novelty wore off: The court was seldom used after the first few months. Bicycling and ping-pong were popular at the camp after the turn of the century, but the former was severely limited by the terrain-the only level spot in town was the tennis court. Dances and celebrations were always anticipated with much excitement. Local groups, such as the miner's union, promoted social activities and holiday celebrations.

The Western Federation of Miners (W.F.M.) was a strong labor union in the Bradshaw’s for a brief time after 1903. The union pushed for safer working conditions for the miners, shorter work days, and more pay. The Crown King miners belonged to the "Tiger Union" local of the W.F.M. The local, although not nearly as strong as chapters in McCabe and Jerome, was still active in community affairs. Labor Day and Fourth of July celebrations were sponsored by the union and were usually held in McCabe or Humboldt. People traveled from miles away to attend the festivities. The Western Federation of Miners later merged with the Industrial Workers of the World and created labor unrest in Jerome, Bisbee, and elsewhere during World War 1. By the time labor strife hit the other areas, the miners in the Crown King area were lucky to be working at all, and labor union activities were all but forgotten.

Dr. McDonald and the Crown King Cemetery received much more business than anyone liked. The mines around Crown King were very dangerous, as were all mines of the time. Safety precautions in the mining industry were few, and cave-ins, explosions, and falling rock claimed a heavy toll in human suffering. Mining accidents were the primary source of serious injury and death, but were joined by stagecoach mishaps, disease, suicide, and murder in reducing the Crown King population.       .

At least seventeen men were killed in arguments in Crown King in the 1890s. Most of the arguments were over women. At least two additional deaths were suicides by men who searched in vane for their "fortune in gold" and came up empty-handed. Crown King Folklore has it that the infamous Poncho Villa worked briefly in town as a woodcutter during his younger years and got his "start" there. Whether or not Poncho Villa actually spent his "formative years" in Crown King is in some doubt, but the town was indeed a rough place before the turn of the century.

Crown King did not have a deputy sheriff during its early lawless days. The closest constable at that time was in the county seat, Prescott. Early lawlessness in the camp was not confined to drifters or malcontents but was prevalent even among community leaders. In March 1894, two of the community's most notable residents, O.F. Place and George P. Harrington, were embroiled in a court battle over the ownership of the Crowned King Mine. They met in Taylorsville, Illinois, at a meeting of the Board of Directors of their mining company in an attempt to work out their differences. Place made some comments to Harrington and his attorney with which the latter took issue. Place, annoyed and frustrated by the man's retort, reached into his valise for his gun. Bystanders tried to intervene, but Place removed his pistol and attempted to shoot Harrington's attorney. Quick-acting onlookers wrested the weapon from Place, but not before he pulled the trigger. Fortunately, the hammer fell on the outstretched hand of a gentleman trying to subdue Place, and the pistol did not discharge.

In an attempt to maintain law and order, the county' stationed several constables in the Bradshaw Mountains by 1907. Ironically, by the time that the lawmen were assigned to the communities of Oro Belle, McCabe, Mayer, Poland, and Humboldt, the real need for the constables had passed. By the turn of the century, with few exceptions, large corporations dominated the mining industry. They had stockholders and directors to answer to, and lawlessness by any part of the work force or townspeople was simply not tolerated. The Crown King Mill storeroom was occasionally used to cool off and hold lawbreakers until a deputy sheriff was summoned. However, there was not much trouble after the turn of the century.

Ore production in the Pine Grove and the Tiger Mining Districts, which were served by the Bradshaw Mountain Railway terminus in Crown King, reported huge increases in production after the arrival of the railroad. In 1903, the total value of the ore produced in the districts was just over $41,000. In 1904, during the first year of railroad service, it doubled and in 1905 reached an all time high of more than $339,000. Although dropping off somewhat to $108,000 in 1907, the quantity of ore shipped "showed well" for both the mines and the railroad.

Unfortunately, 1907 was one of the last years of high ore production. The next four years were very disappointing in terms of mineral mined and new discoveries. Production bounced back in 1912 and. 1913 to once again hit six figures, but the future of mining in the area was very much in doubt. Many of the mines were important producers in the last decade of the nineteenth century, but they were shallow gold ores and disappeared or became complex ore at depth. Closed or abandoned mines outnumbered active ones in 1914.

Frank Murphy purchased several mines in the Crown King area in 1909. He owned the Wildflower from many years earlier and added to that the property of the Crown King Mine, Tough Nut, and the Tiger. His efforts to locate additional ore bodies and develop the mines with an eye to the future proved fruitless. The most productive years around Crown King were prior to 1908. Tailings were reprocessed and produced some new ore, but this was limited in quantity.

Very few mines operated near Crown King by 1919. A brief resurgence occurred between 1916 and 1918 due to the wartime demand for copper, but the market collapsed as the war ended. Little ore remained in the mines, and to make matters worse, the railroad imposed a 25 percent rate increase on ore shipments in 1920. The mining and railroad industries were both in desperate shape.

Rail service to Crown King was cut back after World War I ended. The six day per week schedule maintained during the war was shortened to Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday. This was curtailed even further in November 1920 when scheduled trains arrived only twice a week. Ore production was embarrassingly small in 1920, and the amount of ore shipped did not even come close to paying for the maintenance of the rail that served Crown King. The next two years were just as bad, and the railroad began to sell and long-term lease some of its property in Crown King. It was only a matter of time before the rail was forced to retreat from the ailing mining districts near the mountaintop community.

The town of Crown King continued to endure in 1920, the population remained at about two hundred. Offices of four mining companies were maintained in town, the hotel and general store still served the local population, and the post office continued to post and deliver mail. The town had a constable and a justice-of-the-peace, a notary and a music teacher, and a billiard hall and a school, but the economic base of the community was shattered.

The railroad retreated from Crown King to Middelton in 1926. A final excursion train ran to the town in November of that year allowing people from throughout the region to visit the town by rail one last time. The carnival atmosphere was enjoyed by all, but misty eyes prevailed as the locomotive pulled from the depot and headed down the mountain on its last official run. The railroad sold several of its town lots and some of the buildings before leaving Crown King. Other structures were razed to lower taxes and decrease liability from accidents. The rail was removed and used elsewhere in the Santa Fe System but only for sidetracks, as it was smaller than the size then used for mainline. Some of the rail was also salvaged for its scrap value. The ties were sold to, given to, and stolen by townspeople for use in building projects or as firewood.

Surprisingly, after the collapse of the mining industry in the region and the abandonment of the railroad, Crown King managed to survive. Fortunately for the local economy, residents from Phoenix discovered the area as a wonderful place to escape the brutal heat of summer. The population increased to 275 by 1941 as the cool summer breezes and sweet smell of pine attracted new residents to the area. Many of the old mining claims were subdivided and sold as cabin lots. Retirement and summer cottages mingled with old buildings in Crown King.

Today, the old general store, saloon, schoolhouse, and an occasional altered railroad building still stand in Crown King. Newer structures abound, and construction continues on the nearby slopes. The road travels the Bradshaw Mountain Railway roadbed into town, and many of the grades and the wyes are still visible. In the hills around Crown King, some mining still takes place on a small scale, but the community relies upon tourists and seasonal residents for its survival.

Helen Harrington Sweet. 1930

(Attempts for Initial Spelling and Grammar To Remain Intact As Originally Written)

In the central part of Arizona, The Bradshaw Mountains rise to the elevation of about 8,000 feet, a natural obstruction in the direct line between Prescott and Phoenix that deflects the Santa Fe Railroad and the White Spar Highway to the west and the Black Canyon road to the east.

In a cup-shaped basin rimmed by pine-clad or live-oak-covered peaks, from which Poland Creek escape s through towering granite cliffs, lies Crown King. Before 1890 this basin was known as "Bradshaw Basin", and before the coming of the white man, I do not know what it was called, but I do know that long before, the Indians had discovered the delightful summer climate and had made summer camps in these mountains, had carried on wars from the fastnesses of these hills and had forts on strategic points. The remains of a few are still to be seen.

On one ridge in this basin, now the haunt of fox and deer, have been found quantities of arrow and spear-heads and the chips of black obsidiah and flints not native of the district or the state.

From the vantage point of Mt. Wasson named for an early surveyor­-general of the state, central Arizona lies spread out to view like a huge relief map. Due north Bill Williams Mountain rises from the edge of The Colorado Plateau, and as the eye turns eastward, one sees on the horizon, The San Francisco Peaks, The Mollogo Superstition range, the mountains beyond the Verde, Four Peaks, the Harqua Hala Mountians, before the far view is cut off by a shoulder of the Bradshaws. At night the lights of Phoenix and valley towns and lights of automobiles show brightly, and in the daytime the ,waters of the Salt, Gila, Aguq fria, and Hassayampa rivers gleam like silver ribbons across the desert.

Bands of Indians came into the Bradshaw Basin as late as 1885, thus overlapping the coming of the white man by many years. Riding into camp on horseback, they wore elaborate bucks in moccasins, but when on foot they were barefooted, thus saving wear and tear on the moccasins. One of my eariest memories has to do with the efforts of a brave and his squaw to persuade my mother to trade a new pair of red shoes, a recent gift from my grandfather, for anything she might name that they possessed.

The earliest white men to come into the Basin were probably trappers, if so they left no trace. But in the sixties prospectors had followed up the various streams to their sources an out this period gold was washed from the sands of the Poland and Humbug Creeks [ad lib].

In 1862 or 63 William C. Bradshaw came to Arizona, finding all the rich ground in the Weaver district taken, he led a small party into these mountains giving them his name. He was a man of some culture and pleasing personality, but very dissipated habits. He obtained from the first Territorial Legislature in 1864, the exclusive right to operate a ferry across the Colorado River at La Paz. Finally, in a fit of delirium tremens, he cut his throat with a razor and now lies burled in an unmarked grave at La Paz.

The earliest locations of lode claims ante-date the formation of the mining district. That of the Del Pasco being the first in 1863. Farish gives the credit of this location to Jackson MacCracken, who discovered the MacCracken mine. He was a member of the first Territorial Legislature. However, the mine was located by California Jackson, an uncle of Lester Jackson, long associated with this district. The small mill erected below the mine on the other side of the mountain from Bradshaw Basin had fallen into disuse before 1875.

The earliest location to become a producer was the Eclipse, located by Noisy Bob Daughtery in 1865 and passing later into the hands of A.C. Luke, who developed it and extracted from it in the neighborhood of $100,000.

In 1867, the Tiger Mine was discovered and because of the richness of the ore a great number of people mostly from California flocked into the country, and because of hostile Indians, they lived close together on the southern rim of this basin. The population accorded to Bradshaw City varies, the highest given for the town proper being 1500 but those who received mail there is given as high as 2500. From this figure in 1871, the camp shrank to about 600 in 1875, and from that number down to its complete abandonment. The more flimsy structures soon disappeared, but log houses were still standing in the early '90's. One in particular, an old dance hall, was built of logs hewn four-square and dovelailed at the comers, with a floor of whipsawed lumber planed smooth by hand, undoubtedly costing several thousand dollars. This building was in perfect condition until the winter of 1894 when heavy snow broke in the roof, the walls stood until 1900 when it and other log buildings were wrecked and chopped into wood for the Tiger Mill.

Soon after the Tiger was discovered by Dud Moreland and Doc Hammond, the Peck mine was discovered by Ed Peck: Peck was general guide and scout for Fort Whipple and knew the country well, and after from the army, he was shown some rich silver ore in Prescott. He examined it carefully and declared he knew where there were tons of ore like it. He and his brother-in-law John Alexander, located The Peck. The mine produced over a million dollars between 1875 and 1885, but became involved in Litigation. After spending a fortune, Peck died in poverty in Nogales.

The first ore from the Tiger mine, running about 700 ounces in silver was loaded on burros and packed to a place on the desert where wagons could be used, and the ore carried in those to Ehrenburg where it was loaded on scows and carried to the Gulf of California, loaded on seagoing vessels and taken to Swansea, Wales. Later ore went to San Francisco to be smelted. The machinery for the mill came in the same way, save that the heavy machinery came in by way of Walnut Grove and Minnehaha and up the ridge above Ryland's Gulch by ball teams. In 1875, E.J. Bennitt, now of Phoenix, was a deputy mineral surveyor, and I find his name on the patent maps of that year. Also the name of Wasson as surveyor-general of the state, for whom Mount Wasson was named. Mr. Bennitt afterwards had a store in Bradshaw City, he tells me, and that his goods came in the same way as the heavy machinery, only that it was packed from Walnut Grove, and later from Minnehaha, on burros.

In the seventies, the Crown King was discovered by a man by the name of Taylor. He had taught school at Walnut Grove and had located claims at the Tiger. He traded the Crown King for a saddle horse. In the eighties, it was begin worked by Sheckles and Place, who later interested George P. Harrington. This mine produced about $1,500.000.

**** **** ****

The earliest reduction plants, after the gold pan, and the cradle, were, I suppose, the arrastras, a few continued in use long after the mills at the various mines were installed. There are the remains of three visible in the creek below the Crown King mine. One, operated by Ramon Mendibles lives in my memory associated with the forty dogs owned by Mrs. Mendibles, that ran out barking at every passerby. The Mendibles were kept in a continual state of poverty feeding their dogs. The dogs ate whether they did or not.

My sister says that when we first came to Crown King, Steve Mott, who made several fortunes leasing the Peck and Silver Prince mines, was operating an arrastra near the Gap on Poland Creek.

            Poland Creek, was named for a man by that name who was killed by Indians near the present site of the Crown King Mine.

            Mr. Frank Luke tells me that arrastras were operated in this basin by Dan Martin and Jim Fine.

Just where Poland Creek breaks out of the Gap in a series of water falls, Jim Roach built a mill operated by a water wheel. It was through Mr. Roach and George Waddel that Mr. A.C. Luke was interested in the construction of a mill for the Gretna mine and custom ore. He brought the machinery in with bull teams through Minnehaha, clearing out the brush and timber and coming over the lowest part of the rim, with the exception of the Gap. This road is still known as Luke's Grade. Over this same road, new Crown King Mine. At this time, my father had an upright piano for us brought in from Illinois. Our other household goods were packed in on burros by way of Cordes though Crazy Basin.

The above mill changed at various times for new processes. It was last installed with the flotation process which extracted $160,000 from the tailings of the Crowned King or in 1915-1916.

The earliest specialized occupation after mining, was that of the packers. Of course every prospector and explorer was a packer, but when a mine was discovered and a camp started professional packers were in demand. They were a race of hardy skillful men who with their animals performed unbelievable feats in Transportation. Among these early packers were Parker and Lessard. (Lessard is now living on the upper Agua fria) O.A. Basign, and Al Francis, now at the Z. Triangle Ranch in Walnut Grove. Of the Mexicans, Romero, now at Crown King, packed for Genera/Gooles out of Tucson in 1875. Fales Durand, who later packed wood for my father at Harrington, limped because of an Indian arrow.

In one Mexican packer oft4is time (1905-08), we entertained an angel unaware. He was finally run out of camp because of his ability to make trouble and not until about 1914 did we know that he had become the famous Pancho Villa of Sonora.

****

In the category of resourceful men, belong the bull team freighters. The name of Patterson stands out. He was early at the Tiger and in 1882 contracted with the Binghampton Co. of which Issac Stoddard was president, to deliver the machinery for the original Ora Bella mill. This contract called for payment of$17,000 on delivery of the machinery, an exhorbitant figure for the mining company figured that Patterson would be forced to build a orad of sorts in order to fulfill his contract. So $17,000 looked cheap. They did not give Patterson credit for the ingenuity he really possessed. He took his bull teams and passing through the flat at the north end, proceeded up the ridge above Ryland's Gulch, coming into the Bradshaw Basin at the head of the canyon of the present Springfield mine, up the ridge leading to the California mine to the very top of Mount Wasson. Here he cut pine trees and tied one top end ahead to each wagon, going almost directly down the side of Mt. Wasson, to the delivery point. Some say he used block and tackle. He did not trouble to unload the wagons, as to take them out would have been more than they were worth, but donated them to the owners of the machinery.

Later on Patterson duplicated this feat in hauling out a ten stamp mill for "Diamond Joe" Reynolds, which had been put on the ground for the Del Pasco but not erected. He contracted to deliver this mill to the old Yarnell mine and was paid under the belief that he would go out by Mayer, Prescott, Granite Mountain and Kirkland. But he instead, by the saddle east of Del Pasco Peak, across Ash Basin to the foot of the present Luke Grade, out by Wagoner to his destination. In some places the remains of these roads, or slides, are plainly visible to this day, especially on the south face of Mt. Wasson. This story is true, Mr. Tyler says, and the wagons left at the Ora Bella were practically intact in 1894, when he first saw them.

Another occupation of which there are traces in a number of places is that of charcoal burning. ***

Some pits are found in Minnehaha flat and others in Crazy Basin. In the Horsethief Basin at the Coal Camp.

*****

Charcoal was used at the mine forges and at the Walnut Grove Dam. (that later broke killing many people)

There were many skilled timbermen and woodcutters, Jim Lewis and McKinney cut and framed all the timber and logging used in the Crown King Mine.       .

As soon as a camp was established, the first business to spring up was the store and saloon, sometimes both in one. The largest mercantile establishment at Bradshaw City was owned by N.C. Sheckles, a later owner of the Crown King Mine. Another was owned by J.E. Bennitt and George Waddell. At most of the later camps, stores were run by the companies operating the mines. The saloons were run by individuals. The little flat below the Tiger is called Brewery Flat. A brewery was operated there by Martin Maiver, and later by Pete Arnold.

In the early seventies, a family by the name of Simpson brought cattle into Horsethief Basin and supplied the Tiger and other camps with milk, butter, and beef. Mr. Simpson told Mr. Jackson, when he was working for Simpson in 1894, that when he first came, he bought a sack of flour from Prescott for which he paid $50.

Charlie Reed and a man named Ryland butchered for the Tiger for many years. Ryland's Gulch takes its name from him. It opens into Minnehaha flat and on the ridge above this gulch are scarcely visible remains of the first road into Bradshaw City.

The White family had cattle at Minnehaha for many years. Mr. White came to Whipple Barracks with the ill-fortuned Boston party. For many years the widow and her daughters carried on the arduous work of the cattle ranch, marketing their beef at the Crown King and Harrington. Fleming of upper Turkey Creek and the Mognettes on lower Turkey were early cattlemen of this district.

The job of carrying mail was a trying one in early days, and the Indian scout E.S. Junior, locally known as "Black Jack", was one carrier the Indians held in respect and gave a wide berth. He was a marvelous shot and in no way backward about taking life. The route was from Peck to Bradshaw City, Placeritos, Walnut Grove, and Congress Junction.

Black Jack was an arowed infidel and a great admirer of Robert Ingersol. He was adverse to near neighbors and lived in a state of armed truce with the men on adjoining claims. His "Cougar" joined Mr. Luke's "Eclipse" and they had litigation because Black Jack took ore beyond the boundary of his claim. Once a wandering preacher inquired of Black Jack, how far his land went, thinking to takeup a claim. Black Jack told him as far as his rifle would shoot. At another time, Billy Morgan told of a terrible day he spent digging in a shallow shaft, while Black Jack stood over him telling just how he could roll a big rock on him and thus eliminate a too near neighbor. In the early days of this century, Mike Cunniff (1) tried to buy his mine but Black Jack held but a log time, though in poor health and very reduced circumstances. Finally, Mr. Cunniff brought out $1,000. in bills of small denomination and Black Jack succumbed. He apparently had but a few months to live and Cunniff agreed to pay $50. a month as long as he lived. It was also stipulated in the deed, that upon his death, his body was to be cremated and the ashes scattered over the Cougar. Then for pure cussedness he lived a number of years.

The only piece of agricultural land of any size is a plot of about five acres near the summit of Tower's Mountain, named for one of the early tillers of this plot. It would seem that from the earliest times someone had raised potatoes here. It has come to be called the Spud Ranch and produces the best flavored potatoes, I have ever tasted.

Blanco White an old timer of note and a West Point graduate, came to Arizona as an officer, but fondness for liquor and practical jokes was his downfall. After his dismissal from the army, he turned his hand to many

(1)  Michael Cuniff- phrased The Arizona Constitution

things, miner, lumberjack, farmer and joker. He had the Old Towers Ranch planted in potatoes and went to Bully Bueno station to deliver some spuds, engaging in a spree with some of his companions on being paid. One of the crowd had a fiddle which he persisted in trying to play. Blanco seized his first opportunity to give the fiddle a liberal application of soap. During the altercation which ensued, the violinist hurled a beer glass at Blanco, striking his forehead and fracturing his skull. He died a few days later- His assailant was not convicted due to the fact that Blanco got out of bed after being hurt and sustained a fall, thereby creating a doubts to the real cause of the fracture.

Saw mills were early introduced. The first in Bradshaw Basin being on the flat now occupied by the store and old depot building at Crown King. Later there was a saw mill at the Crown King Mill. In the early eighties there was one at the Ora Bella and the remains of the roads on which they snaked the logs around the mountain, are to be seen in Arrastra Creek and round the mountain, are to be seen in Arrastra Creek and round the mountain at Big Bell and on until they could be rolled or trammed down to Humbug Creek.

In 1903 and 1904, the Tiger Gold had a saw mill on a waste dump, that filled a dry wash at the Grey Eagle Tunnel. During a cloud burst it was carried downstream and lodged up side down. Many of the logs were carried to the Agua Fria river.

My father, Mr. Harrington, had a sawmill near tower's Mountain in 1916, to saw timbers for the construction of a tramway from the Wildflower mine to the Crown King Mill.

Mr. Bennitt tells me that Sigismund Tribolet, now of Phoenix had a brick kiln in Bradshaw Basin in 1875, and in the year 1893 my father brought in a man to make bricks the Crown King Mining Co.

There have been a number of skilled artisans in the camps at various times but the most lasting monuments to skill are, the dry rock walls found in the old road to Harringon and the Pacific Camps and around the yard of the Countess Minotto, all built by Charlie Ardia, an Italkian stone mason.

No history would be complete without mention of some of the saloon keepers. E.L. Gobin was a brother of General John S. Gobin, who, in the nineties, was commander of the G.A.R. (Grand Army of the Republic – Civil War Veterans) His associates in Prescott were the officers at Whipple. He married a Mexican woman and had a saloon first at the Peck and later at Crown King. His wife looked more Spanish than Mexican.

Ike Patrick also married a Mexican woman. She was generally the center of every brawl in the saloon district. In 1879, Ike Patrick was a hoisting engineer at the Tiger and while drunk, dropped the cage with seven men to their death. These men are buried in the graveyard at Bradshaw City, one of the most beautiful spots in the mountains. Mr. Bennitt tells me that while he was there, a Mr. MacPherson, one of the finest men he ever knew was superintendent at the Tiger. He caught his hand in a conveyor belt. There was about four feet of show on the ground so that he could not get to Prescott for some time. Mr. Bennitt dressed it as best he could and it healed over but pained him so he went to Prescott as soon as he could but died of lockjaw, and is also buried at Bradshaw City.

Mrs. Jackson remembers that a little child of the Campbell family, on the day it learned to walk, walked into an open well at Bradshaw City and was drowned. It also was buried in Bradshaw City. I remember, I always looked with horror at this well, when the story was told me as a child and the well pointed out.

A variety of colorful characters have passed through this district. Mr. Bennitt tells me that Col. W.C. Green of Breene, Cannanea fame was early at the Tiger, leaving to go to Tombstone after its discovery.

            G.C. Bean was associated with The Peck and Bradshaw Basin activities.

Brigadier General Charles F. Eggn, Commissary General of the U.S. Army during the Spanish American War and the central figure of the embalmed beef scandal was a later owner of the Peck.

Chille Falco was another character of this district who stood out. Born of wealthy French parents, he became estranged from them through his marriage and became a remittance man, receiving a large sum quarterly as long as he and his wife stayed out of France. He operated The Peck for a time and organized the Gladiator Mining Co. which operated the Gladiator mine successfully for a number of years. His wife was still a beautiful woman in the nineties, although they quarreled bitterly at times.

Mr. Tyler says, "Falco was a faro fiend and I have seen him bet $500 on a card, though his regular game was $100 on case cardo and $200 on doubles. Falco died in the Old Burke Hotel in Prescott about 1899, and I have no idea what became of his wife." I remember she called on my mother when we were living in Prescott in 1901.

One of the later characters was Count Serget Mantschiroff, a Russian Pole. His clan wrote history in Russia. Mr. Tyler though perhaps he was a younger son. "He had an educated taste in liquor, was very haughty and disdainful of the working class and was possessed of a collection of diamonds that was simply magnificent in size and beauty."

From the first forest ranger established in Crown King in the nineties, Crown King has been a training school for men who have risen high in the service. Many men fresh from college have been sent here because the diversity of the country offers practical knowledge in nearly every branch of the service. Harry Kneip of Washington, Frank Pooler of Albuquerque both started their careers in Crown King.

From 1904 or '05 until his death in 1915 Michael Cunniff was a resident. He was born in or near Boston, Massachusetts and was a graduate of Harvard University, took a post graduate course for his degree and was for a time an associate professor of English at Harvard. Resigning this, he became an associate editor of "Worlds Work" and remained with this magazine until very shortly before coming to Arizona. It was he that gave our Arizona Constitution much of its style and form.

In later days, our most illustrious resident was the Countess Minotto, who built a home here, but did not live long to enjoy it. She was, before she married Count Minotto, Agnes Sorma, a noted German Actress of Polish descent. On a little tambourine she had, Ibsen had written "to the most beautiful Nora." In 1892 she made a farewell tour of the prominent European capitals and on the tambourine wrote the cities and the dates she played in each and then sent it to Ibsen. On his death it was returned to her. I believe that at her death it was sent to Berlin to a museum which also asked for some of her costumes.

She was a brilliant woman and entered intensely into any activity of which she had a party. She was a tireless worker and her hands were always occupied while talking with knitting and crocheting. She was skilled in petite point and Rose Point and other embroideries and had an unbelievable amount of exquisite hand work. She became an enthusiastic horsewoman and was thrown from a horse and seriously injured. Though she seemed to recover she died within a year.

I suppose I could go on indefinitely with incidents and anecdotes of people brought from every walk of life by the lure of gold or forgetfulness, forced into primitive democracy by the exigencies of circumstance that at times was disconcerting, but had many compensations and exerted a powerful fascination for many people.

Mining is now practically at a standstill and the country seems on a fair way to becoming what the Indian used it for so many years ago: a pleasant summer retreat from the heat of the desert. .

Helen Harrington Sweet

Helen Sweet April 23, 1957

130 El Toyonal

Crinda, California

April 23, 1957.

Dear Grant Allen,

As far as I know, the first school in Crown King was taught by my sister, Mr. Essie Nelson in 1894-95. The school was held in the Crowned King boarding house,

After that there was no school until the railroad came in 1903. From that time, until now I think there has always been a school, but I guess the county records will show that.

In 1915 when Randolph and Gemmill worked the C.K. tailings dump the school was moved to the miners Union Hall. It was located where the old C.K. road crossed the Nelson Railroad. I taught in that well ventilated building until Christmas vacation 1916.

The present school building was started that fall. The money was furnished in part by donations from the Santa Fe Railroad, The Bradshaw Reduction Co., The Nelson Mining and other local people who preferred to do that instead of raising the money by taxes. The school opened about the first of February 1917.

I suppose the county School Superintendent's office will have a complete record. I taught there again in 1933-34 and the last time when I taught from January1942 until the end of the school year,

I never attended school in Crown King, but I did go one year in Harrington, 1904-05. I did 6th grade work and also took Latin and Algebra with Ida and Agnes Champie, who were taking first year high school work.

In the early days it was customary to hire the teacher for the minimum term sometimes as little as six months, then the local people raised the money to bring the term up to nine months if the county funds gave out. They held dances gave box suppers, held raffles and what not to raise the money.

I thought I had a picture taken of the pupils and teacher at the old Union Hall, but can't seem to find it. Maybe Mrs. Keller can get it from my sister. It is rather difficult to pick out the teacher, as there were at least three girls taller than I, as well as some big boys. One boy worked graveyard shift and then came to school. He sometimes went to sleep and I didn't have the heart to wake him.

I have just re-read your letter and find that you are compiling a history of Crown King and not just a history of the school, so I will start over and tell some of the thing that I have learned from others and some things that I remember.

Crown King is very dear to me, as I have many memories of wonderful times and friends made these and as my mother used to say, “If one could live on scenery and climate, Crown Kings is Unsurpassed

Sincerely Helen Sweet

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Continuation of Helen Sweets document:

         The original location of one of the Crowned King Mine group of claims, was made by a John L. Taylor, who taught school at Walnut Grove, about 1870. The story is that he traded the claim for a saddle. However various claims, “Golden Crown”, “Golden Queen”, “Toughnut" and others were relocated at various dates. In 1887, The Golden Crown and Golden Queen were located by Noah C, Shekels and Orrin F, Place. Mr. Shekels had owned the largest store in Bradshaw City in its heyday.

         In 1885 my father, Geo. P. Harrington, who was in the banking business in Illinois came to Arizona to investigate some placer claims on Lynx Creek, for Francis Murphy who was a cousin of Frank and Oaks Murphy. Oaks Murphy was once a governor of Arizona.

In Prescott he met Shekels and Place who were looking for capital to develop their mine. Eventually the Crowned King Mining Co. was formed. Shekels and Place furnished the mine and father and his associates furnished the capital. Mr. Place was manager of the mine. The assays of the ore were high, but the ore was complex and Place tried to recover the values by using a mercury process that was designed for silver ore. He not only lost the values in the ore but several hundred pounds of mercury.

My father made numerous trips to Arizona during the next few years, in June of 1888 the Post office was established, the postal authorities dropped the “ed” making the name Crown King. Father was the first postmaster. By 1893 he had spent so much time and money in the venture that he was caught in the panic of 1893 and his bank was closed, however he did not take advantage of the bankruptcy law but gave notes for an indebtedness of about $60,000.00 which he eventually paid off.

Feeling that he must recoup the losses at the mine he and Mr. Shekels took over the management from Place, who immediately started the litigation that lasted until his death. It was at this time that he moved his family to Crown King.

We arrived in March 1894. The road from Prescott was finished at a place beyond the Gladiator, but the snow was too deep to go to the end of the road. My older brother was to meet us with horses, so after calling and getting an answer he (father) let the stage driver who brought us from Prescott, start back. When my brother came in sight he had only a pony and a burro. All the horses had been stolen from camp the preceding night. My mother rode the pony and carried me I was two. The burro carried the luggage and the rest walked down that trail that zigzags down the mountain to the Crown King Mine. A rather rough introduction to an entirely different life, for my mother.

Supplies were packed from Cordes up through Crazy Basin and the Gap, our household goods came that way with the exception of a piano, that came with some heavy machinery for the mill, that came from Kirkland and up through Ash Basin and into the Crown King Basin through was known as Luke's Grade, about where the road to Prescott crosses the Springfield. No road was built, they just cut brush and trees and used block and tackle where the horses couldn't pull the load.

One of my earliest memories is the morning I saw several men carrying my father into the house, with blood dripping from his leg. It was his custom to take the gold bullion at night, on horseback to meet Joe Mayer, who took it to the express agency. The times varied and he returned before daylight to avoid attack by hold-up men. One morning he was late and being in a hurry to get to breakfast, threw his loaded revolver (he had not learned to keep one chamber empty) into an ore sack and over his shoulder, he stabled his horse and leaving the barn he tripped over the doorsill. The hammer of the revolver struck the side of the doorway and discharged into his leg shattering the smaller bone below the knee. The horse he rode was gunshy and hearing the shot he turned to quiet the horse before he realized he was shot. My brother-in-law, Jack Nelson, many years a deputy sheriff under George Ruffner, was just leaving for Prescott, so was asked to bring a doctor, he returned that night in a small buggy with the doctor.

At that time the road came in from the Peck and the first view of the camp, a thousand feet below in what looked at night to be a sheer drop, caused the doctor to suggest waiting until daylight, a suggestion over ruled by Jack Nelson's willingness to use his revolver to back up his idea that they proceed.

My mother looked back on that day as the longest in her experience--waiting from seven AM until one AM of the next day for a doctor. She knew by the feel that a bone was broken, so her heart failed her when the doctor, in the first cursory examination, said that he didn't think that the bone was broken. She thought after waiting all that time, they had a doctor that didn't know much. However after he had eaten and made a more thorough examination, found that it was broken. The doctor wanted to take father to Prescott as the wound had to be kept open so the bone splinters could work. Mother didn't think he could stand the trip over the rough roads. The doctor said "Who will dress the wound?" Mother said "show me how and I will do it." and she did. The doctor made six visits at $100.00 a visit. Later father was taken to Prescott, where the doctor operated on him, using Mrs. Hetherington dining room table, as an operating table. There was no hospital in Prescott at that time. Later Dr. Nicholas Senn operated on him in Chicago and grafted in rabbit bone which proved very successful.

In the late summer of ’97 (1897) my father and Mr. Bruce, who ha d the contract for hauling concentrates, left Crown King for Prescott in a light buggy. The road at that time, for some distance followed the bed of Wolf Creek. At the time they entered that portion there was only a few inches of water, but a cloudburst above them sent down a wall of water that struck as they were leaving the creek up a steep bank. They were almost out when one of the horses balked and backed the buggy into the stream and the wall of water capsized the buggy. my father was able to catch an overhanging branch as he was swept along, and pullout of the water. Mr. Bruce who was wearing a long heavy slicker was unable to free himself and was drowned,

My father was on his way to my older brother's wedding in Illinois and had among other things a couple of Indian blankets that were being sent as gifts. Also he had watches and other trinkets he was taking to have repaired and a $5,000.00 bar of bullion, my father reached Mayer about midnight and telephoned back to Crown King. The next day a crew of men were sent to search for the body and the gold. Everything was found in the weeks of searching except the gold. More money was spent searching for the bullion than it was worth because Mr. Place accused my father of killing Mr. Bruce and stealing the gold.

One very rich pocket of “picture rock" was taken from the mine and I guess every man that worked there had a few pieces. Bill Jackson told me that one day he sitting on a hill opposite the tunnel when. a man came out with his lunch bucket looking carefully around and not seeing any one he walked a little way and then emptied something out of the bucket, covered it with a rock and returned to the mine. Where upon Mr. Jackson went over to the cache and took the specimens. His only regret that he wasn't there to see the expression on the man’s face when he discovered his "highgrade" was missing.

Since the mine was operated under a court injunction that prevented any exploratory work, the known body of ore was depleted in '99 (1899). In 1901 the shaft was allowed to fill with water.

I think it was about 1901 that Mr. Place died and the litigation came to an abrupt end altho he had hoped to have it continue 50 years after his death. However by this time the lawyers had acquired all the available money. It was sold to a Mr. McClean and his associates who had a very flowery article in Collier's and also ran a double page ad. Very little of the money raised by the stock promo­tion was spent in Crown King. I think it was about 1907 that Frank Murphy took over the Crowned King, Tiger and Wild Flower properties. In 1915 Randolph and Gemmill were able to successfully treat the tailings dump by oil flotation. My father piled the tailings feeling that sometime a process would be developed to recover the values. In 19l6 the Bradshaw Reduction Company took over the Murphy holdings and from that time your grandfather would know as much or more than I do about subsequent happenings.

With the coming of the railroad in 1903, Crown King became the shipping I center for a number of mines in the vicinity. My father had opened the mines at the Ora (Oro) Belle and there was The Rapid Transit, Savoy, Olf Tiger, Lincoln and others, sufficient to give employment to enough people 80 that school was opened and continues until the present.

Transcribed-edited by: Neal Du Shane 11/11/2005

Along the Santa Fe
with Charles and Dora Titchenal
By Charles E. Titchenal
(1890 - 1969)

edited and converted to Web format by Titchenal family members and Sara Baumgartner

Reproduced for the Crown King Historical Society by Neal Du Shane, with permission of Stephen Titchenal. 

[1918] A First Look at Arizona

In the first part of January 1918, we were all set to go; the new operator was there to relieve me, and we had our suit cases all packed. Our home had been sold, our household goods were on the way, and we had really cut the bridge behind us and there was no turning back now. We boarded the train for Los Angeles and were on our way to our new home. Arriving at Los Angeles, we found we had to wait several hours for the train to Phoenix, and that we would be on the train all night.

We settled down in the waiting room for a long wait, reading and resting the two children. We slept part of the time, and finally the train was ready to leave. So we got aboard, found two seats together in the chair car, and folded one back so they would face each other. We had decided not to spend the money for a berth. We thought we could sleep in the chair for one night and save the money a berth would cost. We enjoyed the trip very much as everything was new to us, but it was a good thing it was in the middle of the winter, for there was no air conditioning at that time and the chair cars would have been unbearably hot. But it was we rather enjoyed the ride. We arrived in Phoenix at 7:00 in the next morning.

We had to transfer at Phoenix to another train for Prescott and had several hours lay over, so we got off the train to eat breakfast. There was snow on the ground, which was something unusual for Phoenix, as it very seldom ever snowed there. That was the first time any of us had been in the snow, and we enjoyed the experience. I have been in Phoenix many times since that day and have never seen snow there again. We had a nice breakfast and enjoyed the lay over with a chance of stretching our legs a little, and the children got a chance to run about in the snow.

After a couple of hours lay over, the train was ready to go to Prescott, and as Prescott was a city of over 5,000 feet elevation, we would get to some mountainous country before getting to Prescott. It was a real enjoyable trip and we really got into some snow, and when we got to Prescott we found plenty of snow on the ground, and it was very much colder. We could see that we were going to need some heavier clothing, and as we got to Prescott early in the afternoon, we purchased some new clothing that we would need when we got to Crown King.

We went up to the Superintendent's office and reported, and found out that the train didn't leave for Crown King until 8:00 the next morning. Mother had to fill out some application papers for the new job as assistant, as she had never worked for the railroad. After filling out the papers, we went uptown and got a room at the Head Hotel, which looked like a nice place to stay.

Leaving our suitcases in the hotel room, we went about town looking it over. There were quite a few Indians on the street, which was new to me, as we had never seen any live Indians before. The town had quite a number of saloons, which was also new to us, as we didn't have any in California, but we didn't go into any of them. We found a nice place to eat and went in and had a good supper, and after supper we walked about town some more, making a few purchases. Then we went back to the hotel and settled down for the night. We didn't sleep any too good that night. Everything was strange to us, and it was quite noisy. There were a number of drunken men that came in late, and they were pretty noisy. We sure kept to our room, and made sure the door was locked.

The Train to Crown King

Next morning we got up early and packed our suitcase, got the children ready, and then went out and got a good breakfast. By that time it was nearly 8:00 and time for the train to leave, so we headed for the depot.

We found our train already made up. It consisted of a combination coach and baggage car; one end for the passengers, and the other and partitioned off for the baggage and Express and Mail. The rest of the train was made up of freight car loaded with various commodities for the different stations along the line.

The train started right on time, 8:00, and we were on our way. The coach was pretty well filled up with passengers. It was pretty cold, and there was quite a lot of snow on the ground. In one end of the coach was an old time caboose stove, a coal heater, and it was filled with coal and going full blast to heat up the coach, and it felt pretty good.

My friend Mr. Doyle, the traveling auditor, was on the train, going to Crown King to check me in and the old agent out. We were glad to see each other again, and we had a real nice visit. He introduced me to all the trainmen and also to the Wells Fargo Express Company's traveling auditor, who was also going to Crown King for the purpose of checking me in as the Wells Fargo agent and checking the old agent out.

After going north four miles on the main line to a siding called P & E Junction, we switched off onto a branch line and headed east. We then went over some pretty level country for about 15 miles, when we came to our first station, a little village called "Cherry Creek" (Post Office Dewey). We stopped there and the crew set out a couple of cars, and unloaded some express and baggage, and several passengers, and took on a few new passengers. There was an agent and wife assistant working this job, and I got off the train and looked around, and Mr. Doyle introduced me to the agent, a Mr. Knee. I also met his wife, who was also a telegraph operator. They seemed very nice people. As soon as the train was through with the work at Cherry Creek, we started on our way to the next station, which was one mile from Cherry Creek, and this was a much large town. It was named Humboldt, and was a smelter town, with a large smelter, to which ore was shipped for smelting from the numerous mines in the state. We were at this town for about an hour as the train had quite a lot of switching to do. I met the agent, a Mr. Holder, and also met the other station help, and had a nice visit here.

After about an hour we started on to the next town, which was ten miles from Humboldt, and this town was called "Mayer." It was quite a nice little town, not quite as large as Humboldt but was a real busy little mining town, and the train was here for over an hour, so I got to visit here also. I don't remember the name of the agent here, but he was leaving the job, and the man I was to relieve at Crown King, a Mr. Marks, was going to be the new agent at Mayer. I liked Mayer very much. The altitude here was about 4,000 feet above sea level, and there was still snow on the ground. Beside mining, there were a number of large cattle ranches near Mayer, whose business was all handled through the Mayer agency, so it was a quite busy little town. We left a number of our passengers here and also took on a few more.

We were soon on our way again, and after leaving Mayer we started gradually climbing into a more mountainous country. The next stop was a siding about miles from Mayer, called "Bluebell." This was just a side track where ore was loaded into gondols cars from the Bluebell mine and shipped to Humboldt. There was an ore train running between Bluebell and Humboldt, this was in addition to the regular train, and all they handled was ore. We stopped at Bluebell for a few minutes while the train crew unloaded some merchandise, then we were on our way again. The next stop was three miles further on, a siding called "Cordes." There was nothing here but the stock yards, where the cattle from the surrounding country was loaded for shipment. We unloaded some merchandise here for a store that was located several miles from the siding, and was run by a man named Cordes. It was located on the Black Canyon Highway. There was no agent at this place.

Into the Mountains

After leaving Cordes we were still climbing and getting deeper and deeper into the mountains. Our next stop was a small mining community called "Turkey Creek." There were a number of houses here, and one store and post office owned by a men named Jim Cleator. A number of years later this town discarded the name "Turkey Creek" and was renamed "Cleator." We stopped here a little while and set out a car, and also unloaded some merchandise for the store. I met Mr. Cleator, who seemed to be a pretty good fellow.

Then on our way to the next stop, about three miles further on, there was a siding called "Middleton", where there were a few houses and a store and post office, which was run by a large fat woman, a Mrs. Orr. There was no railroad agent here. Mrs. Orr was a very nice jolly woman, full of fun, and we unloaded some merchandise here and also set out a couple of cars. Then we were on our way.

We really began to climb now; we were about twelve miles from Crown King, and it was uphill all the way from now on. There were ten switch backs between Middleton and Crown King, all the way from a half mile to a mile in length. I never knew what a Switch back was before, but I soon found out. A "switch back," according to the dictionary is: "Originally a railway ascending or descending a steep incline in a series of zig zag tracks, the train alternately switching from one to another." The trip was getting more interesting all the time. Going over these switch backs was a new and very interesting experience, and we enjoyed it very much. The train moved very slowly over this last ten miles into Crown King. Our next stop was at a siding about three miles from Middleton. Nothing was here but a side track, where loaded ore from a mine up the mountain away called "Peck Mine." The siding was named "Peck" We unloaded a little merchandise here, than on our way, the next station would be Crown King.

On our way up the mountain we had crossed over numerous bridges, some of them quite long. After leaving Peck we had one or two more switch backs to go over, then we went through a small tunnel about three miles from Crown King. Just at the mouth of the tunnel was a siding, and a sign at this siding read "Horsethief." A dirt road led from this siding down to a mine. The mine was located about three miles from the railroad in a canyon that was called "Horsethief Canyon", and was in some pretty rugged country. We learned later that the only way you could get to the mine was to walk or ride a horse or burro, and all supplies were carried down by burro back trains.

After leaving the tunnel we were over the switch backs, and had a straight shot into Crown King. We came into Crown King and it sure was a pretty sight. We were really at the top of the world, in a little mining town, surrounded by mountains, all covered with pine trees, and the ground covered with snow. The first building we came to a large flotation mill, where the ore was made into concentrates and then shipped to the smelter at Humboldt. A little further on we came to the railroad station, which was right in the center of the community. Just across the street from the station was the store and post office, two restaurants (one on each side of the store), and next to the store was a Catholic Church, the only church in town. Then came a large pool hall, and a one room school house a little ways up the mountainside. The agent's house was about a block from the station; this was to be our home. There were a number of other houses not too far distant. I think everyone from miles around was at the station to see the train come in, and this was so, as I afterwards learned. It was really the highlight of the day, the arrival of the train with freight and mail. There never as yet had been auto-mobile come into Crown King.

Our First Day in Crown King

We were glad to get to the end of our journey; it had been a most pleasant trip and a lot of fun. But we thought when we got off the train and seen what we had come to, we thought we were at the jumping off place, which was a pretty good name for it, as it was the end of the line. The train turned back from there and went back to Prescott, a distance of 54 miles. The elevation here was just over 5,000 feet - just about a mile above sea level.

The first thing we did after arriving was to look for our household furniture, which we found had arrived ahead of us. And we got the section foreman and his men to move the furniture into our new home, so we would have a place to eat and sleep.

I left Mother and the children to fix up the house, and I went back over to the station to check in, so that I could take over my new job.

Mother Read in front of her restaurant The first thing when I got back to the station was the unloading of the car of merchandise brought in by the train, making out the freight bills and delivering the freight to the patrons waiting for it. Seems like everyone in town and the mines were there looking for express and freight. They came with wagons and pack burros, and it was a mad house for a couple of hours until we could get everyone waited on and sent on their way satisfied. I met nearly everyone in the mining camp and from the surrounding mines that afternoon. They were all friendly folks. There was Mr. David B. Gem-mill, general manager of the Bradshaw Reduction Company, which owned the Mill and several large producing mines, and his brother Mark Gemmill; and the Superintendent and Mr. Hurlburt, the bookkeeper at the Mill; the storekeeper, Mr. Eli S. Perkins, who was also the postmaster; a Mr. R. S. Patterson, his clerk; Mrs. Perkins, and also a sister of Mrs. Perkins; Mother Read, who owned the restaurant; Mr. Lloyd and a Mr. Anderson, who ran the local pool hall; a Mr. Geo. P. Harrington, a mine owner; Mr. Donner, Mr. Brickson, Mr. Heath, Mr. Young, Mr. Saylor, Mr. Kaylor, - all mining men - and others too numerous to mention; all nice people with whom I got to know quite well as time went on.

Soon as we got the freight and express delivered and things quieted down, I began to balance the books and check the station, and by time to close that afternoon, we had everything fixed up and turned over to me as the new agent. It was my baby from then on, and I was then ready to take over the next morning.

The Agent's House

At 5:00 we closed the office, and I went on over to the house and found that Mother had everything pretty well under control there. She had the stoves up and a nice fire going in the living room and supper cooking on the stove in the kitchen, so it was only a short time and she had a nice supper on the table for us. We sat down to eat and talk over the happenings of the day.

The house was set in among a number of large rocks, and a creek ran by it. There was a very little dirt yard, just enough for a flowers, and there was a fence around the place. The house had two bedrooms and a large living room and a small kitchen, also a pantry. In the living room was a caboose stove, similar to the one that was in the chair car on the train. It was a coal heater and as Company furnished us plenty of coal, we made good use of it, and it really heated up the house. We had a small cook stove for the kitchen, which we had purchased in Prescott. We used wood and coal for this stove. The wood was old railroad ties, cut up in stove lengths, and they made a fire with a little coal.

Out in the yard were four large wooden barrels, which were filled with water. This was put in the barrels from the water tank on the train's engine. The engine crew filled them everyday, and this water we used for drinking cooking and washing. We usually had to break through about a half inch cake of ice in the barrels before we could dip any water out, and sometimes it was mixed with quite a bit of crude oil, which sifted in from the engine. This arrangement was not any too handy and the water was not too good for drinking, but it was the best we could do and we had to put up with it, so in time we got used to it.

We were pretty tired at the end of that first day, so we retired early and had a good rest.

The next morning we got up at 7:00, and it was really cold when I hit the floor. I told Mother and the children to stay in bed until I could get a fire started. I lost no time in getting dressed and making a fire in the living room and then the kitchen, and the house was soon comfortable. Then Mother got up and fixed a nice breakfast for us, the children got up and dressed, and then we ate breakfast. By that time it was early 9:00, at which time I was to open up the depot.

Mother had got little Alice ready for school and said she would take her over to the school and acquainted with the teacher. She was 7 years old and was in the second grade. Donnie was only 4 years old, and I told Mother I would take him with me to the office. She said she would come over to the office after she took Alice to school and cleaned up the house.

On the Job

Donnie and I went on over to the depot and opened up. We had to get a fire started in the office and waiting room the first thing. After I had the fires going good, I called the Western Union at Prescott, which was the relay office for telegrams. There were several telegrams for the Mining Company which I copied, and phoned to the ones that had telephones: the others I had to hold until they came in. I also had a telegram for Mr. Perkins at the store, so Donnie and I walked over to the store to deliver it and get better acquainted with the folks over there.

There was a nice fire going in a large heating stove at the store, and gathered about the stove were several men trying to get warm. They had come for groceries and mail, and would stay to see the train come in. I met several old prospectors that I hadn't seen the day before. They all took to little Donnie and soon made friends with him.

I learned from Mr. Perkins that there was to be a dance Saturday night at the pool hall. He told me I should attend this dance as it would give us a chance to get better acquainted with the village folk. He said nearly everyone from miles around would be there. This was Thursday and the dance would be held within two days. I told Mr. Perkins that neither the wife or I had ever done any dancing and we didn't know how to dance. He said we sure would have to learn as it was regular pastime and every-one had a good time, and the women folk always put on a big feed during the dance. He invited the wife and I over to their house that evening and said that his wife and her sister would teach us how to dance; that we could learn enough in the next two nights to get by. He thought we would really enjoy it. I thanked him and told him I would talk it over with the wife, and we would come over that night whether we learned to dance or not.

After visiting a little more at the store, Don and I went back over to the depot. I swept out the office and warehouse and also swept off the dirt from a large wooden platform surrounding the depot. I decided to let Mother dust the office when she came over.

By this time it was nearly noon and Don was getting hungry. We locked the off-ice and went on over to the house. Mother had got back from the school and a nice lunch ready for us. She told me she met the teacher - a very nice young lady. I told her what Mr. Perkins had said about the dance, and we decided we should go over that night and see if we could learn to dance, might just as well. "When in Rome" we should do as the Romans do.

After lunch, both Mother and I went back over to the station. The train was due in at 1:00 and there was quite a large number of people gathered at the station to see the train come in, and probably some of them were going to take the train for Prescott.

When we got back to the office, I called Mayer, which was the last open telegraph office, and asked if the train was on time leaving there, and found out it was about an hour late, so I was now prepared to answer the numerous inquires - would the train be on time.

The Train Arrives

I showed Mother how to sell tickets, and told her she could handle the ticket window. She said she would dust out the office and then she would open the ticket window.

I met quite a number of new folks, among them a Mr. Jackson, who had a mine nearby. He rode to town on a large burro, which was as large as a horse, and would gallop like a horse. His name was Shagpat. I asked Mr. Jackson if I might take a little ride on him, and he let me take a turn about town. Mother and I decided we needed a burro; it would come in very hardly when we took a hike in the hills. We both feel in love with Shagpat, and I asked Mr. Jackson if he would sell him. He said I could have him for $25.00 and he would throw in the saddle, so I bought him then and there. We were now the owner of a burro, and that meant buying hay to feed him. I took him over to the house and tied him up in the yard.

It was now 1:30 and I could hear the train whistling, so I hurried back to the station. Soon we could see the train coming around the bend, and it seemed like every-one from miles around must have been on hand.

It was really the highlight of the day watching the train come in, quite a bit of excitement; everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves. A man from the post office was on hand to grab the mail sacks and take them over to the post office. Then most everyone began heading for the post office to wait for their mail. We unloaded the Express and baggage, and then loaded up what we had to go out. The train set out a car loaded with merchandise, and then did the necessary switching and picking up loads to go. I led Mother check out the freight car, while I checked the Express and made out the bills, sold a few more tickets to last minute passengers, and cleared the train for departure. Then I helped Mother finish checking out the freight.

After the train left and things had quieted down a bit I let Mother go back over to the house, and I stayed at the office until closing time. Then I closed the office and headed for home, figuring I had put in a very good day which I enjoyed very much, and I thought I would like this new job.

Our New Friends

Arriving home I found little Alice home from school, and Mother had a nice sup-per prepared for us, which we all enjoyed very much. Alice told me all about her new school and she liked the new teacher, and she got acquainted with a number of schoolmates.

After supper I helped Mother with the dishes and then we got ready and went over to the Perkins house to spend the evening. Besides Mr. and Mrs. Perkins, there was Mrs. Perkins' sister and two boys - Fred, 16 years old, and Don Juan, about 10 years old. Then there was a Mr. Patterson, who was a clerk in the store.

We played a couple game of 500, a game that was quite a favorite with the folks in the village, so Mr. Perkins told us. It was one game that we both knew how to play, so we got along quite well and enjoyed the game.

The Perkins had a piano, and Mrs. Perkins said she would play for us. Mr. Perkins and Mr. Patterson said they would teach Mother how to dance, and Mrs. Perkins' sister took on the job to teach me the dance steps. So we gave up the card game and spent the rest of the evening dancing. It was the first time we had ever tried dancing, and we both enjoyed it very much. By the time the evening was over we felt that we would be able to venture out on the dance floor Saturday night.

At midnight we thought we better be going home, so we thanked our new friends for a very pleasant evening. We woke up the two children, who were sleeping in the other room, then went home and to bed.

The Saturday Night Dance

Everything went along nicely the next two days. Nothing unusual happened, and then it was Saturday night and we were looking forward to the dance. The dance was scheduled to start at 8:00, by 7:30 the folks began gathering at the pool hall. So we got ready and got together a couple of blankets and pillows for Alice and Don to sleep on. We would have to take them with us, and the man at the pool hall said we could make a bed for them on one of the pool tables.

At 8:00 we went across to the pool hall. There was a large crowd gathered by this time. The center of the hall had been cleared, pool tables set along the wall in the rear, and chairs set against the walls on both sides. The orchestra consisted of a violin and a guitar, played by two miners. A collection would be taken up during the evening to pay them for their services.

Promptly at 8:00 the music started, and soon the dance floor was filled with dancers. Mother and I sat out the first dance; we wanted to watch them before we ventured out on the floor. It looked easy, and everyone was having a good time. So the next dance we had with our teachers, and then Mother and I tried a dance together. We soon began to gain confidence, and it wasn't long before we were dancing with the others and having fun.

The favorite tunes played seemed to be "Casey Jones", "Tipparary", "Barney Go-ogle", "River Shannon", "Forever Blowing Bubbles", "Missouri Waltz" and "Colorado Waltz." We danced what they called a "Paul Jones", "Virginia Reel", "Square Dance", "Rye Waltz", "One Step" and "Two Step." I liked them all except the square dance; this one was too much for me.

We danced almost continuously until midnight, and then stopped for about an hour while the ladies served coffee and cake, and gave the musicians a much needed rest. We took up a collection during this break to pay for the music and the use of the pool hall.

At 1:00 the music started up again, and we danced until 2:00. Then the dance broke up, the orchestra playing a "Home Sweet Home" waltz which Mother and I danced together. We woke up little Alice and let her walk home, and I carried little Don and put him to bed without him waking up. We were all ready for bed when we got home, as we were pretty tired. We had a wonderful time and really enjoyed the dancing, and we would look forward to the next dance.

In between dances we spent numerous evenings at card parties. A bunch would get together, maybe one night at our house and another night we would go to some friend's house, and play cards all evening. Then we would have a late lunch of sandwiches and coffee. "Five Hundred" was the favorite game. On Sundays we usually got together and a bunch of us would get am early start, and start out on a hike to some mine. We would take along eggs and bacon and cook our breakfast around a camp fire. Most of us could walk, but we had our burros along and the children would ride when they got tired of walking. On some of these hikes we did a lot of mountain climbing, and it was always great fun; we would take enough eats along to last all day. At some of the mines we would get to eat at the boarding house where the miners ate.

Sundays

On the Sundays that we didn't go hiking I used to spend most of the day at the pool hall in a poker game or a game that was called "Solo", which was usually played by three of us and sometimes four. The loser of this game would play for four chips that were valued at 12 and half cents each, and each player would get a chip. It would buy a cigar or a glass of cider. There was a large barrel of cider on tap, and we would either drink a glass after each game or maybe buy a cigar, and by the time the day was over the cider was down pretty low in the barrel and had quite a kick to it.

There was no church at Crown King except the Catholic, and we got out of the habit of going to church, and I am afraid I got into some bad habits which stayed with me for a long time to come.

Tired of Crown King

Things ran along smoothly for the next five months. The railroads had been taken over by the government on account of the war, and all the railroads were under one head. A Director General was appointed by President Wilson. A man by the name of William G. McAdoo was named as the head. He was also a son-in-law of President Wilson.

One of the first things he did was to give all employees a raise in pay, which didn't hurt his popularity with the railroad employees, and the pay was made retroactive to the first of January. My salary was raised from $100.00 to $135.00 per month, and Mother's from $50.00 to $75.00, and our back pay began coming in, and with what money we had saved we soon had a little nest egg of about $600.00. This was more money than we had ever seen at one time and we felt quite rich.

About this time business at the mine was falling off, and they cut Mother's job off. We were beginning to get a little tired of the mountains and it was getting to be summertime, so Mother took the two children and went to Santa Ana for a visit. I told her to rent a place, and I would follow as soon as I could get them to relieve me. I thought maybe I could get a job back in California, and if so we wouldn't come back to Crown King. I didn't give up my job, I just asked for a month lay off, so in case I didn't land anything at the coast I would have a job to return to.

Mother found a nice little apartment on East Fourth Street for $25.00 per month, and I soon came on down and we proceeded to enjoy our vacation and spend our nest egg. We spent quite a lot of our time at Redondo Beach, and had a nice time for a month. I was unable to get a job to my liking, so at the end of our vacation we decided to go back to Crown King and work there until I could bid on a job in a town we would like better.

[1919] The Move to Parker

We were glad when the winter of 1918-1919 was over. There was one snow storm after another that winter, and I think there must have been snow on the ground until spring. I know we were glad to see the spring and summer come in. The summer of 1919 saw quite a few changes. Mr. Perkins sold his store and moved to Phoenix. The store was purchased by a Mr. Sommers from Sacramento. He had a wife and two boys one about sixteen, the other boy was past twenty, married, and had a little baby boy about six months old. They all lived in the back of the store. They were real nice folks, and we became good friends. We had some good times that summer, and went on many picnics and danced and played cards.

All too soon another winter was on us and the snow started falling, and it was soon Christmas. We were getting kind of fed up on the snow, and in December the first trick job at Parker came up for bid, and we decided to try for it. So I put in a bid and got the assignment.

We packed up our furniture and shipped it on, and arrived in Parker on Christmas day early in the morning. We got a room at the hotel and had our Christmas dinner at a restaurant. The next morning we found a house at the end of the road facing the railroad tracks. It was not very far from the Colorado River. Our furniture arrived that morning, so we moved in the house and only spent one night at the hotel.

I liked the job at Parker. The hours were 6:00 a. m. to 2:00 p.m., and gave me the time in the afternoon to go fishing. We used to fish off the railroad bridge for cat-fish. There was no highway bridge across the river at Parker at that time, and you either had to walk across on the railroad bridge or cross on the ferry. The ferry was owned by a Mrs. Nellie Bush. She also owned a hotel, and was the Justice of the Peace. Later she was elected to the State Senate and served for a number of years. She was a real nice lady and we became good friends.

INDEX