Left the Camp Verde area and headed still further south to the Wickenburg Arizona area. We filled up on fuel and propane, dumped the tanks and got rid of the garbage then headed to the boondocking area. What a nice area. There are Saguaro cactus, Yucca and Palo Verde trees surrounding us. What an incredible vista and once again so foreign to what John and I are used to seeing. I hope our sense of wonder never ceases. We are hoping to stay here till after Christmas. There is a lot of history in this area and we plan on exploring some of it.
This area was first explored in 1848 by rangers who were hunting renegade Indians. A gold strike in 1862 brought prospectors and miners. Among them was a fellow by the name of Henry Wickenburg who ultimately discovered the Vulture Mine where over 30 million dollars in gold had been taken from the ground.
Ranchers and farmers came to the area to discover the fertile fields along the Hassayampa River.
In 1863 the town of Wickenburg was founded and as the settlement grew it encroached on the indigenous Yavapai Indians, who also lived, farmed and hunted this area. The settlers staked mining claims and water rights and eventually damaged vegetation and drove out native species that the Yavapai relied on. Eventually the white settlers decided to eradicate the Yavapai and planned a series of raids. The Yavapai fought back and about 1000 Indians and 400 settlers died in the "Indian Wars" between 1860 and 1869. The US Army eventually convinced the weary Yavapai to settle on a permanent Reservation but, because of inadequate rations supplied to the Reservation, the Yavapai began to raid stagecoaches and other resources. This ultimately lead to the Wickenburg Massacre and the Skull Cave battle where the Yavapai Indians were soundly defeated and their resistance crushed.
They were then compelled to move to the Rio Verde Reservation where their excellent land management led to a flourishing Yavapai economy. US Officials became concerned about the Yavapai success and self sufficency so convinced the Government to once again move the Yavapai to the San Carlos Apache Reservation. As it stands today, the Yavapai are the only Arizona Indian Tribe moved completely away from their traditional homeland.
There is such incredible and colorful history where ever we go and I love to research the area before we go exploring. I can't wait to see the Vulture Mine!!
The settlement of Wickenburg did manage to thrive despite several ups and downs and today is a hub for recreational activities.
I am fascinated with the distinctive Saguaro cactus. It is a tree sizd cactus and the largest in the USA. It is native to the Sonoran Desert with a few plants found in eastern California. They have a long life span with their growth rate being directly related to the amount of rain they receive. It can take up to 75 years to develop a side arm. The largest plants, with more than five arms are estimated to be 200 years old. The "champion" saguaro is in Mariposa County and is 45.3 feet high and has a girth of 10 feet!! An average old saguaro would have 5 arms and be about 30 feet tall.
The Saguaro has a tall, thick, fluted, columnar stem. It's skin is smooth and waxy and has thousands of 2 inch spines along it's ribs - making it most unfriendly to the touch!! When fully hydrated, the cactus can weigh between 3200 and 4800 pounds. When the cactus is 50 to 60 years old, it begins to bloom. The flowers open at night and last till noon the following day when they close permanently. Pollination must take place in this brief time period in order for the cactus to produce it's red colored "fruit"pods that contain thousands of seeds. Major pollinators are bats, birds and insects.
Harming the Saguaro Cactus is illegal. The Arizona State Flower is the Saguaro bloom. Gila woodpeckers make their homes in the cactus by chiseling holes in the trunk. They make several hole before deciding which one to use and never use the same hole twice. The old holes are used by insects, lizards or pygmy owls. Occasionally, hawks will use the arms to make their nest on. the Saguaro Cactus is undoubtedly the symbol of the Southwest desert.
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