Ms. Karen & I had visited Yuma right after Christmas 2016. We discovered so much to see and do that we looked forward to returning in late March 2017. Our first day found us an hour north of Yuma, off a dirt road near the Yuma Proving Grounds; at Castle … Continue reading
On April 1, I drove out to the San Pedro River for a Members Only hike provided by the docents of the Friends of the San Pedro River. For those of you who do not know, the San Pedro River is one of the last perennial rivers in Arizona and the Friends … Continue reading
Those of us who live in the vastness of the Sonoran Desert share this land with two sovereign nations: the Republic of Mexico and the Tohono O’odham Nation. The Tohono O’odham Nation is the second largest American Indian reservation in the United States: 4,344 square miles. The largest belongs to … Continue reading
On a cold December day in 1883, five men robbed the Goldwater & Casteneda Store on Main Street that substituted for Bisbee’s only bank. They did so believing that the mining company’s payroll was locked inside the store’s safe. What started as a quick and easy robbery ended in the death of almost a dozen people.
The robbers quickly discovered a problem. The mine’s payroll had not yet arrived. Foolishly, the five robbers stuck around to steal what they could from the store, its owners, and customers. This took time. Time they did not have.
Continue readingOn one of my recent monthly Tucson History & Libation Walking Tours, I had the distinct pleasure to meet a fellow author, although at the time I did not know it. You see, to sign up for our Southern Arizona Guide tours, folks usually go to Brown Paper Tickets and … Continue reading
Ruby Arizona is about 12 miles from Arivaca. About half way there, the road goes from pavement to dirt. But it’s well-maintained and a standard sedan can easily travel on it (unless of course the area gets a hard rain). Again, do not rely on your GPS. ******************** Ruby was a mining […]
Continue readingEditor’s Note. Karen Weston Gonzales is a talented free lance writer. I first read her story about Southern Arizona pioneer, Tom Jeffords, in Tombstone Times to which I subscribe. The story is reprinted here with permission. The story is true and offers a clear account of one of the most … Continue reading
In early November 2016, I had the pleasure of sitting in the master bedroom of the main house of the Empire Ranch across from author Joyce Aros. It was the Annual Fall Roundup fundraiser and we were both at the authors’ table to sell our respective books: Murdered on the … Continue reading
In 1880, old age began about 40, the average life expectancy of a U.S. citizen. Life was hard, good nutrition & effective medical treatment were scarce. By age 40, most people, particularly women, were simply worn out. Between 1879 and 1884, about 300 people were buried in the Tombstone Boothill … Continue reading
Boothill is authentic. It was Tombstone’s first City Cemetery, established in 1879. It wasn’t called Boothill until the 1920’s, probably as a result of Hollywood westerns or dime novels.
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