The song by Jackson Browne has been running through my head as we log the miles in Arizona…
“I was standing on the corner in Winslow Arizona, such a fine sight to see….”
Well, no girls in flat bed Fords have paused to look at either Carl or me, but plenty of Fords have passed us by. Today was pretty boring. Just desert and only one town to distract us between Salome and Wickenburg. Holly saw a roadrunner, yesterday, but today’s critters were just ants and flies. Boring.
I have determined that I will stop at every historical marker we pass. Today had two of some interest, both as we approached Wickenburg, the self proclaimed Cowboy Capital of the West. The Wickenburg Massacre of November 5, 1871 is noted on a stone which says that the Stagecoach to Ehrenburg was ambushed by Apaches and seven people were murdered. No follow up is described the plaque, but I suspect there were reprisals.
About a mile from the massacre site another plaque commemorates Henry Wickenburg and his burro, who discovered gold in these thar hills in 1863.They are the reason for the town’s existence. Nice that the burro gets a mention. Maybe it stumbled over a nugget.
Wickenburg soon realized that supplying miners was better than digging for gold, so he sold out his interest in the Vulture mine four years later and spent the rest of his days farming and ranching, providing the grub that miners needed. Mysteriously, he committed suicide in 1905.
Tomorrow we head for Tempe, our destination for the weekend and the official end of stage one. It will be nice to log the 70 miles and have the first week under our belts.
The link for the ride to date is:
http://www.mapmyride.com/route/us/ca/san diego/887128657640729050
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your interest in stopping at all historical markers is hardly something new.
ReplyDeleteHowever, I now find myself compelled to stop at all historical markers and in DC this often makes me late