By Al Bates

This article is one of a series that will appear in this space during this year and the next on historic events relating to the Arizona Territory’s Sesquicentennial.

On May 10, 1863, the first recorded event in Prescott history occurred. At a spot some six miles south of today’s courthouse plaza, a band of 25 men approved a document that created the first mining district in the Central Arizona Highlands.

Those men were members of the Joseph R. Walker exploratory party who had found placer gold on the Hassayampa River after a roundabout trip from California that crossed Arizona, headed up into Colorado and then swung down into New Mexico before turning west again into this previously unexplored area.

The journey had started two years earlier when a young Canadian miner convinced Walker, who at age 62 was living quietly in northern California, to take on one more expedition.  George Lount sold Walker on the idea that there was gold to be found in the Little Colorado River valley of Arizona.  The old mountain man was eager for one last adventure before failing eyesight forced his retirement.

Walker and Lount began with a nine-man party that also included two of Walker’s numerous nephews.  Then, while still in California, they merged with the seven-man Miller party (Sam and Jake Miller and their father John plus four others).  The size of the party changed over time as members came and went during their travels.  One of the newcomers was Daniel Ellis Conner who joined them in New Mexico using an assumed name because he was fleeing the federal authorities for his part in a failed insurrection in Colorado.  He recorded his memories of the rest of their trip in a manuscript posthumously published as Joseph Reddeford [sic] Walker and the Arizona Adventure.

Thus far the expedition had been unsuccessful in their search for gold, so they now turned south and west with hopes of finding gold in the Verde River Valley.  It was then they encountered another newcomer near Pinos Altos, New Mexico Territory.  John W. (Jack) Swilling had interesting information that caused Walker to change plans.  But first would have to come the mission Swilling was on at the time of their encounter.

Civilian contractor Swilling was key to a Union Army plan to capture the dreaded Apache Chief Mangas Coloradas.  The successful implementation of that plan—which was modified to use some of the Walker Party members as decoys—and its deadly aftermath, is detailed in Conner’s manuscript.

Swilling convinced Walker that three years earlier he had encountered significant traces of gold in an unexplored area north of the Gila River when he had led a militia group called the Gila Rangers in aretaliatory raid on Apache stock raiders up an unknown river—now called the Hassayampa—and into an unexplored area.  Thus, after a pause while Swilling completed his army contract, they continued west.

Sara Robinson, archivist in charge of microfilm and retired records for Yavapai County, shows the original Journal of the Pioneer Mining District to Bruce Fee, local artist, historian and charter member of the Prescott Corral of Westerners International.

The Walker party followed a route well known to Swilling that took them to Tucson, then up to the Pima/Maricopa villages, and back up the unknown river to find the promised placer gold and the formation of the Pioneer Mining District 150 years ago this week.  Under rules established that day, and documented in the Journal of the Pioneer Mining District, each of the 25 “original prospectors” was allotted two initial placer claims along either side of the Hassayampa River near their campsite.

Before serious mining could start they had to restock some essential supplies—such as flour, salt, coffee and tobacco—so a trip to Ammi White’s flourmill and trading post at the Pima/Maricopa villages was in order.   Caching some equipment and supplies to keep them safe, they retraced their steps down the Hassayampa.

After completing their business at White’s establishment—including communications of their findings to the outside world—the expedition headed back up the Hassayampa.  There was a surprise along the way.  A dust cloud approaching them was at first assumed to be an Apache war party.  To their relief they discovered that the dust was being raised by the Abraham Peeples party guided by Paulino Weaver who had come from the Colorado River to the Wickenburg area and had also run short on essential supplies.

Next Sunday: How the Walker party discoveries made Arizona history.

(Days Past is a collaborative project of the Sharlot Hall Museum and the Prescott Corral of Westerners, International (www.prescottcorral.org).The public is encouraged to submit articles for Days Past consideration. Please contact Assistant Archivist, Scott Anderson, at SHM Archives 928-445-3122 or via email at archivesrequest@sharlothallmuseum.org for information.)