"The Hell Hole"

Cocopah RV Resort
February 13, 2014
Yuma, AZ

 By 1870, Yuma had become the second largest city in Arizona. The fierce heat and rugged terrain around Yuma made it a perfect choice for a prison.

The prison opened in July, 1876 with seven prisoners...the very men who were forced to build their own cells.





With the fierce summer heat in Yuma, the prison quickly became known as "The Hell Hole".  

Overlooking the entire prison was the Main Guard Tower...a structure that still remains today. Commanding the top was a Lowell Battery Gun capable of aggressively spitting fire to any part of the prison yard with its 4 muzzles.



Underneath the wooden tower was the prison's rock-walled water reservoir.

Today, the tower offers an awesome view of the surrounding area.

Also among the original structures is the Sally Port. Each outlaw who ventured thru the iron gate was given an identification number. During the 33 years of operation, 3,069 prisoners (29 were women) served time.

Situated on the original site of the Prison Mess Hall is a museum.

It was built with 60,000 adobe bricks made by "Yumans" during the Great Depression. We watched a short informative film describing some of the inmates along with history of the prison. It also houses photographs and exhibits of those who once "involuntarily" stayed here.

Its hard to imagine rough hands and fingers making something so delicate.

 

 During their free time, prisoners hand-crafted many items. Those items were sold at public bazaars held at the prison on Sundays after church. I read that the money each prisoner made was kept by the prison and given to him/her upon their release. 

 

 

Behind the museum are original cell blocks.

This area provides a vivid sense of what it was like to be a prisoner here. There were six prisoners to a cell with metal bunk beds and a pot.

Written evidence indicates that the prison was humanely administered and a model institution for its time.  The prison housed one of the first "public" libraries in the territory and many inmates were taught to read and write. 

 In recent years, Arizona's budget crisis posed a new challenge for Yuma as the two state historic parks were threatened with closure. The community rallied to "save the parks" (Quartermaster Depot in late 2009 and the Yuma Territorial Prison in 2010) by forming the Yuma Crossing National Heritage Area and assumed management. Once again, with the help of grants, community fundraisers and capital funding from Arizona State Parks, major improvements to the grounds, buildings and exhibits have been completed. The City of Yuma celebrates the 100th anniversary of its charter under the laws of the new state of Arizona on April 7, 2014. Go Yuma!

This is a wonderful historical site...well worth the time for a visit.

Up next...a ghost town and a pleasant surprise!

 

What a beauty this full moon was a couple of nights ago...

 

Until next time...

 

 

enjoy!

American Girl Mine

Cocopah RV Resort
February 11, 2014
Yuma, AZ

Driving west (about 8 miles past Yuma) on Interstate 8, you can see off to the right a small group of mountains that appear dark brown. Ronnie and Carol had a plan...and that was our destination.

These mountains are known as the Cargo Muchacho Mountains. Mexican miners worked the area for decades before Americans entered the district in the mid 1800s. Cargo Muchacho, or Loaded Boys, received its name when two young Mexican boys entered camp with their shirts loaded with gold. 

Years later, the discovery of gold in the Cargo Muchacho Mining District is credited to a mule that strayed while members of a California bound wagon train were camped near the mountains in 1862. When the mule was found, a sharp-eyed man picked up a nugget on the spot.

 Originally named Gold Rock Camp, then Hedges, and finally Tumco...the area is one of the oldest gold mining areas in California. Its history spans 300 years with several periods of boom and bust.

The completion of the Southern Pacific Railroad from Yuma to Los Angeles in 1877 allowed access to the gold which led to a gold rush in the area.

 Individual mining claims soon gave way to mining companies that purchased claims and developed the mines on a large scale.

 During the boom of the 1890s, mines produced $1,000 a day in gold. Ultimately over 200,000 ounces were taken from the mines in the area.

 Historical accounts describe Tumco as a typical raucous mining town that fell into financial ruin and by 1907 it was a ghost town.

 One of the most important mines back in the day was American Girl Mine. And as it turns out, it also has the most recent history.

When the price of gold soared to $1600 per ounce in the 1990s, gold was once again mined from 1989 to 1995.
No longer did they tunnel down 1,000 feet for it, they just removed chunks of the mountain, crushed the ore, and recovered the gold.

Today, American Girl Gold Mine is for sale. It can be bought at $400 an acre.

So, did we find gold on our adventure in the Cargo Muchacho Mountains? Not exactly...

...we didn't head back to "camp" with shirts loaded with the precious ore.

...instead, we had loads of dust...in our hair, up our noses, in our pockets,  in our shoes and yes, maybe in our shorts!

We also brought back to "camp" loads of memories...a day full of tons of fun and laughs!

 Thanks Ronnie and Carol...a special day with special friends!

 

 

Until next time...