Echoes of the Southwest

Immersed in the Hereford’s history in Eagar, AZ, sits the 26 Bar Ranch.   It was first known as the Milky Way Ranch in the 1940’s with its big white show barn which housed many Hereford cattle.   The barn is now a local landmark.   In 1964 the ranch became the 26 Bar Ranch or John Wayne’s Ranch, who was one of the owners.   Wayne, along with Ken Reafsnyder and Louis Johnson, his business partners, kept the ranch until John Wayne’s death in 1979 from lung and stomach cancer.   Lately, I have heard rumors that Bigfoot has been seen near the ranch.   I don’t know if that is true or not, but it would be worth checking out.  John Wayne and Louis Johnson

The Vernetta Hotel was originally a hotel specifically built to serve overnight railroad passengers and early day tourists to the Wickenburg area and Castle Hot Springs.  Mrs. Elizabeth Smith, a black businesswoman from the East, contracted one of Arizona's Finest architects at that time, Mr. James Creighton, to design and build the hotel.  The building was heated by nine fireplaces, has a community kitchen and an outdoor barbecue area.  Now know as the Hassayampa Building, it contains offices for Remuda Ranch. ( Source: Wickenburg Chamber of Commerce pamphlet )

Another abandoned house found in Chandler, AZ by Sharon and myself.  This one is next to the small wood house where the zombie housewives recently took pictures.  It looks like it probably was a beautiful home in its heyday.

From Wikipedia: "On 29 July 1995, Wickenburg celebrated the one hundred year anniversary of its railroad depot (dedicated 29 July 1895). The structure stands in its original 1895 design, without additions or modifications, and is one of the few such surviving examples of "Wild West" railroad architecture. Vice-Mayor Carol Ann Beard briefly described the history of the depot, which now serves as the Chamber of Commerce. "Estelle's Garden", in memory of a longtime Chamber supporter, was dedicated at the ceremony.  This depot last saw passenger service in May 1969 when Santa Fe discontinued the daily train between Phoenix and Williams Junction." Standing near the train station is a statue of a school teacher.  She has just disembarked from the train with  her luggage. Behind the old Santa Fe Depot (now Wickenburg's Chamber of Commerce) is the railroad line referred to as the "Peavine Line".  It was built in 1893 and ran between ...

If it is weird and wacky, Sharon and I will find it.  We were leaving a mall after enjoying a nice dinner and doing some shopping when something caught our eyes in the parking lot.  Sharon pulled into the empty space next to a jeep with all kinds of characters attached to it.  This was just the thing we like to take pictures of, and we did.  Another family thought the same thing and was shooting pictures of this unusual jeep we found out was named, Lolly.  For more on Lolly the Jeep and its owner, check out his website: www.CurtisGPhotography.com Sharon  (Autumnforest) is putting a video up of Lolly and other hot jeep drivers.