Exploring Yarnell, Arizona

-
Rocky the Frog

State Route 89 between Congress and Yarnell
In January of 2012, Sharon and I set our sites on ghost hunting in Kirkland, AZ.  We knew there were several small towns along the way and couldn't wait to do some urban exploring around these settlements.  After visiting the Old Congress Cemetery, our next destination was Yarnell.  We have past through the town before on our way to Prescott, but didn't stop to see what this small town had to offer.  On this trip, we arrived in Yarnell at lunchtime. We stopped to get a bite to eat and noticed several abandoned places along the main road.  Of course we took several pictures of these structures, got back in the car and decided to cruise around town to see if there were anymore empty places for us to photograph.  We found several places along with unique and interesting homes tucked in various neighborhoods.  We decided that after Kirkland, and on our way back home, we would check this town out some more.  We had a great time while in Yarnell and found the town to be a wonderful and surprising photo opt.

 In 1865, a famous pioneer named Charles Genung found a vein of gold where Yarnell is located.  The town got its name from Harrison Yarnell, a prospector who discovered the Yarnell mine in 1873.  In the early 1930's, State Route 89, which runs through Yarnell, was the main passage to get from Wickenburg and Phoenix to Prescott.  Yarnell and its neighboring town, Peeples Valley, depend on ranching, mining, and visitors to help with their economy.  The settlement has over 650 residents living there, with many of them retirees.

This past week, Yarnell, Peeples Valley and other neighboring towns have suffered a massive fire which destroyed homes and businesses.  Half the town of Yarnell has been wiped out.  19 men from the Granite Mountain Hotshots crew lost their lives fighting this fire.  The tragedy has effected people from all over the world.  My heart and prayers go out to all the families and friends of these brave men.

 Eventually, Sharon and I will head back to Kirkland for a full investigation of the steakhouse and bar.  We will travel through Yarnell on our way there.  We have no idea what we will see.  As always, we will take photos, but will the places we shot in 2012 still be there?  I just don't know.

 These photos were taken on our 2012 trip.
















Comments

  1. VanessaJuly 5, 2013 at 5:06 AM

    Beautiful pics. Makes me want to go there as well.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

26 Bar Ranch (John Wayne Ranch)

-
Image
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
Read more

Historic Downtown Payson

-
Image
Located in the northern part of Gila County is the town of Payson, Arizona.  Because of where it is located in the state, it has been christened “The Heart of Arizona”.   Payson was established in 1882 and was first identified as Green Valley.  Two years later in March, a post office was erected with the assistance of Lewis Edwin Payson.  The people showed their gratitude by changing the town’s name to Payson.  Also that same year, the first rodeo was held and deemed the “world’s oldest continuous”.   It is still held in Payson till this day.  In the 1950’s, after many complained about the trip from Phoenix to Payson taking eight to twelve hours, a new paved highway was constructed.  State Route 87 (or the Beeline Highway), made travel quicker and easier for those wanted to get away from the heat of the valley to the gorgeous, serine forests in Payson. Website:   http://paysonrimcountry.com/ GREEN VALLEY PARK THE OXBOW INN FIRST JUSTICE OF THE P
Read more

Cowboy Mummy Found in Desert

-
Image
  There are many strange stories in the Arizona files. One that is told is about the mummy found in the desert near Gila Bend nicknamed “Sylvester”. Many believe that he once was a 19th century cowboy, a con that loved to play cards. Stories are told that he finally got caught cheating and was shot in the stomach. He made a hasty exit while bleeding profusely from his wound. He got as far as Arizona’s Gila Bend desert when he fell off his horse and died face down in the sweltering heat. Shortly afterwards, he was covered by the blowing sands, which appeared to have dried his body overnight. This apparently preserved his body resulting in the mummified form he was found in. The more believable story was that he was found shortly after death and preserved in a high level of arsenic. Arsenic was used to stop the physical occurrences of a corpse rotting by killing bacteria and insects that invaded it. This custom of using arsenic was found to be poisonous by the 1900’s and never used
Read more