Camp Verde Historical Society

09/01/2026

🗓 ON THIS DAY in 1931, "...In addition to receiving favorable action upon the Verde bridge, the Yavapai county delegation was informed by State Engineer W. W. Lane that the Blythe bridge purchasing contract between Arizona, California and the bridge company had been definitely signed, thus enabling the appropriation for the construction of the Wickenburg-Ehrenberg highway to be put into effect. It is believed that bids will be called for within a week or ten days for construction work, which must be completed to participate in the Oddie-Colton appropriation by September 1.

"With the completion of the Oak Creek Canyon highway, now under construction, and the building of the Camp Verde [White] bridge, there will be scenic routes open through the Verde valley which it is believed will cause greatly increased travel through this section. The connection of the Fossil Creek highway to the Verde district by the Verde bridge will open up a recreation area to local residents which, despite handicaps in reaching it, has been immensely popular.

"With the completion of the Blythe route and the opening up of the two highways mentioned, it is firmly believed that Yavapai county will participate in the greatest influx of transcontinental travel in its history, leading through sections famous for scenic beauties, a delightful climate and attractive resorts."

~ Verde News, 04/21/1931 (with mention of September 1st)

08/28/2026

🗓 ON THIS DAY in 1864, King Woolsey sent the following report:

"Sir: I have the honor to report that my Command consisting of 93 men left the Agua Fria ranch about 6 p.m., June 1, and arrived at Fisher’s Cienega [Cienega Ranch] at one o’clock the following morning, distance 15 miles. There were encamped in this cienega but escaped in the dark. There are fine springs at this cienega, which is upon the Chavez wagon road, and will be a prominent point should that road prove a successful one. On the morning of the 2nd, we marched in the same general direction by way of Copper Canyon to the Rio Verde [Verde River], distance ten miles. The trail down is rough, but readily made by pack animals. [...]"

This old trail, which eventually became part of General Crook's trail, can be seen from I-17 coming down through Copper Canyon. It's a great hiking trail, accessible right off of Salt Mine Road.

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08/27/2026

🗓 ON THIS DAY in 1865, "Lt. Antonio Abeytia of K Company, 1st Cavalry, New Mexico Volunteers, along with 18 soldiers, a doctor, a wagon, four mules and 30 days rations, arrived on the Verde River near its confluence with West Clear Creek. Answering Special Order No. 21, Abeytia, was instructed to protect a small enclave of white settlers from the predations of the Yavapai and Apache, in whose homeland the whites had settled."

~ The book "Camp Verde" by Steve Ayers (available for purchase at the Visitor Center)

The image is from Google Earth, looking north, showing the general area where this settlement was located. There are still remnants of that settlement today, including Pioneer Ditch.

08/26/2026

🗓️ ON THIS DAY in 1865, "First Lieutenant Antonio Abeytia, Company K, 1st New Mexico Volunteer Cavalry, left Sergeant Mullins and two privates to guard the company wagon, desk and five animals at the top of Grief Hill, since the wagon had tipped over 100 yards below the top of the hill, breaking the curpin pole and two wheels.

"During the night, the sergeant and his two men heard Indians around them and fled with the animals, abandoning the desk and wagon, which the Indians proceeded to loot and burn at their leisure. No shots were exchanged."

08/24/2026

🗓 ON THIS DAY - Long before the Internet, there was the Chavez Trail, which ran through Camp Verde (see our earlier post on this topic for a map). This article from the 1864 Arizona Miner talks about an express mail contract, which is thought to be the first commercial use of Chavez Trail. Notice the excitement about mail making it to New York in 26 days. 📬 Now we can email New York in 26 milliseconds!

08/20/2026

🗓 On Aug. 20, 1920, "the state land board announced it had signed a contract" to lease several hundred acres in the Verde Valley for the development of sodium. Western Chemicals agreed "to pay a rental fee of $50 a year" plus a royalty of just over 12% when the production of sodium began. (Weekly Journal-Miner; Aug. 25; Mohave Co. Miner; Sep. 4, 1920.)

CVHS owns the power shovel in this picture, which is now parked beside the Hance House. It's a brute!

08/18/2026

This is a military Roll Call (attendance) card from 1865 of Antonia Abeytia. We obtained this from the Library of Congress. Written in part:

Antonia Abeytia
1. Lient. Co. K. 1 Cav. N.M. Vols.
Absent [from Ft. Whipple, because he's]
On detached service at settlement on Clear Fork of Rio Verde, with 20 enlisted men of his company.

"Lieutenant Antonio Abeytia, an officer of Company K, 1st Cavalry, New Mexico Volunteers, played a foundational role in the early military occupation of the Verde Valley. In August 1865, he was tasked with leading a detachment of 18 soldiers from Fort Whipple to establish a military presence near the confluence of West Clear Creek and the Verde River. His primary mandate was to protect the first wave of white settlers, whose agricultural efforts were suffering from repeated raids by local Tonto-Apache and Yavapai groups. Abeytia’s arrival marked one of the first official efforts by the U.S. military to secure the region and provide stability for the developing agricultural community.

His mission is perhaps best remembered for the logistical hardships endured while traversing the treacherous Grief Hill trail. During the descent into the valley, his supply wagon overturned, forcing his men to manually carry rations to the bottom of the slope. When the wagon and company desk were temporarily abandoned at the summit, they were discovered and burned by Indians, resulting in the loss of critical company records. Despite this setback and a chronic lack of adequate manpower, Abeytia remained at his post, documenting the persistent vulnerability of the settlers and the ongoing raids. His detailed reports from this period provide essential historical evidence of the precarious nature of early life in the Verde Valley and the difficulties the military faced in controlling the region." ~ CVHS Digital Historian

08/17/2026

🗓️ The Camp Verde Historical Society had its beginnings in 1954 when the Camp Verde Improvement Association undertook the restoration of old Fort Verde. The scope of the project called for the organization of a committee, which became the Fort Verde Museum Association. Short of adequate funding to purchase the remaining building and the parade grounds, the association sold Fort Verde to the State of Arizona on August 17, 1970. In 1971, with the Museum Association’s work completed, the organization changed its corporate name to the Camp Verde Historical Society.

~ Steve Ayers (Camp Verde)

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08/16/2026

ON THIS DAY in 1899, "a New Mexico train robber by the name of Tom 'Black Jack' Ketchum was arrested during a botched train robbery", "a notorious Texas and New Mexico train robber by the name of Tom Ketchum was shot and arrested after attempting to single-handedly rob a freight train outside Folsom, N.M." He was later hanged.

"Some of those who had been following the murderer’s trail, including Yavapai County Sheriff John Munds, believed Ketchum was the killer [of Clinton Wingfield and Mac Rodgers on July 2]. However, there is no evidence Ketchum did it, nor did he ever confess to the killings." ~ Steve Ayers (multiple sources)

There will be a presentation about these murders at the Camp Verde Community Library by David Grasse on August 20th at 5:30 PM.

08/14/2026

"Since August 14, 1926, when the Sodium Products Corporation was organized, the operating loss [of the Camp Verde "Salt Mine"] has been about $20,000. In order to raise those sums of $86,000, $94,000, and about $20,000, nearly $200,000 was raised on preferred stock sales. As a matter of fact, the actual number of shares of stock now outstanding is 365,000 shares of preferred, and 200,000 shares of common."

~ Report by G. M. Butler, 1928