Location of Valencia mine claim near Bumble Bee?

[Steve Jenkins]

Can anyone describe how to find the Valencia claim near Bumble Bee? Can it be reached by Jeep?

Any help is greatly appreciated.

 

Amazon Forum Fav 👍

Agony and Death on a Gold Rush Steamer: The Disastrous Sinking of the Side-Wheeler Yankee Blade - Grab it through Amazon!

[azdave35]

Can anyone describe how to find the Valencia claim near Bumble Bee? Can it be reached by Jeep?

Any help is greatly appreciated.

it depends....the location most people consider to be the mine is right off the access road from 1-17 and is completely reclaimed by nature....but that is not the one that is associated with waltz...it is a mile or so away

 

[Steve Jenkins]

Is it to the left of the road when heading to Crown King from 17? Is the one that is a mile from the easier of the two accessible by a hiking trail and if so, how would I find it?

 

[Matthew Roberts]

Steve Jenkins, ..... The Valencia is easy to find and very accessible, in fact you can drive right up to it with any car. Take I 17 north of Phoenix through Black Canyon City. About 3 or 4 miles north of BCC take the Bumble Bee exit 248 to the west. The Valencia is within 5 miles of the exit and on a paved road. The pavement ends directly west of the Valencia so if you hit the unpaved part you just went past the Valencia entrance. The mine is on your right as you are driving and on a sharp curve. The Valencia is today privately owned but currently not being worked. It has been open pitted but the original shaft is still there the last time I visited. Miguel Peraltas arrastra were in Turkey Creek exactly 1 mile straight west of the Valencia site. The remains of the stamp mill foundation are still at the Valencia as well as a leaching pond.

 

[azdave35]

Is it to the left of the road when heading to Crown King from 17? Is the one that is a mile from the easier of the two accessible by a hiking trail and if so, how would I find it?

are you talking about the valencia or the valenciana?

 

[Matthew Roberts]

azdave35,..... I believe the Valencia and Valenciana are one and the same mine. Miguel Peralta originally worked the mine and abandoned it. The mine changed hands several times as well as names for it. Peralta later became involved again and at that point the name became Valenciana.

 

[Matthew Roberts]

The original mine name was listed in the 1864 Prescott mining records as, la Valencia. Jack Swilling is listed in those records as purchasing x amount of feet on the la Valencia from Peralta. Because of this many people believe Swilling had a mine where he lived on the Agua Fria river in today's Black Canyon City. That is false, he worked the same mine Peralta did, the la Valencia.

 

[azdave35]

azdave35,..... I believe the Valencia and Valenciana are one and the same mine. Miguel Peralta originally worked the mine and abandoned it. The mine changed hands several times as well as names for it. Peralta later became involved again and at that point the name became Valenciana.

matthew...i heard they were 2 different mines...the valenciana was aka the gloryana and aka the negro brown and is about 1.3 miles from the bumble bee interchange off i-17

 

[Matthew Roberts]

Yes, 1.3 miles from the Bumble Bee exit sounds right for the mine I described. Many years back Greg Davis and I took Blair's book with his photos up to this mine and recreated each photo by standing in the exact spot Blair stood when he took the photos. I know exactly where the original la Valencia mine is but haven't a clue where the Valenciana is unless it is one and the same with the la Valencia.

 

[cactusjumper]

Guys,

I believe David Leach might have this information.

Blair's book has the best information I have found on that mine.

Good luck,

Joe

 

[Matthew Roberts]

It is documented in the 1864 mining records at Prescott that Peraltas mine was named the la Valencia. 13 years later in Bigelos report and newspaper article he refers to the mine as Valenciana. By carefully reading Bigelo,s 1878 article it is clear he is talking about the same 1864 mine named the la Valencia.

 

[Gregory E. Davis]

Good evening Mathew: I was at the Valencia Mine site several months ago and found that someone had plowed up and destroyed the site of the old Stamp Mill Foundation. There was nothing left. To bad someone had to destroy this historic site but I assume there were probably looking for gold that might have fallen below the cracks. Cordially, Gregory E. Davis

 

[Matthew Roberts]

Hello Greg, ..... That is really sad news about the stamp mill foundation. You and I were there back before the mine was open pitted and things were much the same way it looked when Peralta was mining the down shaft. I recall we walked from the Valencia site the one mile west to Turkey Creek where the arrastra was located. A pile of rock and stones were all that was left along the creek there. So much of Arizona history has disappeared and its surely sad.

 

[azdave35]

Hello Greg, ..... That is really sad news about the stamp mill foundation. You and I were there back before the mine was open pitted and things were much the same way it looked when Peralta was mining the down shaft. I recall we walked from the Valencia site the one mile west to Turkey Creek where the arrastra was located. A pile of rock and stones were all that was left along the creek there. So much of Arizona history has disappeared and its surely sad.

since the advent of the internet and online forums the vandalizing and destruction of americas treasures have gotten way out of hand..and its only going to get worse

 

[Steve Jenkins]

Thank you Mathew. I very much enjoy your posts.

I live on E. Surrey Dr. in Cave Creek, not far from where you once lived.

 

[azdave35]

Thank you Mathew. I very much enjoy your posts.

I live on E. Surrey Dr. in Cave Creek, not far from where you once lived.

steve..if i remember correctly you do jeep tours..if it is your intent to come on here and get info on historical locations so you can take a bunch of future vandals out there..then you probably wont be very welcome here..

 

[Matthew Roberts]

Thank you Mathew. I very much enjoy your posts.

I live on E. Surrey Dr. in Cave Creek, not far from where you once lived.

Steve Jenkins, ..... Yes a long time back I lived north of Cave Creek on Fleming Springs road. That was before Cave Creek was incorporated and became discovered by everyone. My place was the old Picha ranch which was totally isolated then but today is amid hundreds and hundreds of new upscale homes.

 

[JohnWhite]

steve..if i remember correctly you do jeep tours..if it is your intent to come on here and get info on historical locations so you can take a bunch of future vandals out there..then you probably wont be very welcome here..

I sure hope no vandals will stumble upon any of the sites I have been to...It could be one of the main reasons I will not reveal any of their locations...I would hate to see some idiot or idiots carve hearts or horses or any other trash on said sites...

Ed T

 

[azdave35]

I sure hope no vandals will stumble upon any of the sites I have been to...It could be one of the main reasons I will not reveal any of their locations...I would hate to see some idiot or idiots carve hearts or horses or any other trash on said sites...

Ed T

ed..dont show anyone and nobody will destroy it

 

[Matthew Roberts]

steve..if i remember correctly you do jeep tours..if it is your intent to come on here and get info on historical locations so you can take a bunch of future vandals out there..then you probably wont be very welcome here..

azdave35,..... Some people may use rides on jeep tours to check out sites for theft or vandalism. But jeep tours are also a good way for people to learn about that theft and vandalism and what it is doing to Arizona. The two largest private collections of Arizona artifacts were owned by the CEO of APS and Barry Goldwater. Don't ask how they acquired those artifacts.