Aravaipa Apache Gold / Lost Yuma Mine

[Chiltepin]

This subject brought me to TN,

Everyone says that the route that most soldiers took from
Ft. Lowell was to the west following the Rillito river to what is
modern day Marana to Oro Valley and through Oracle towards Ft. Grant.

I have driven from my house this route less 7 miles , I am east of Ft. Lowell.

Just to Oracle its a 50 mile trip, with few places to stop for water.
Logically the soldiers would and traders would have followed the
the Rillito to the Tanque Verde over the pass at what used to be
Tres Alamos . The area is filled with natural water tanks.

Within the Pass I found a nice Mine. This isn't an ordinary mine
it is cut into a 20ft wide by 15ft+ tall solid rock at the bottom of
an arroyo into . The mine entrance is an Arch 7ft by 4 ft into
solid rock as if someone followed a vein into the rock. The front
entrance also has cart tracks carved into the bedrock in the front
of the mine.

Odd things is there are no tailings what so ever around the mine.
Washed away down the arroyo by weather? This is not a modern
mine. It was hand cut into the rock, the sides are some what smooth
as this area would flood in heavy rainfall.

The mine also has that nice musty smell, like a cave vent standing
10 feet from the entrance.

The mine is also in an area of Shale deposits but at least a 1/2 mile
away.

I wont give too many clues away , Ill be headed up there in a month
or so I hope to take some pictures.

It is fairly stunning when your see it, most mines look like the entrance
is about to collapse.

Chiltepin

 

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[Peyton Manning]

pictures please

 

[Chiltepin]

I little more information on Yuma and the Aravaipa Apaches.

Some of this relates to the 1871 Fort grant massacre.
Apache Chief Eskiminzin negotiated the deal for the Aravaipa
to live close to Fort Grant in 1871. We know that April of 1871
The Fort Grant Massacre happened . Chief Eskiminzin wasn't
killed in the raid.

Some accounts say that "Yuma" was shown to the mine by
a Chief if it was Eskiminzin we don't know. Some stories say
that it was Eskiminzin.

"Yuma" was a "white" squaw man.( He had married to a Native American wife)
We don't know if "Yuma s" wife was Apache or not.

A Chief took "Yuma" to a large depression in the ground a days ride away.
They wiped the shale away to reveal a large rose quartz deposit with gold.

My first post mentioned distance to and around the Santa Catalina mountains.
Understand that on a horse at that time you might make 25 miles a day. Terrain
is the key to pathing to and from the Forts and outlying areas. The Catalina foothills
North of Fort Lowell are very craggy and rocky (Up and down through the valleys).

Water ran freely at that time in the Rillito river towards the Santa Cruz. The Canyon
Del Oro (CDO) had water also , but past that not much water until you reached the
Oracle area to the north. The next closest spring at the time would have been in
Wild Burro Canyon (Current day Dove Mountain Area) In the Tortolita mountains.

The old Tres Alamos area isn't a days ride either unless you travel down the San Pedro
and traverse across the north eastern foothills of the Santa Catalinas .

Although you can take the San Pedro to Mammoth at the current train trestle head
west up the canyon and come out pretty close to Oracle without having to climb up
and down through the Tortilla mountains much.

So was the mine really a days ride and from where did "Yuma" and the Chief meet
and depart from on the ride to the mine?

(Heads Up anyone that wants to peek in the mines up and down the San Pedro.
Please look at the US survey of the valley on Radon gas)

Thanks for looking

Chiltepin

 

[Tpmetal]

OH MAN, why you gotta get me all going with a post like that and then have a lack of photos?!?! Can't wait to see sounds interesting.

 

[Chiltepin]

I'm working getting you some photos. Pulled out the camera and charged the batteries.
Thought I might go this weekend but it's going to rain in that area this weekend. I don't want
to be at the bottom of an arroyo when is raining.

I do have an update after reading through some historical data, Camp Grant to Tucson was
said to be roughly 60 miles from Tucson. A days ride is roughly 30 miles due to historical
information.
CHAPTER VIII. OUTRAGES BY INDIANS (Continued).
Page 159
Exert: " The company left the Rillito at 4 p. m. They rested most of the next day on the San Pedro to avoid being seen, then started at dark, making an all night's march, and reached the Indian camp just at daylight"

 

[audigger53]

When we were there in 1980, the Aravaipa Apache Camp site was then a Historical Site and only with a permit could you go to it. You had to come in from the East to get there at that time (1980). Now the valley south of there is now a Wilderness area. You have to again come in from the East through the Ranger check point area. On Foot or Horse only. Once in the valley there is a ranger station there (or was). The Dept of Mines in Tucson was nice enough to show us the claims starting from the West ridge, down into the valley and up the other side, again in 1980 all the claims were gold claims. One of which was/is owned by a rancher on the East side of the Wilderness Area. His went down 150 feet and he needed someone to work the bellows to pump good air down there so it could be worked.