Another lost highway adventure was inspired by the response to episode one in the new In Search of Lost Highways video series and the companion blog. But to be honest, it takes little to encourage me to share an adventure.
After all, this is Jim Hinckley’s America. Sharing America’s story, and inspiring road trips (and adventures) by telling people where to go is what we do.
On this search for lost highways we trace remnants of a 19th century road in the picturesque canyons near Kingman, Arizona. And along the way I share some of the confusing history of Cerbat Mountain mining camps, a tale of lost treasure, and introduce followers to one of the best urban trail systems in the southwest.
Stockton or Stockton Hill
Depending on what territorial map you reference, or what newspaper you read from that period, the town was referenced as Stockton, Stocton or Stockton Hill.
A post office established March 7, 1888 used the name Stockton. It was a short lived endeavor and it closed on July 11, 1892.
Mines were first developed in that area in the 1860s. And mining reports from that era note a “lively” camp named Stockton Hill on the east slope of the Cerbat Mountains above the Hualapai Valley.
The principal mine was the Stockton Hill. That may be a reason for some of the confusion. And that was most likely the reason some of the old timers such as Nell Clack that grew up nearby at the COD Mine referenced the town site as Stockton Hill. So, that was the name I used in the video.
Another Lost Highway Adventure
Initially ore from the Stockton Hill mines was shipped to the Beale Road that was connected to the Mohave Prescott Road, subject of the first video in this series. From there it was taken to a Colorado River Port such as Hardyville, one of the first Mohave County seats.
The boom times for the Stockton Hill mining camp was from 1888 to 1892. But there was enough mining to keep the town alive and on maps until at least 1912. It was at the dawn of that boom that a road was built from Stockton or Stockton Hill to the railroad at Kingmam.
The Lost Highway
The modern incarnation of Stockton Hill Road in Kingman, Arizona.
Stockton Hill Road was built by F.F. Brawn who was heavily invested in the Stockton Hill Mining District. In May 1889 he had purchased Canyon Station about 15 miles north of Kingman from W.H. Hardy.Hardy was an Arizona pioneer and the namesake for Hardyville.
The station was an important stop on the road over the Cerbat Mountains to Mineral Park and Cerbat from Stockton Hill. It was here that coaches and wagons were double teamed to pull the steep grade.
A Tale of Lost Treasure
Canyon Station figures prominently in a legend about lost treasure. As the story goes, in October of 1873 a man named McAllen (or McArthur, or Allen, or …) learned that a mine payroll was being shipped over this road. Near Canyon Station, where the team was slowed by the steep grade, he and an unknown partner stopped the coach, emptied the strongbox, and headed into the rugged canyons of the Cerbat Mountains near the C.O.D. mine.
A posse of miners and livery hands set out in pursuit, and soon ran down the bandits. According to one version of the legend, in the ensuing gun battle McAllen was killed. His partner was apprehended, tried, and sent to the territorial prison in Yuma,or vica versa. But the money was missing and has never been found. Or so the story goes.
The COD and Stockton Hill
Brawn had also leased the C.O.D. Mine located between Stockton Hill and Canyon Station. Between 1878 and 1892 the C.O.D. Mine produced a hefty amount of gold, silver, and lead. The mine was one of the largest producers in the Stockton Hill Mining District. In fact, during these years it was counted among the largest prodcuers in the territory.
In 1889, it was announced that F.F. Brawn was soliciting investors for the construction of a new road to Stockton and Canyon Station. An article published on December 28 noted that he had surveyed for a road through the canyon north of town. It was to intersect with the original Stockton Hill Road near J. E. Johnston’s cattle ranch.
For more than 150 years mining has been an on again, off again business at the site of Stockton Hill.
It was to be about two miles shorter than the original Stockton Hill Road. And in soliciting potential investors Brawn noted that this road would avoid the muddy portion of the valley. He estimated that the cost of the new road would be about $500. A section of this road that opened in May 1890 is now known as White Cliffs Wagon Road.
The evidence is scarce. But apparently there was another road built in these canyons. W.H. Taggart of W.H. Taggart Mercantile was a primary investor in Brawn’s road. He also had a vested interest in Stockon, and other mining camps in the Cerbat Mountains. One paragraph in a territorial newspaper that Taggart was building a road through Johnson Canyon to Cerbat, Mineral Park and Chloride. The search for that road is fodder for another lost highway adventure.
Stockton Hill Road Today
Stockton Hill Road today is another lost highway adventure. But only if you are referencing the 19th century road. A portion of that old “highway” was incorporated into Stockton Hill Road, one of the main business streets in Kingman today. And in the historic district there is a short street signed as Stockton Hill Avenue. Both of these streets are a tangible link to the nearly forgotten Stockton Hill Road.
Near Kingman sections of the old road have been incorporated into the White Cliffs urban trail system. It is also a point of interest on the narrated self guided historic district walking tourdeveloped by Kingman Main Street.
Recently I set out in search of lost highways in Coyote Pass. In this picturesque wonderland chapters of the American story are etched in ruts, broken asphalt, and in trails.
In Search of Lost Highways
Trucks headed north to Las Vegas on U.S. 93 labor to make the steep grade on the climb through Coyote Pass. Until the I 11 interchange is completed, south bound drivers encounter a road block at Kingman, Arizona that often has traffic backed up to the summit of the pass and beyond. But as steep as the grade is, it is better than what drivers encountered on U.S. 466 ninety years ago.
And that highway was a dramatic improvement over the “highway” that had been built to connect Kingman with the mining town of Chloride in about 1913. I can only imagine how amazing a drive on that road was for pioneers that had traveled through the pass on the Mohave Prescott Road in the mid 19th century.
Near the summit where traces of U.S. 466, the 1913 highway, and the Mohave Prescott Road vanish under the asphalt of U.S. 93 there are panoramic views of the Cerbat Mountain foothills dominated by towering buttes and mesas. The cloud shrouded Hualapai Mountains served as the backdrop on the day that I set out in search of lost highways.
The Adventure Begins
Even if your not in search of lost highways, the trail system is a highly recommended detour for Route 66 travelers. Likewise with the extensive trail network at the nearby White Cliffs Wagon Trail area. Both trail heads are less than two miles from downtwon Kingman. And they are accessed by paved roads.
In addition to the maps in kiosks at the trailhead, I also used an Arizona Good Roads Association guide published in 1913 to keep me on track.
History At Every Turn
The pass is dotted with springs that flow even in the hottest months of summer. So, for the Cerbat clan of the Hualapai people, Coyote Pass was an ideal place to camp, to hunt, and to raise a few crops.
The springs are most likely the reason a Native American trade route that connected villages in present day New Mexico with ones on the coast of California followed the pass through the Cerbat Mountains. For travelers following that trade route, including the expedition of Father Garces in 1776, places such as Beale’s Springs were a greatly appreciated oasis.
The American Story
In 1848 the discovery of gold at Sutter’s Mill in California opened the flood gates for westward migration.This sparked a gold rush of another kind for proponents of northern, central, and southern railroads to California.
In September of 1851 Captain Lorenzo Sitgreaves, with a crew of topographers, naturalists, artists, and and an escort of cavalary set out from the Zuni Pueblo. Their pack train followed much of the old trade route to the Colorado River. Then they followed the river south to Yuma.
In 1853 Congress passed the Pacific Railroad Survey Bill, appropriating $150,000.00 for studies. Four survey teams were assigned to study main routes under consideration. Lieutenant Amiel Weeks Whipple was put in charge of the 35th Parallel Survey.
Even though the old trade route was well mapped, and well watered, Whipple chose to explore another option. And so he traveled south, and along the Bill williams River.
Beale’s Road, a primary trade corridor across northern Arizona before construction of the railroad in the early 1880s, roughly followed Lt. Amiel Whipple’s trail. Beale’s Springs, and nearby Atlantic Srpings, were important oasis for travelers.
In the early 1880s the Atlantic & Pacific Railroad followed Beale’s Road. But because of the steep grades in Coyote Pass, the railroad followed Kingman Canyon a few miles to the south into the Sacramento Valley. The National Old Trail Road, and then Route 66, followed the same course.
Coyote Pass
Before the railroad the Colorado River served as the interstate highway of its days. Steamboats carried cargo to river ports such as Hardyville near present day Bullhead City, Arizona. And extensive an extensive network of military roads and toll roads was built to carry goods to the interior of the territory, and mineral wealth to the river.
Counted among these was the Mohave Prescott Road, or Hardyville Road. It served as a vital trade corridor between Hardyville, and Fort Mohave, with Fort Whipple and the territorial Arizona capital of Prescott. And so during the Hualapai Wars of the 1870s, a military outpost was established at Beale Springs. This would later be the center of the newly created Hualapai Reservation, and the starting part for the Hualapai Trail of Tears when the Hualapai were force marched to a reservation on the Colorado River.
In the years that followed the military outpost was replaced by a ranch, a popular stop for travelers as a cook baked fresh apple pies. A hotel was built at the springs, and a brief time it served as a primary water source for the fledgling community of Kingman.
Traces of all this history, as well as the roads and trails, are evident in the pass. That as well as the stunning scenery make it an ideal place for a bit of a walkabout, and to set ou in search of lost highways.
Grifters, chem trails and myth are all a part of the American story. They are intertwined with our political history, stories of legendary adventurers, and the embracing of conspiracy theories.
Route 66 Myths and Grifters
Do a Google search about the 1939 nuptial’s of Clark Gable and Carol Lombard. You will find countless references to their March 1939 marriage in Kingman, Arizona, and their honeymoon in Oatman, Arizona. Even the National Park Service website page about the Durlin Hotel notes their homeymoon night in Oatman.
To plagiarize a statement of two from Paul Joseph Goebbels, chief propagandist for the Nazi Party, tell a story, or lie, with conviction and authority, and before you know it, fiction and myth have become fact.
The Gable and Lombard myth was launched in the 1960s when the old Durlin Hotel, now the Oatman Hotel, was sold. The new owners needed a hook.
With a population of less than 100 people, the dusty mining town barely had a pulse. Old desert rats that dug a bit of color from the rocks in the Black Mountains, retirees, and a few die hard shop owners kept it alive.
The pre 1952 alignment of Route 66 passed in front of the hotel, but that highways renaissance was years in the future. So, the owner began telling the story of finding a guest register with the celebrities names. Unfortunately, and conveniently, he also claimed that the register had been lost in a stroage building fire.
Fact of Fiction
Truth always struggles to overcome fiction, especially if a myth has been embedded in stone. Newspaper articles noted that the happy couple married in Kingman, and followed U.S. 466 north to Boulder City, Nevada where they spent the evening. The plan was to visit Boulder Dam before continuing on to Los Angeles for a press conference.
There is a possibility that an impromptu wedding reception was held at the Brunswick Hotel in Kingman. But that is a local legend. However, unlike the Oatman Hotel story, this myth actually has some historical grounding.
Separating fact from fiction, legend and myth from truth is never easy. And the task becomes even more challenging with the passing of time, especially if from the beginning truth was overshadowed urban legend.
A Curious Case
The White Rock Court in Kingman is counted among the rarest of historic buildings with a direct Route 66 connection.
Some years ago Andy Sansom, former archivist at the Mohave Museum of History & Arts, in Kingman, Arizona, set out to prove or disprove a persistent local legend. The claim was that a large sign proudly proclaiming Kingman was a sundown town stood along Route 66 near the city limits.
Kingman, as with many Route 66 communities, was a sundown town. The White Rock Court was the only lodging option noted in the Negro Motorist Green Book. Hood’s Court, managed by Joe Hood, a former Cochise County Sheriff from Tombstone, Arizona also provided lodging to African American travelers, but he chose not to advertise that fact.
Those are facts. The sign, however, is another matter. When questioned, dozens upon dozens of older residents claimed to remember the sign warning “Negro travelers to be off the street after dark.” But not one agreed about the signs location, or even if there was one on each end of town. Even though the tsunami of interest in Route 66 has turned up thousands of historic photos, not one photo of the mythical sign has been found.
This doesn’t mean that the sign never existed. It simply means that there is the very real possibility this is an urban legend told so often it became truth, a memory. See the statement from Paul Joseph Goebbels previously reference.
Grifters, Chem Trails and Myth
At Jim Hinckley’s America, we tell America’s story. We strive to separate myth from truth. But we also realize that myths are a big part of the American experience. Likewise with our fascination, and even obsession, with conspiracy theories such as has recently made mainfest in stories about chem trails.
Tales about grifters definitely add some zest and spice to the American story. Shakespeare, New Mexico is one example. In 1872 a team of grifters made a fortune by salting a mine with diamonds in order to raise prices on mining stock. Even William Ralston, founder of the Bank of California, was suckered.
The history of American politics is peppered with grifters. I would prefer avoiding controversy at this time. So, for now, I will let you delve into the fascinating history of political machines and grifters, and the long lasting ramifications.
Adios 2023
If all goes as planned, I will have time for one more blog post this year. I have a few ideas about content. Perhaps a story about interesting crimes along Route 66 would be of interest. Do you have suggestions?
Adios 2023, hello 2024. Once again the team at Jim Hinckley’s Americais reflecting on 2023, and making plans for 2024. Sharing highlights of the year that is about to become history, and highlighting projects planned for the coming year are a December tradition. But this year is a bit different as a number of projects and initiatives are linked to the fast approaching Route 66 centennial.
Adios 2023
A simple adage that I live by is this, every day is good. However, some days are just a bit better than others. That outlook on life sums up how I review a year come December.
Travel is a primary focal point of what we do at Jim Hinckley’s America. We share America’s story. And we inspire road trips by telling people where to go.
But we try to tell people where to go if we have been there first. As our tag line says, we taste the enchiladas and test the pillows.
2023 Adventures
This year the travel schedule was a bit lighter than in 2019. Still, it was an improvement over 2020 or even 2022. And there is clear indication that 2024 will be even better.
We kicked things off with a short trip to the Route 66 Info Fair in Needles, California. It is always good to see old friends, and to inspire a road trip or two. And Needles on the Colorado River during the months of winter are delightfully sunny and warm.
A speaking engagement in Apache Junction provided an excuse to drive through Phoenix, our first visit in more than 15 years to a city that seems like a desert suburb of Los Angeles. To date, with near full capacity of the 350 seat theatre, that was the largest audience that turned out to see me beat my gums, and tell stories.
I greatly enjoy Colorado. But I am a man of the desert, so a visit to a Coloorado ski resort city in February isn’t my idea of a great holiday escape. While other conference participants took time to ski, snowmobile or even avail themselves of a massage, I chose to read, engage in lively conversation and simply enjoy the sights from in front of the fire.
The conference was quite fascinating and thought provoking. And to be asked to particpate as well as speak before such an August group was a distinct honor. Speakers, and dinner companions, included John Foley, a former lead solo pilot for the Blue Angels, and Fatema Hamdani, the co-founder/CEO of Kraus Hamdani Aerospace Inc.
Of course, the journey to Colorado provided an opportunity make a few new discoveries. One of these was the charming and delightful Grand Junction Palamino Inn, a little vintage place on U.S. 6 in Grand Junction, Colorado. And the return trip included seeing Monument Valley dusted with snow, and experiencing a frosty sunrise in Kayenta, Arizona.
Old Friends and An Old Saloon
A highlight of the year was an opportunity to visit with some friends from Germany in Prescott, Arizona. Over the course of the past forty years or so my dearest friend and I have made lots of memories in the old territorial capitol. But being able to share a few of the highlights, such as the Palace Saloon on Whiskey Row, the oldest saloon in Arizona, with our friends made for a delightful evening.
This old saloon has a connection to the legenday Earp brothers, and to our honeymoon. And it figures promininently in the 1972 movie Junior Bonner staring Steve McQueen, a movie that inspired me to try my hand as a saddle bronc rider.
Prescott has been overwhelmed by the onslaught of generic suburbia. But the historic heart of the picturesque old town with towering courthouse on the square is unchanged from when I was working ranches north of town more than 45 years ago. With its historic hotels, saloons, eclectic shops, diverse restuants, and fascinating museums, Prescott remains one of our favorite destinations.
Adios 2023, Hello 2024
The annual fall Route 66 tour was was also an opportunity to bid adios to 2023 with some friends, and to say hello to 2024 in planning sessions with associates. The focal point of the tours are the Miles of Possibility Route 66 Conference.
As is our custom during the drive to and from, we visit with friends in the tourism industry. This enables to get a better feel of upcoming tourism trends, which in turn helps us plan for 2024. And we try out a few new motels and restaurants, and check out some old favorites.
Plans are already being made for the fall 2024 tour in October I have agreed to speak at the MIles of Possibility Route 66 Conference which will take place in Edwardsville, Illinois. And as I am currently working on two new books, there is a chance that I will have an opportunity for a series of signings.
Hello 2024
We will be kicking off 2024 with a trip to southern California. A book signing at Auto Books Aero Books in Burbank is confirmed for January 20, 2024. And I am hoping to confirm at least one more appearance. To that end I am in discussion with a book store in Pasadena.
The trip will also be an opportunity to check out some new restaurants and motels. And even if I haven’t figured out the GoPro, I will also be gathering photos to be used as illustrations in the new books, including a Route 66 centennial anthology. There are also plans to create some videos for our YouTube channel.
Meanwhile, before I can say hello to 2024, there is a doctors appointment and a visit to the optometrist. And of course there is the holiday season.
Coffee With Jim, the live weekly podcast from Jim Hinckley’s America, is all about inspiring road trips by telling people where to go, and the sharing of America’s story. Personally it is also a challenge, a source of frustration, a rewarding endeavor and a grand adventure for a tech challenged old timer like me.
On the December 3rd program our guest was Scoff Dahl, the dynamic Director of the Springfield (Illinois) Convention & Visitors Bureau. We talked about Route 66 events and developments, the Route 66 centennial, and gastronomic adventures in Springfield.
Overall it was an excellent program. Lots of inspiration for road trip enthusiasts, and for community organizers. And as happens every once and awhile, there was a bit of a glitch that put a damper on the first six minutes or so.
Scott called in rather than using the app. Not a problem in itself. But our theme song was stuck on a loop. Interestingly I couldn’t hear this issue on my end, but the audience could. Fortunately a couple of listeners let me know .Still, by the time I resolved the issue by deleting the music, nearly seven minutes of my conversation with Scott was difficult to hear.
What Did You Miss?
As the discussion was so fascinating, I decided to have the program transcribed. Following is the transcript of the first four minutes of our conversation, after we established the phone connection, during the bleed over with the theme song. After the seven minute mark all was good.
I do not like turning out anything that is unprofessional. So, I do apologize. We will continue working to iron out bugs, and to develop the program as a platform for event organizers, community leaders, authors, artists, photographers, and for people with a fascinating or inspirational story to share.
Jim: All right. Just hang right on. I’ll be right with you.
Scott: Sounds good.
Jim: …. a beautiful day here in sunny Kingman, Arizona. 39 degrees and sunny. Let’s start with a little bit of music from Joe and Woody and the boys of The Road Crew, always a good way to start a day talking about road trips. Gotta have a little bit of fun. Speaking of road trips, today we’re going to be be talking with a Scott Dahl in Springfield, Illinois. These folks back there in Springfield,
are doing everything but selling a hog on the squeal, I should say selling everything including the squeal on the hog. Hello, Mr Scott Dahl. How are you today, sir?
Scott: Good morning, Jim. Thanks for the invite.
Hey, you bet we’re doing this by phone this morning. So we’ll see how this all works out.
JIm: It was great talking with you at the Miles of Possibility Conference and I gotta tell you, you got me excited about the things you’ve been doing there and your infectious enthusiasm was evident.
Scott: Well, thanks. Appreciate it. Hey, a shameless plug. We’re hosting the MIles of Possibility Conference during the Route 66 centennial (2026). Obviously, we’re excited about that.
Jim: I look forward to that one.I really have a feeling you guys are gonna pull out all the stops.
Scott: We are. Yes. We’ve already started planning and absolutely, we will make it worthy of their 100th anniversary celebration.
Jim: I had to laugh when we were at the miles of possibility conference. You really hit the ground running, and created some waves when you started there in Springfield with your sunrise,
donut sign adventure.
Scott: Yeah. Right. So, you know, two months after being appointed Director of the Springfield Convention Bureau this sign comes up for public auction and you know we had thought it should stay in the city. We needed to jump and there were a lot of bidders. It is obviously iconic in Springfield and we jumped in, and Ace Sign Company helped us out and it did create some waves.A matter of fact,
it almost cost me my job.
Jim: Well, you know that’s what I like. You’ve got the tenacity and you stuck it out.
Scott: I think people saw what you were trying to accomplish.
Jim: well, I’m glad that you didn’t lose your job over this.
Scott: Well, they didn’t see it immediately. Let me tell you that, you know, they they certainly questioned it. They questioned how someone could be on a job for a few months and spend $20,000 on a seven year old neon sign. But, you know we wanted to talk about more than just the sign. The route 66 International Festival. You know,
our annual festival we’ve had for only a few plus years now and we,
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If all goes as planned, I will have time for one more blog post this year. I have a few ideas about content. Perhaps a story about interesting crimes along Route 66 would be of interest. Do you have suggestions?
