Desert Messenger

22 www.DesertMessenger.com January 15, 2020 THE MAIN TRADING POST INDIAN ARTIFACTS & JEWELRY 928-927-3200 1170 W. Main St. (across from Pilot) PO Box 4028, Quartzsite, AZ 85346 BEADS Findings Much More! Sterling Silver Jewelry 50% OFF! LIVE MUSIC 3 PM ~ AT THE STAGE! Nov. 15 - March ~ Updates on our Facebook Page Water, water, anywhere? By Archie Lumbert When visitors pull into the Quartzsite museum, they'll see a spool with a crank, made for lifting right at the entrance. Also called a windlass, this was used to hoist buckets of water to the surface from underground. Charles Tyson had dug a well across the street for this very purpose, as early as 1856. This particular windlass, though now in- operable, like many others, adorned the landscape around our desert town back before electricity and in- ternal combustion engines did our heavy lifting for us. Here, the "new" technology made it more convenient to perform daily tasks. But what was before that? Travelers crossing the dry ex- panse of the Southwest rarely had enough capacity to carry water for more than a few days. Rivers were Here and There few and far between. The Colorado River, (Spanish meaning colored red) was swift and its waters were fi lled with minerals. It is reported that the Colorado's waters were so thick that sheep swimming across became so heavy with the sediment that they fl oated lower as they ap- proached the distant bank, often disappearing under the waves. The need for water drove a cot- tage industry during the times of mining booms. Hi Jolly and oth- ers hauled water to the mines with horses, mules, and even camels, on buckboards and mud wagons. At Quinn Pass (on the road to Bouse) an industrious settler dug a cistern to collect water to sell to travelers and miners. Lonely travelers relied on their noses and their livestock to lead them towards watering holes. Bed- rock held water in Tinajas that sup- ported local populations for millen- nia prior to the western expansion. One such place, about four miles south of Quartzsite, where the Ty- son Wash has scoured down to the bedrock, shows evidence of habi- tation for centuries as evidenced by the numerous petroglyphs and grinding slabs. What we call "Picture Rocks" was named Los Pozos (the Wells) when fi rst settled by prospectors to take advantage of the easily accessible water. This area is where the French Creek (normally a dry wash) from the Kofa Mountains, converges with the Tyson Wash, storing water near the surface in gravel atop the shallow bedrock. Many sites, such as these, dot the landscape in our vicinity. To fi nd the pictured rock grind- ing holes: from our museum, turn right out of our driveway then right again onto South US 95. Go 9/10th of a mile south to the La Posa West sign on the right and turn in. Fol- low the pavement round to the right then left until it turns into Yuma Rd. You'll see a small sign with the Arizona fl ag; that tells you you're on the Arizona Peace Trail which is southbound, gravel. Follow Old Yuma Rd. past the dumpsters for approximately 2.8 miles to a trail marked 0139G to the right. Follow this trail approximately 4/10th of a mile towards the high ground. You'll be heading in the general direction of Rainbow Acres and towards the west. When you reach the wash, the pictured rock is on your right. Petroglyphs are all round the cave and adorn the west side facing the wash. This season you can even see the damp ground where the water stands close to the surface. While you're there, walk west across the wash following the trail 01039F up the hill where you'll fi nd the grinding holes (metates) on the south side of the hill crest. Take in the awesome view that the ancient people who made these, had for centuries while grinding the seeds from the surrounding trees. There, you'll see at least six distinct moun- tain ranges as far as 50 miles away. The Museum is open Wednesday through Sunday, 10 am to 4 pm through March 31. We are located at 161 Main Street (parking in rear). We are next door to Silly Al's. Phone (928)927-5229.

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