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Page 8 www.DesertMessenger.com desert messenger celebrates the arizona's centennial with voices from the past in Quartzsite, AZ Excerpts from "In the Shadow of Saguaros" by Rosalee Oldham Wheeler FARRAR GULCH IN THE LA PAZ MINING DISTRICT In 1864 it was acknowledged that RV, Buses and Commercial Truck Specialists one of the richest areas for finding gold was in Farrar Gulch in the La Paz Mining District. The Gulch is on the north side of I-10 about 12 miles west of Quartzsite. At the big curve, while still in the canyons, there is a small miner's cabin that can be seen from the highway. Further on up the canyon, just before you get to the Goodman Arroyo, was where in 1864 miners dug shafts in the wash from 30- to 50-feet deep. It was reported that hundreds of dollars in gold was taken out per day—and that was in 1864 dollars! On one exceptional day the assay office in Ehrenberg reported that all together, miners had brought in $1,012 in gold from the shafts of Far- rar Gulch. The price of gold was fairly steady then at $18.93 a Troy ounce and by 1930 it had climbed to $20.65! The source of the gold was in gold- quartz veins located near the head of Farrar Gulch where the nuggets were generally rough and angular. During the mild winter months hundreds of men were willing to work the placers but come summer it was difficult to find even a hundred miners willing to brave the blistering hot sun. It had been that 47-ounce nugget that Don Juan Farrar had found on his claim that started the gold frenzy in the gulch that got its name from the then-famous finder. It is estimated that during the first and second years of operation, nearly $1 million in 1864 gold prices was taken from the Farrar Gulch diggings. During the rush of Far- rar Gulch, gold dust and small nuggets was used to buy necessary supplies at the J. Goldwater & Brother Mercantile in Ehrenberg which was followed up by a visit to one of several saloons for a little frivolity and entertainment. In 1868 Trinidad G. Gonzales moved his family 66 miles up the Colorado River from North Landing to La Paz, a busy steamboat town with gold mines flourishing out in the La Paz District. But shortly after the Gonzales' move the Colorado River flooded La Paz. The whole town moved to higher ground six miles downriver at Ehrenberg. Steam- boats were stranded and people were living on rice, jerky, and cow's milk. Trinidad Gonzales knew about a trail back down to North Landing where steamboats could navigate from Yuma with food and supplies. Trinidad hit the trail on his horse in order to bring emergency provisions to Ehrenberg. SEE MINING ON PAGE 9 2160 Bell Avenue, Sacramento, CA 95838 Tel 916-925-1000 www.autobodyworkshop.com Alternative Therapies Reiki Massage Hypnosis Ear Candling Nutritional Products Mary Kay Consultant Barbara Lancaster, R.N., C.H.T., R.M.T. 928-927-5858 • 928-785-7182 Palm Plaza #8 • 255 N. Central Blvd. • Quartzsite December 21, 2011