CROWN KING:
The following is my history buff nature kicking with a somewhat brief history of a town that is near and dear to Jeep enthusiasts hearts. It's a wonderful "halfway point" or destination for those seeking to wheel their way out of the Phoenix heat.
Following this history is a short description of my latest trip to Crown King. and pictures! I hope you enjoy.
In Yavapai county, somewhere out in the rugged Bradshaw Mountains, there are dozens of ghost towns that date back to the late 1800’s. shadows of times gone by when it was literally every man for himself in the search for undiscovered wealth in the form of copper, gold, and silver.
(not my picture)
The towns were eventually incorporated with established post offices, saloons, even schools and churches. For their time they had everything a miner would need. But now, they are nothing more than shadows. A distant memory from their previous grandeur. Eventually, the mines played out, and one by one, the equipment fell silent. And the towns were deserted. Nothing remaining in their place except the foundations of what used to stand, and whispers of the past.
There is however, nestled high up in the Bradshaws, one town that has endured through the years. Crown King was established in 1875 as the supporting city to the Crowned King gold mine. The post office was established on June 29th 1888 until the mines played out and was closed in 1954. Since then the post office has been re-opened to accommodate the 130 people today who call Crown King home. The mine was the mainstay of the town of Crown King. So much ore was produced that a railroad was called for to move it all to Prescott.
(not my picture)
The rail service began in 1904 and was called murphys impossible railroad, as the terrain was tough and incredibly difficult to navigate via, rail. Today the railroad is a distant memory. All of the rails have been removed and scrapped. The only thing left is the bridges that the train would cross. Today the main road taken from the I-17 uses most of the old rail bed as the route to the ghost town.
At its height, Crown King had 500 buildings, including several company stores and boarding houses, two Chinese restaurants and a post office. The town was electrified by 1897 and had one telephone at that time. The owners of the mine didn’t tolerate drunkenness from their employees, thus the town attracted a higher class of miner. The Crowned King mine alone produced well over $2 million dollars in gold before it played out.
Today, what remains of the towns rich past is the Saloon, which was brought piece by piece to Crown King when the mine in Oro- Belle played out and the town was deserted. Also left over are the general store, a few residences and small museum.
(not my picture)
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I had the opportunity to visit Crown king, but as much of a history buff as I am, I was most astonished by the incredible beauty that is locked away in the Bradshaws. Starting with the under-stated exit from the I-17, I am immediately drawn to my surroundings. The road is dirt and relatively well maintained as you pass through the ghost town of Bumble Bee. But as I worked my way up the road, the more I realized that the road was becoming increasingly grated and rain damaged. Almost as if I were driving over gods washboard for 27 miles.
But as I pass through the ghosts and semi-ghosts like Cleator and Alexandra, I also noticed that the landscape was becoming more stunning. Being that it was approaching evening time, the already beautiful landscape was being accentuated by the setting sun along with a fierce thunderstorm that had been brewing all day. Making for some amazing photos. Unfortunately I had dead batteries in my camera so I was reduced to snapping shots with my Iphone.
My partner and I ate lunch at the Saloon and started back snapping pictures as we went. The rain catching up with us at moments, making for a chilly ride back to the main highway and ultimately home.
I’ve taken the “back door” trail to Crown King twice before, but that route takes 3 times as long and is a dead guarantee that you will be spending money on your rig to fix something you broke. I must say that this ride was much more relaxing and equally fulfilling.
jeep clubs outside the saloon at Crown King
(not my picture)
Anyway, I hope you all get an opportunity to bring your rigs down to Arizona. I hope you get to try your luck coming up the back door to this small rest stop high in the cool hills, and I hope you get to take the easy road out and see the beauty I saw as you make your way to the highway and on to other trails in this great state that I call home.
Happy Trails everybody. And remember to tread lightly.
) in my trail travels this fall.
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