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As many in the Earp field know, I have had an open door policy inviting so many to my home to view my collection. I've always wanted to share history, and seeing the excitement of another historian or collector react to items that I have shown them , takes me back to when I first saw it, and this has long been a source of joy for me.
But the collection has reached a level of value that I never anticipated, and so I have moved the more valuable portions of the collection out of my home, into secure vaults at financial institutions. With this in mind, I have decided to publish on our site a small portion of one of my favorite documents, and I may do more of this down the road should our readership enjoy this. The contents of the ledger have never been published in any forum that I am aware of, nor have I seen its contents in any Tombstone related writings.
From the ledger, here is a brief excerpt showing that A.C. (Arthur C.) Cowan was attending meetings of this group in Tombstone during the Earp era. It was A.C. Cowan, the Wells Fargo agent at Contention, who rode to Tombstone on the evening of March 15th, 1881 to notify authorities of the shooting of Bud Philpott. The "Edw Drew" is actually Edwin Drew, who hailed from England. He was a miner in Tombstone during the same period of time, thirty six years old in 1882, and not one of Drew's Station family.
Note, also, that Wells Spicer appears on the same page, who's "Spicer Hearing" was a key event in the Earp saga. He is among so many of Tombstone's luminaries of the day who appear in these numerous original pages, both for their status in the community, and for their important roles played in Tombstone's most celebrated drama. Other pages of the ledger also include one of the participants in the gunfight near the O.K. Corral.
I hope our readers enjoy this as I have.
-John Rose
Bud Philpott was a driver in the employ of J.D. Kinnear the night he was murdered in the wash south of Drew's Station. This entry showing J.D. Kinnear appeared in the Tucson and Tombstone General and Business Directory published in 1883. Though Tombstone and it's businesses had appeared in earlier directories such as the West Coast Business
Directory, this marked the first time that Tombstone had a local directory that it shared with Tucson, filled with names not just of local businesses but ordinary individuals showing that Tombstone had come into it's own in less than a half dozen years. Closer to a century in years, Tucson occupied 100 pages, as opposed to Tombstone, which occupied 103 pages. This image comes from the original Tucson and Tombstone Directory in the collections of John D. Rose, one of six known to exist.
Directory, this marked the first time that Tombstone had a local directory that it shared with Tucson, filled with names not just of local businesses but ordinary individuals showing that Tombstone had come into it's own in less than a half dozen years. Closer to a century in years, Tucson occupied 100 pages, as opposed to Tombstone, which occupied 103 pages. This image comes from the original Tucson and Tombstone Directory in the collections of John D. Rose, one of six known to exist.
As a collector it always amazes what things survive the ages and what does not. This paycheck from my collection is for labor at the Grand Central is from a group of personal papers of E.B. Gage. The check is signed by long term mill worker S.W. Woods, who became Supt of the Mill as this 1888 check shows. Woods also gave a deposition to the Garner vs. Gird case, which is a bonanza of information for Tombstone studies.
-John Rose
-John Rose
' Original Harper's from the collections of John D. Rose.'
"Across Arizona" offers the reader a view of the Arizona Territory while it was still a wild but rapidly developing frontier. Your reading what many across the nation did in the 1880's who longed to know more of these western territories and exotic locals which captured many an imagination in the U.S. and Europe. Even in real time many wondered if they should try themselves against the frontier, though most were content to read about it in a popular publication of the day, rather than see it in person. This gives the reader today an idea of the excitement and interest in the Arizona Territory.
As with many other period writings, they contain errors and misunderstood information, but they still offer us something that we will never have, to be there on the ground, in the American West, while it was still Wild.
Click to continue reading "Across Arizona"
As with many other period writings, they contain errors and misunderstood information, but they still offer us something that we will never have, to be there on the ground, in the American West, while it was still Wild.
Click to continue reading "Across Arizona"
Cottonwood Mill Site
In the search for the location where Wyatt Earp killed Curly Bill Brocius, few records have been located that could further the research of this famous encounter.
The recent discovery by John Rose of this document brings a new source to add to the discourse. It's for a mill claim for a location called "Cottonwood." Note that it does not say Cottonwood Spring. That it is not titled Cottonwood Spring does not in itself prove that it is a different location than this claim known as Cottonwood. In fact, as the map study below by Jim Lindenberger shows, it is in the same area as the actual Cottonwood Spring. We share this exciting discovery to further the discourse for those who like ourselves, simply wish to follow the
trail of primary source research wherever it leads, without agenda. As the claim states, "This claim is situated in the Southwest end of the Whetstone Mountains, County of Pima, [Cochise County had yet to be formed] and Territory of Arizona, about sixteen miles due west of the San Pedro River, and eight miles north west of old Camp Whallen..." ( The correct spelling is Wallen)
It's important to note that not all mill claims were turned into mill sites, and not all mills in mining were of the same significance. There were far more mills on paper in the 1880's in this part of Arizona than there were ever mills actually completed on the ground. Lack of funding, the playing out of the once promising mine, the drying up of a nearby water source, are just a few of the possibilities which explain this. The claim further lists a nearby ranch which is not on any of our current maps, though we continue to search, as well as looking for information related to the "Rocket" Mine which may or may not offer further clues. What this claim does show is that there was a known water supply at a location known as Cottonwood, described in the correct area of Cottonwood Spring, over two years before the Iron Spring fight. Recorded January 2nd,1880, it is reasonable that this location would still have water on March 24th, 1882, the day that Wyatt Earp gunned down Curly Bill. Whether this claim proves to be related to Iron Spring or not, the uncovering of such documents is part of the hunt, and an important part at that. We are sharing this raw information while this research is still in progress, so that this can aid others in their research as well.
John Rose
The recent discovery by John Rose of this document brings a new source to add to the discourse. It's for a mill claim for a location called "Cottonwood." Note that it does not say Cottonwood Spring. That it is not titled Cottonwood Spring does not in itself prove that it is a different location than this claim known as Cottonwood. In fact, as the map study below by Jim Lindenberger shows, it is in the same area as the actual Cottonwood Spring. We share this exciting discovery to further the discourse for those who like ourselves, simply wish to follow the
trail of primary source research wherever it leads, without agenda. As the claim states, "This claim is situated in the Southwest end of the Whetstone Mountains, County of Pima, [Cochise County had yet to be formed] and Territory of Arizona, about sixteen miles due west of the San Pedro River, and eight miles north west of old Camp Whallen..." ( The correct spelling is Wallen)
It's important to note that not all mill claims were turned into mill sites, and not all mills in mining were of the same significance. There were far more mills on paper in the 1880's in this part of Arizona than there were ever mills actually completed on the ground. Lack of funding, the playing out of the once promising mine, the drying up of a nearby water source, are just a few of the possibilities which explain this. The claim further lists a nearby ranch which is not on any of our current maps, though we continue to search, as well as looking for information related to the "Rocket" Mine which may or may not offer further clues. What this claim does show is that there was a known water supply at a location known as Cottonwood, described in the correct area of Cottonwood Spring, over two years before the Iron Spring fight. Recorded January 2nd,1880, it is reasonable that this location would still have water on March 24th, 1882, the day that Wyatt Earp gunned down Curly Bill. Whether this claim proves to be related to Iron Spring or not, the uncovering of such documents is part of the hunt, and an important part at that. We are sharing this raw information while this research is still in progress, so that this can aid others in their research as well.
John Rose
The above Cottonwood Mill Site claim states that it is to be used for milling ore from the "Rocket Mine."
In following up this lead, I contacted my good friend and Ace researcher Kevin Pyles of the Cochise County Archives in Bisbee Arizona. Readers of Wild West Magazine will remember Mr. Pyles from the "Collections" article in the April 2007 issue of Wild West. Researchers of Cochise County history are fortunate to have such a fine resource and dedicated public servant as he, and it was Kevin who tracked down the claim which we now gratefully add to our site.
This document further explores the history of this important area, which may in turn further the search for where Wyatt Earp killed Curly Bill Brocius in the Whetstone Mountains of Arizona. Note that the location date of the claim for the Rocket Mine is dated January 2nd, 1880, as is the location date of the claim for the Cottonwood Millsite.
Also, the three claimants are the same on both documents.
-John Rose
In following up this lead, I contacted my good friend and Ace researcher Kevin Pyles of the Cochise County Archives in Bisbee Arizona. Readers of Wild West Magazine will remember Mr. Pyles from the "Collections" article in the April 2007 issue of Wild West. Researchers of Cochise County history are fortunate to have such a fine resource and dedicated public servant as he, and it was Kevin who tracked down the claim which we now gratefully add to our site.
This document further explores the history of this important area, which may in turn further the search for where Wyatt Earp killed Curly Bill Brocius in the Whetstone Mountains of Arizona. Note that the location date of the claim for the Rocket Mine is dated January 2nd, 1880, as is the location date of the claim for the Cottonwood Millsite.
Also, the three claimants are the same on both documents.
-John Rose
All photos by Jim Lindenberger
