Wyatt Earp, The Iron Spring Shootout-
-The True Location Of Cottonwood Spring by John D. Rose
-The True Location Of Cottonwood Spring by John D. Rose
Although a number of Historians and enthusiasts have endorsed Cottonwood Spring in the Whetstone Mountains of Arizona as the likely location where Wyatt Earp killed Curly Bill Brocius, they have yet to visit the actual Cottonwood Spring.
The fame that Wyatt Earp has achieved following his death has been remarkable. Although it’s easy to point to the Tombstone shootout (the gunfight near the O.K. Corral) as the source of this fame, his brothers Morgan and Virgil also participated in this well known encounter and never achieved such popularity in American popular culture. As Tombstone Marshall, Virgil was the ranking authority as the Earps walked to disarm the cowboys that day, and Wyatt was acting under Virgil’s authority, not the other way around. Why is Wyatt the best remembered?
One reason which may separate Wyatt from his brothers is that he was not hit by any bullets aimed for him, which only fuels the desire to view him in near mythical status. But another series of events, known as the “Earp Vendetta” may well have placed Wyatt in history’s spotlight in a way that even the gunfight near the O.K. Corral could not.
With the wounding of Virgil Earp December 28th, 1881, and the assassination of Morgan Earp, March 18th, 1882, Wyatt was simply the only Earp brother capable of inflicting casualties against those he believed responsible. A key moment in that ride was the killing of Curly Bill Brocius in the Whetstone Mountains, March 24th, 1882, at a location known to Wyatt Earp as “Iron Springs.” No legal proceedings occurred in the wake of this killing, and so historians do not have court records of testimony on which to base their studies. But Wyatt Earp was working on a book that the movie of his life was to be based on, and he collaborated with his longtime friend and attempted biographer, John Flood. The Earp/Flood map and Flood account of this event is by far the most detailed and accurate when it comes to the study of this incident.
One reason which may separate Wyatt from his brothers is that he was not hit by any bullets aimed for him, which only fuels the desire to view him in near mythical status. But another series of events, known as the “Earp Vendetta” may well have placed Wyatt in history’s spotlight in a way that even the gunfight near the O.K. Corral could not.
With the wounding of Virgil Earp December 28th, 1881, and the assassination of Morgan Earp, March 18th, 1882, Wyatt was simply the only Earp brother capable of inflicting casualties against those he believed responsible. A key moment in that ride was the killing of Curly Bill Brocius in the Whetstone Mountains, March 24th, 1882, at a location known to Wyatt Earp as “Iron Springs.” No legal proceedings occurred in the wake of this killing, and so historians do not have court records of testimony on which to base their studies. But Wyatt Earp was working on a book that the movie of his life was to be based on, and he collaborated with his longtime friend and attempted biographer, John Flood. The Earp/Flood map and Flood account of this event is by far the most detailed and accurate when it comes to the study of this incident.
Unresolved questions are debated in the 20th Century.
There has been a great deal of debate as to what spring in the Whetstones could have hosted this event, and in 2008 a new site, known as Cottonwood Spring was added to the discourse. This site has been received with great enthusiasm by some in the field. I have researched this site and would like to share those findings with those who truly are trying to apply non agenda based research to figure where the “Iron Springs” fight really took place. Some, but not all of the debate over this site has been a healthy exchange of differing views. I wish to widen the debate by revealing my research for those who genuinely do want to follow the evidence wherever it may lead, and share an important new discovery in hopes of advancing this research for all.
The Cottwonwood Spring site, as it has been known until this point, will be referred to as the “Evans site” in this article. This designation is in honor of its recent discoverer, Bill Evans. The Evans site does have some elements that at first glance fit the Earp description. The Flood manuscript describes the Earp posse traveling up a steadily rising mesa until they reach the “edge of mesa.” From his vantage atop the “edge of mesa,” Wyatt Earp is surprised to see that the wash fifteen feet below contains an active spring near which Curly Bill and his cohorts are camping and cooking. Per the Flood manuscript: “ Two hundred yards behind, the six horsemen but a moment before, had passed a hill that arose abruptly at the right of the road, to a height of a hundred feet or more, an outlying sentinel, alone...” When approaching the Evans site there is a mountain on the right which proponents for this site believe to be to a “lone hill,” or “lone mountain.” The peak believed to be “lone hill” when approaching the Evans site is not at all a hill, as it rises over 1000 feet from the valley floor.
Further, for the “lone hill” to remain on the right, as the per the Flood manuscript, along Evans’ route to the spring, the spring must be approached from the southeast. But the route as explained by Bill Evans (from the southeast) to his site is clearly not the most direct route the Earp posse could have and would have taken. If Earp did not come to the Evans site from the Southeast, the site makes even less sense.
Had the Earps taken this route they would have clearly seen this Evans’ “lone hill” as anything but that. It’s clearly a mountain peak that is very much connected to other mountains. Although Flood says “lone hill” was “two hundred yards behind” the point of contact between Earp and Brocius, the distance from the base of Evans’ “lone hill” to his site is 1.38 miles. The distance from the center of Evans’ “lone hill” to his site is 1.83 miles. Neither is anywhere near 200 yards.
The clues that Wyatt Earp left behind
A tremendous advantage of the Earp/Flood collaboration is that it offers more information than just the fight itself. It tells us when they started, where they were headed, when they arrived, and even some of the topography as the moment of engagement was about to occur. It further explains the retreat. Southeastern Arizona has many a wash with trees and a nearby hill that could offer a surprise encounter as Wyatt Earp described. An academic search for this site has to employ all of the clues offered, including the route to and from.
The Earp/Flood map shows that the route to Iron Springs began at or very near the San Pedro River at dawn the morning of the event. Their point of departure from the San Pedro was North of Contention City and South of Drew’s station. The distance between these two points is 1.58 miles. They headed mostly in a westerly route to a spring in the Whetstone Mountains situated in the bottom of a wash. “Meet us at Iron Springs, and don’t lose any time” Wyatt told Charlie Smith, “we’ll be waiting there.” Smith was to bring $1,000.00 in cash for the Earp posse, and a remote spring offered a needed drink for man and horse alike while critical funds were on their way.
Problems with the route to Evan’s site
When leaving the San Pedro from the point the posse did, and traveling to any of the springs near the southern end of the Whetstone Mountain range, the Evans route to any site, including his, is simply implausible. For the Evans site to work as he has presented it, the Earp’s would have to have traveled as far south as present day highway 82. The Evans route, which is 17.4 miles, would add 3.15 miles to the Earp trip. This does not fit with Earp’s statement that “we’ll be waiting there.” Why would Wyatt Earp add these miles? What advantage would he gain during such a tense time involving life and death on a daily basis? If the Earp posse took the more direct route to the Evans site, they’d travel along Mescal wash, and the miles would be less, coming in at 14.25 miles. This lengthy, inexplicable and unnecessary route from the southeast, with its additional 3.15 miles, is the only way the Evans site can remotely echo the Flood description, and it does so poorly at that.
Such a route runs counter to Wyatt Earp’s stated goals. His plan was to be there first, so that he would not miss these needed funds. This is proven by his statement “we’ll be waiting there,” and “don’t lose any time.”
Further, though the map is not to scale, it does bear a remarkable resemblance to key points on the same terrain today. The map below contains a current map compared to a tracing of the Earp/Flood map. If the Evans site were correct, the most direct route to the site is shown in blue on the map below.
Further, though the map is not to scale, it does bear a remarkable resemblance to key points on the same terrain today. The map below contains a current map compared to a tracing of the Earp/Flood map. If the Evans site were correct, the most direct route to the site is shown in blue on the map below.
In searching mapped springs in the Whetstone Mountains, Mr. Evans sought out the Cottonwood Springs location as a possible site for the Iron Springs site. The USGS map for the area shows that the Cottonwood Spring is located at N 31 44.567 W 110 27.120 GPS coordinates. This is not actually the location of the Evan’s site, but it is close and nearby.That in itself does not at all disqualify the Evan’s site as possibly being Cottonwood Spring, as historic springs have sometimes dried up in this valley.
There are areas where 20th century wells and windmills have replaced nearby 19th century springs that no longer flow. Though the spring water at the surface may be gone, continuing underground water flow would allow a rancher to use the same pastures as in years before, without having to alter fences or change grazing patterns or ranch operations in general. It’s also known that a number of springs disappeared following the May 3rd, 1887 Earthquake which rocked this portion of Arizona and others, though its epicenter was Bavispe Mexico. Some springs were created anew, and some remained intact and completely unaffected by the seismic event. So the Cottonwood Springs location on a 20th century map is not the same location as it was in the 19th century.
It was perfectly logical for Mr. Evans to look at a wash near the point where the USGS map now says Cottonwood Spring is located in pursuit of his research of this fight. But thorough field research dictates that other washes nearby must be examined also. If this were indeed done, it’s hard to imagine why the photo of the spring box which we now share would not have been shared long ago by Evans.
The Flood/Earp map makes clear that Iron Spring was located in the bottom of a wash. Absent thorough exploration of nearby washes leaves the Evan’s site very much in question; its circuitous route with unnecessary extra mileage, its lack of a viable “lone hill” and no physical evidence that there is or ever was spring water there.
There are areas where 20th century wells and windmills have replaced nearby 19th century springs that no longer flow. Though the spring water at the surface may be gone, continuing underground water flow would allow a rancher to use the same pastures as in years before, without having to alter fences or change grazing patterns or ranch operations in general. It’s also known that a number of springs disappeared following the May 3rd, 1887 Earthquake which rocked this portion of Arizona and others, though its epicenter was Bavispe Mexico. Some springs were created anew, and some remained intact and completely unaffected by the seismic event. So the Cottonwood Springs location on a 20th century map is not the same location as it was in the 19th century.
It was perfectly logical for Mr. Evans to look at a wash near the point where the USGS map now says Cottonwood Spring is located in pursuit of his research of this fight. But thorough field research dictates that other washes nearby must be examined also. If this were indeed done, it’s hard to imagine why the photo of the spring box which we now share would not have been shared long ago by Evans.
The Flood/Earp map makes clear that Iron Spring was located in the bottom of a wash. Absent thorough exploration of nearby washes leaves the Evan’s site very much in question; its circuitous route with unnecessary extra mileage, its lack of a viable “lone hill” and no physical evidence that there is or ever was spring water there.
Photo of John Rose at the actual location of Cottonwood Spring
In the same general area as the Evans site, there is another wash that has an old spring box in it, with piping running out of it. Near a portion of the edge of the wash are rock home sites in ruins with brief walking access to the spring box. This is Cottonwood Spring. I wish to thank Travis Nivens, Manager of the Sands Ranch, for sharing his discovery of this with me, and his wife Nicollette for being so hospitable when we asked for access to the ranch. It was Travis Nivens who gave me directions to this important site, the actual Cottonwood Spring.
After viewing the real Cottonwood Spring, it was our plan to add the GPS coordinates to this article. But we were informed that organized walking tours in 2008 and 2009 didn’t ask the ranch’s permission, (the owners of the area) to visit the Evans site. Making matters more difficult, photos as of this writing remain posted on the internet showing participants lifting a locked gate in the air without permission, and trespassing onto private land without permission. A photo of this taken on October 29th, 2009, and can be seen at the following address: http://www.mileandaquarter.com/displayimage.php?pid=382&fullsize=1
A related photo from the same website showing participants going through the private boundary has a caption that reads “This fence was NOT here a year ago!” Such a statement seems to show contempt for the rights of private landowners to fence off their property. Out of respect for the rights and very understandable concerns of the owner of this property, we will not include the coordinates to the real Cottonwood Spring as we had originally planned.
Along this line it is my hope that the respect that many of us in the historical community show to the stewards of government lands also be shown to private landowners in the future, as they do have the right to tell all of us were are not allowed on their private property, no matter how large a given piece of land might be.
Did Wyatt Earp kill Curly Bill Brocius at a Spring in the Whetstone Mountains on March 24th, 1882? I believe so as Brocius was not the kind of man who would have allowed Wyatt Earp to claim falsely that he had killed him, in my opinion, and would have found a way to challenge him over such a claim. Did the fight take place at the actual Cottonwood Springs? Further research is required and ongoing. But this much is clear: The fight did not take place at the Evans site, as the Evans site never was, and is not, Cottonwood Springs. It was and remains simply a nearby wash, without any history of a spring, and no reason for Wyatt Earp to have traveled there the day he killed Curly Bill Brocius.
After viewing the real Cottonwood Spring, it was our plan to add the GPS coordinates to this article. But we were informed that organized walking tours in 2008 and 2009 didn’t ask the ranch’s permission, (the owners of the area) to visit the Evans site. Making matters more difficult, photos as of this writing remain posted on the internet showing participants lifting a locked gate in the air without permission, and trespassing onto private land without permission. A photo of this taken on October 29th, 2009, and can be seen at the following address: http://www.mileandaquarter.com/displayimage.php?pid=382&fullsize=1
A related photo from the same website showing participants going through the private boundary has a caption that reads “This fence was NOT here a year ago!” Such a statement seems to show contempt for the rights of private landowners to fence off their property. Out of respect for the rights and very understandable concerns of the owner of this property, we will not include the coordinates to the real Cottonwood Spring as we had originally planned.
Along this line it is my hope that the respect that many of us in the historical community show to the stewards of government lands also be shown to private landowners in the future, as they do have the right to tell all of us were are not allowed on their private property, no matter how large a given piece of land might be.
Did Wyatt Earp kill Curly Bill Brocius at a Spring in the Whetstone Mountains on March 24th, 1882? I believe so as Brocius was not the kind of man who would have allowed Wyatt Earp to claim falsely that he had killed him, in my opinion, and would have found a way to challenge him over such a claim. Did the fight take place at the actual Cottonwood Springs? Further research is required and ongoing. But this much is clear: The fight did not take place at the Evans site, as the Evans site never was, and is not, Cottonwood Springs. It was and remains simply a nearby wash, without any history of a spring, and no reason for Wyatt Earp to have traveled there the day he killed Curly Bill Brocius.
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Cottonwood Mill Site
More Cottonwood research breakthroughs since I published the above article!
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 below 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. I am 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 below 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. I am 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."
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
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
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