PALATKI ... Home to The Sinagua

This was my early appointment yesterday.  There are just a few times a year that the entire site at Palatki can be viewed ... and yesterday was my lucky day!!  You have to call for reservations to visit this site, no matter when you come.  Due to the damage done by "tourists" and thrill seekers, groups are severely limited, not only in the number, but in the areas they are guided to.  This historic site is off Hwy 89A between Cottonwood and Sedona, 10 miles up a dirt road.  The signs to turn off on FR525 are very hard to see, but once on the dirt road, signs will direct you to the site.  Allow yourself LOTS of time ... it took me about 45 minutes to drive from Cottonwood to the front door.  If you have anything other than a Jeep or pickup, allow even more time, as the road can be quite rocky in places ... but you CAN make it!!

Remember when I asked the Bicycle Policeman how to get to those red rocks??  This is how.  I drove right up to them, as the site is located at the base of these cliffs.  As I waited for the Ranger to open the gate, I saw him walking up the road ... just about the time a bobcat crossed in front of him out of my view.  Not so lucky that time!!

Once signed up, 9 of us were taken up the trail to the left of the visitor's center to see the areas not usually viewed.  The Sinagua were here around 1100-1400, living on corn, beans and squash they planted in the area where the visitor's center is located.  One of their celebrations consisted of roasting Agave plants ... sort of like an ice cream social!!  The spines were cut off and stripped for make ropes and twine, the needles were used for sewing and the root (resembling a pineapple) was deep pit roasted.

Way in the back of this overhang, they would build a big fire and heat up rocks.  They then moved them about where I'm standing, to big holes they dug in the ground.  The agave was placed on top and the entire thing covered up and left to cook for two or three days.  Finally uncovered, the party was on!  Bits of the woody stumps were cut off, to be chewed so the sweet agave juice would be released.  Not eaten ... chewed and spit out.  There's evidence of these pieces EVERYWHERE!!

If you look close on the walls, there are many pictographs.  Not chiseled in stone as petroglyphs are, these are painted on with a mixture of plant material and bear or deer fat.  

The longer you stand and look at these, the more you see!!  Some are very old, having been dated back 5000-6000 years.  Most are around 900 years old.

These pictures of men on horses can be dated because horses didn't arrive here until the mid l500's.  There are two different family groups who resided under these overhangs, and possibly more.

Such fascinating images!!  This is Bear Cave ... can you see momma bear on the right with her two cubs??  Okay, they weren't the best artists around ... these images were made with charcoal.  Over the decades, minute creatures sit on the surface of the rocks, die and turn dark ... thus the "lacquer" over most sites and in some cases covering the entire rock, in which more Indians scratched images.  At one time, this cave was enclosed as a residence.

No one knows, or probably ever will know, what they mean.  It could be just a recording of things they have seen, it could be saying thanks for the animals you sent to us, or it could mean I had a nightmare and the bogeyman showed up!!  There are lots of snakes, which were sacred, centipedes, deer and elk, along with a few human likenesses.  

When the Indians disappeared, probably due to a severe water shortage, which meant no food, Mr. Willard came from Cottonwood after his wife passed in 1923 and set up housekeeping.  His grandfather was actually one of the Lewis and Clarke expedition.  He dismantled the Indian houses and built his own, where he lived until he could construct a proper house.  He farmed the same area the Indians did, planting a large orchard of fruit trees, a few of which still exist.

This is the water tank he constructed above his cliff house to provide running water.  I could DEFINITELY live here!!!  Mr. Willard sold the property in 1938 and died in 1957 at the age of 99.  In 1975, the Forest Service traded for this property and tried to salvage what was left of the site. 

This is the Grotto, another area that you will not normally see.  Way back when, there was a small trickle of water entering this pool from a crack in the rocks, allowing for a year round water supply for the Indians.  Since the last big earthquake here, the water has quit running.  This pool is from recent rains.  There is a calendar of sorts on the walls ... at sunrise during the summer solstice, the sun hits an exact spot on the wall marked with a circle.  There are two other marks that correspond with the sun at different "planting" times of the year.  I guess I have to believe this one, because the volunteer said he sat up here all night just to witness it.

After touring that side of the cliff for over an hour, we headed to the side that most tourists will see ... where several rock houses still survive the elements and pothunters.  Under this HUGE overhang are several two story houses built into the wall.  The roofs have all caved in since the wood pillars rotted many years ago, and some of the walls have been damaged by people scavenging for souvenirs and pots.  What remains is still an amazing example of the building skills from that time.  The entry door in the bottom left corner has been half closed with stacked rocks to keep people out.  These buildings have only survived because the overhang above is so wide, it keeps all water off the buildings.

Two of the wood lintels over the doorways are original, the rest having been replaced to keep the structures upright.  Although it looks like the door in the bottom left is closed off, that is just the back wall.  They are about 15 feet square, but not very tall.  The average height of a Sinagua man was around 5'6".

There is evidence all around you of life here ... small corn cobs, pieces of flint that came in trade and lots of pottery shards from other parts of the world.  This site has been surveyed, but never has there been an archaeological dig here.  Can you imagine what they might find???  Boy what I wouldn't give to be in on THAT!  Unfortunately however, the government has no money (because they are giving it all away to people who don't want to work) and won't allow anything to be done here.  Did I say that???

As I slowly walked down the trail back to the Visitor's Center, admiring the amazing view the Indians had of the valley below, I turned around for one quick picture of the rock overhang.  It had completely disappeared.  You would never know there was anything here at all ... and I'm less than 100 yards from the dwellings.

The surrounding mountains are just an amazing tribute to natures work.  Did I mention how much I love the desert??  So much that I'm going to try and get on the Site Host list for this area.  Yes, it's a long bumpy road to drive in a motorhome, but I'm pretty sure I can get in and out without much trouble.  They have two rigs here at all times to keep poachers away, and I'm a good shot, so I hope I can get on the list!!

One last little creature joined me in my rig ... I FINALLY found a little stuffed turkey vulture for the mobile Buzzards Roost castle.  He's not the prettiest thing, but neither are the namesakes of my home!!

I'm off again to the Clemenceau Museum to get the specifics on the American Craft Fair they are holding this weekend, as well as check out one of the best model railroad setups in the country.  

Early Settlers Versus The Apache Indians

I discovered a big difference of opinion on this excursion to Fort Verde Historic Park.

Indian's version:  The white man invaded our territory so we can't hunt the areas where we can get food.  We are starving!!  And so we take YOUR food!

White man's version:  Those darn Indians keep raiding our stock, stealing our food and killing us!!  We need the Army here for protection ...  just move them all OUT!!

The truth of the matter is that the Apache stole from everyone ... that was their tradition so to speak.  When the white man arrived, they stole from them just as they did the other tribes.  If someone came and took all the food from MY supermarket, I think I'd try to steal it back too!  The difference being that the white man had many more soldiers and lots of guns.  In the end, the Indians lost out and were removed to reservations where there still wasn't enough food ... the raids continued.  When gold, silver and copper were discovered on THOSE reservations, they were moved out to even worse territory.

When I arrived at Fort Verde, there was a beautiful young girl at the counter speaking French to a couple of tourists.  I understand a little, but was so surprised to find someone HERE that spoke the language.  When she heard I was an RV lady, she came running up to speak with me.  Her parents, brother and one large dog are staying at the Thousand Trails RV Park.  They are from England ... came to the U.S., bought an RV and have been traveling around the States ever since.  What a great way to get an education!!  She has been a docent at several places, learning all she can about the history of the area.  

This is a look at the parade grounds.  Originally 256 buildings, only four adobe remain, along with a couple of outbuildings, all kept in immaculate condition.  Since recently being allowed to open 7 days a week, I was able to go inside each building.  The fort was a base for General Crook in the 1870's and 80's, sent to keep the settlers safe.

The main building in the first image was where all orders went out and supplies came in.  Officers lived on one side of the parade grounds with enlisted men .. privates .. on the other.  Your accommodations depended on your rank and years of service, so when a new Lieutenant was assigned to the fort, everyone's accommodations got knocked down a notch.  Private's wives, who were few and far between, became laundresses in order to make enough money to keep from starving.

The lower walls in these buildings were made with a different type of adobe ... this is called pice ... adobe material poured in huge 2' x 2' x 2' blocks for stability.  Further up the walls, the regular adobe bricks were used, all covered with a concrete type material.  To differentiate the Commanding Officers quarters, his adobe house was then covered with wood planking, held on with square nails ... visible today.

In those days, Indian Scouts were recruited to help in the capture of the "bad Indians".  Buffalo soldiers were stationed here ... named by the Apache Indians because their curly hair reminded them of the buffalo ... or so I was told!!

I was interested in the construction of these Indian moccasins, having worked with leather a lot over the ages ... it's just one long piece with a thick sole sewn on one end, then folded up with side seams.  I thought they would be a little more fitted.  Apparently these last about 100 miles before the soles wear out, so they always carried extra soles with them for repairs.

The leader and recruiter of the Indian Scouts at this fort is on the left.  The pay and food were enough to turn these scouts against their fellow Indians.  

This is Martha Summerhayes.  Martha married at 17 years of age to an officer in the U.S. Army.  Being from the East and having spent time in Germany, she was enamored with the glitz and glamor of the men in uniform.  Her view changed dramatically when her Lieutenant husband of six months was transferred to Arizona, where she lived a good part of her life in destitute conditions, moving from one Army Post to another.  In much later years, her children nagged her until she wrote her story in a book called Vanishing Arizona, Recollections of My Army Life.  It's an amazing story to say the least, and a must read if you are interested in the history of this area and what the Army wives (and their husbands) had to endure!!

This is the Commanding Officers quarters in 1881 .....  many rooms for entertaining, a big kitchen and lots of servants ... none of which were women.  If no cooks were available, the officers would hire lower rank men for an additional $5.00 a month.

This is it today, restored to a most interesting building that you can enter, even climb the stairs to see the Striker's room.   Strikers were hired by the officers to take care of the children.  You wouldn't think any Army guys would qualify for THAT position, but they did the best they could keeping the children entertained and educated, such as it was.  When Martha had her first child with no doctor available, she had no idea how to feed and care for the boy.  That was all handled by servants where she came from.  She and the boy almost died before finally landing at a post with a physician ... of sorts!!

According to Martha, the Commanding Office had a parlor, dining room, kitchen and bedrooms.   Her accommodations consisted of one room to live and sleep in, with one small room only accessible from outside, to cook in.  Not that she could cook ... kind of like me ... but eventually she did learn from the male cook she hired.  She was always searching for a female nanny for the kids ... but very few fit the bill, or even spoke English!!

This was a mansion according to Martha ... the Commanders wife even had a bathtub in her room.  Martha bathed in the muddy red Colorado River water, when they lived close enough.  With temperatures from 108 to 122, it was the only time she was able to cool off.  

Lieutenants and other officers had to share quarters.  They might have a separate bedroom, but everything else was done in complete togetherness.  Bedrooms didn't even matter that much.  It was so hot that sleeping indoors was impossible, so most of her nights were spent outside on cots alongside the parade grounds ... with the ants and snakes and wild cats!!

This is the bachelors quarters ... full of equipment used on the post for building and repairing anything that broke.  

If not out chasing Indians, afternoons were spent relaxing on the porch and sometimes horseback riding, depending on the heat.  Martha and her husband traveled all over the Southwest after receiving orders to other Forts, orders which they never questioned.  They packed everything they owned in three chests, one of which was lost crossing the Colorado, causing her to be stuck with one regular dress and one "dancing" dress for three months while she waited for something to be sent by stage.  Trouble was, they spent all their money moving from place to place, which made dress money in short supply.

Most every post had a surgeon which was allotted an entire house to himself and his family.  He needed the extra room to house the sick and wounded soldiers.

Instead of a dining room, he had a surgery table, surrounded by tools of the trade and every kind of medicine imaginable.  Most had SOME kind of schooling, allowing Martha and her son to survive when the Doctor told her how to feed and care for the baby, as well as get her back on her feet.  It's interesting to note that wives were not required to cook or take care of the children.  They WERE required to entertain their husbands and other Officers and their families, regardless of whether they had food and drink in the kitchen or not!!

This is the good Dr. Mearns on the left ... the one with the foot long beard.   When time allowed, most Doctors pursued other interests, such as archeology.  In the pictures of Dr. Mearns, there are many mecates (grinding stones) on his porch and in his office.  The pottery in this picture shows how the Sinagua buried their pots in the ground to keep water cool.

After many hair-raising adventures, Martha finally took her child to live in San Francisco until her husband joined her, at which time he got a promotion.  Things finally began to look up for her and her now two children as they lived on Angel Island in California, in Nebraska and in Santa Fe New Mexico.  In the end however, she truly missed the desert and the hardships she had to overcome in Arizona.  She loved the native people and hated the coming of the railroad, even though it made her travel easier.  

It's a great book ... and Fort Verde is a great place to visit with lots more history than I can account for here.  In fact, I had a meeting with the Manager who says they are trying to get a few RV spaces set up for volunteers ... and I'm now on her list.  Now to drag out all those vintage dresses I have!!

Early Settlers Versus the Apache (No story ... I had an appt today)

Due to a very early appointment this morning, I will post the blog this afternoon ... that is if the internet cooperates!!

Jerome's Copper Returns to Clarkdale!

If you drive up the Old Highway past Cottonwood and head to Old Downtown Clarkdale, the first site you see on the left is the Old Clarkdale High School (everything here is "old") ... recently renovated to house the Copper Art Museum.  Everyone knows how much I love the history here, but with the word ART in the title, I pretty much drag my feet.  Don't let that stop YOU from visiting this amazing collection of copper and brass, however.  Here's a big piece of vein copper, pretty much as it came out of the ground.

There is an entry fee ... $8.00 each ... but don't let that stop you either.  They have the most amazing collection of copper pieces EVER!!  It happened that the man who procures all these treasures for this museum, was there to give me a personal tour.  His goal is to bring the Jerome copper back to town for everyone to see.  There was no manufacturing of any kind in this part of the country with the copper from the Jerome mines, which produced most of the copper in the entire World!!  

They also have a HUGE collection of brass trench art.  Although the sign says these were all made by men in the trenches, when I visited the World War museum in Kansas City, THEY think most of these were made by the French and purchased by the soldiers as mementos.  Nonetheless, they are just beyond words!!

Clarkdale was founded in 1912 and is a company smelter town built by William Clark for his mine (United Verde Copper) in Jerome.  He made so much stinking money at this game that Clarkdale became the most modern mining town in the world.  They had telegraph, telephones, electrical wiring, sewer and water services.  He built his own mansion across the Verde River near Pecks Lake (source of the Apache words Crooked Water), but it was destroyed by a suspicious fire in 2010.  Here's an example of some of the amazing craftsmanship.  Apparently there are places to this day where you can order walls of copper like this.  I imagine it's pretty pricey, but WOW!!!

The colors don't do this beautiful art justice.  Depending on the light source and where the reflections are coming from, it changes colors.  This ceiling panel is newly made to show that copper is still being used today!  The original town site of Clarkdale is on the National Register of Historic Districts, making every house an historic site.  Take a drive around Old Town ... just look for the signs.  

They even have copper Dead Sea Scrolls.  How amazing is THAT!!  I asked where all this stuff came from, EBAY??  The buyer said yes ... sometimes.  He is authorized to buy everything he finds that has value ... from estate sales to yard sales to EBay and auction houses.  What a fun job THAT must be!!

Clarkdale was a segregated town for much of its history, which kind of surprises me.  Mexican laborers had to live in Patio Town with a separate pool and park.  The town swimming pool was marked "For Whites Only".  In addition to that, there was a pecking order for Engineers, Executives and the "working class" as far as what part of town you got to live in.  Upper echelon employees lived in upper Clarkdale!!  This image is looking up at a brass chandelier with ceiling tiles, which came from a church.  Notice the Mason emblem as well as the cross visible at the edges.

Postcards???  Yes ... a nice collection of copper postcards.  This is one I've never seen before.  Don't you think they would get pretty damaged after being handled by the Post Office??

There were hundreds of copper tea kettles hung on wrought iron display poles, all handmade specifically for the museum.  All of the description tags are encased in horseshoes ... which of course caught my eye ... at a cost of $1.00 each versus $6.00 for the regular type of museum tag.

There was the biggest collection I've ever seen of tin chocolate molds, along with tons of history and information answering every question you've ever had about copper and metals.  From ancient times to the present, copper has shown up in history in more fascinating ways than you can imagine.  I fell in love with these jello and bread molds.  We had a couple when I was a kid, but nothing like these beauties ... and this is a very small portion of what they have!!

The kitchen room was filled with copper pots, pans, molds, water containers, utensils and even a stove covered in copper.  Talk about beautiful, but I wonder who polishes all this stuff???  On the table here was some good information about using copper for cooking.  We need copper in our bodies, and what better way than to use copper pans and utensils.  You CAN however, get too much.  That's why frying pans and pots are lined with tin, plus it helps with the heat distribution.  If from use, you can see the copper showing through the tin, it is time to have it relined.  Too much copper can be a bad thing.  Unlined pots and pans can be used for cold foods ... like your jello salad, but never use unlined items for heating or cooking.  

Of course what museum would be complete without a still ... and this one is pretty spectacular ... and shiny!!!  Here's another tidbit ... did you know that copper is used in wine grapes??  Grapes need copper to grow into the best specimens for wine.  It's a great museum you MUST see!!  Really, my pictures don't do it justice.  There are many rooms to explore ... as big as an old high school building!!  They also have a unique way of making sure you see everything ... just follow the copper footsteps on the floor!!

On my way home, I just HAD to stop in at Larry's Antiques ... two full acres of stuff, or junk depending on your view, where I was sure to find a nice little piece of copper as a memento.  There wasn't a single piece of copper in the building!!  I'm sure the museum had snatched up every piece, or maybe other people returning from the museum!!  Believe it or not I came away with nothing but some heart palpitations when I climbed to the second floor of the barn and realized that the 1/2" plywood flooring was all that held me and all that junk up in the air.  

This is one of those places where there are so many items, you just can't see them all.

I did spy something copper-like in a case, but it turned out to be old Harley parts.  If you need a piston or two, or maybe some bearings, they have them here in the original boxes.

I don't know if I explained my snafu of some months ago ... I made reservations at Cattail Cove for the Winterblast pyrotechnic show in Havasu City.  When I called last week to double check the reservations with my phone calendar dates, there was a difference of a week.  How could THAT be I asked!  Come to find out, there is a WinterFEST in Havasu the week before WinterBLAST.  I've never been to this event before, and didn't know there was a difference.  Shoot ... my reservations are for the wrong dates!!  Doesn't that just frost you??  

At this late date, I can cancel the FEST, but there are no vacancies at the inn for BLAST, and the Steps now require a permit.  My jello plans have changed ... I'm going to extend my stay here in Cottonwood for a couple more days, then head home to face the dreaded TAX meeting with my accountant.  NEXT year, I'll get my dates correct for sure!!!