Tyson’s Well

I am often curious about the history of the towns we come across or where we stay. Quartzsite, Arizona, is one of those places. It is located in the low desert, away from any major city, and is reportedly one of the hottest places in the United States in the middle of summer. It receives very little rainfall, with an average of only 4.58 inches annually, but yet it is here. How did it start? Why did it start? How did it survive?

With the discovery of minerals in the Arizona Territory in the 1850’s, settlers, prospectors, and ranchers began to swarm into this desert. Gold deposits were discovered in the mountains of Plomosa and Dome Rock surrounding what would become Quartzsite, and the mining boom followed. The town began in 1864, when Charles Tyson found a reliable source of water and hand dug a well forty feet deep. He then built a fort with his own funds to protect the local settlers and his well from raids by the Yavapai: a Native American Apache Tribe. That initial settlement became known as Fort Tyson.

As stagecoach traffic and freight hauling increased, Mr. Tyson’s well became an important watering and resupply spot along the route from Ehrenberg, on the California border, to the city of Prescott, which at that time was the territorial capital of Arizona. Charles Tyson built a stage coach station near his wells to take care of the travelers and horses. This stop soon became known as Tyson Wells and the community changed its name accordingly.

Railroads changed the landscape of the town, since they did not come through the community, stopping the lifeblood of travelers. Most places were abandoned, the post office closed, and the community was virtually a ghost town. Another mining boom hit the town in 1897, and the community was reborn, but this time as Quartzsite as postal authorities would not allow for an office to reopen using the same name. The community proposed the name Quartzite, for the mineral that is found in abundance here, but a clerical error occurred at the Postal Service, and they added an “s” after the “z” thinking it was the site of quartz. Quartzsite was officially on the map.

Quartzsite continued on with dips and spikes in population, dropping to as few as 20 people at one point before the Atlantic & Pacific automobile road was routed through town. This brought new visitors and new business opportunities to the community, increasing the population to several hundred people, but there was not enough here to make them stay. Fuel and refreshments were the only appealing things to people traveling through.

The town was down to about 50 people by the 1960’s. In1965, the residents got together and formed the Quartzsite Improvement Association. They sponsored the first Pow Wow Rock and Gem Show in 1967 attracting 1000 visitors. The town immediately became a rockhound mecca in the winter, and they have not looked back since then. The rock and gem shows have gotten bigger and more numerous, attracting people from all over the globe. The largest event in town is the Quartzsite RV Show, known as the Big Tent. It spans 9 days in January, bringing in hundreds of thousands of visitors every year. Another advantage is the thousands of acres of public lands close to town where people can dry camp or boondock. There are Long Term Visitor Areas on the BLM Lands that are an incredible deal, allowing people to stay for up to seven months for a mere $180.

Quartzsite now boasts that they have over 1.5 million visitors a year, 250,000 winter residents, and a permanent population over 2,300 people. There are over 700 active mining claims around the town, and thousands of prospectors still search the desert for those beautiful high gold content quartz nuggets that can be found here.

Some of the history of the town has been preserved. Ruins of the walls for the original adobe fort remain, protected under cover and behind a fence. The oldest building is the stagecoach stop. It has been restored and is now the home of the Quartzsite Museum and Historical Society. There are stone cabins in the surrounding desert in various states of deterioration as well as Native American geoglyphs and grinding holes. Old mining equipment and structures can be found in various places along the trails through the desert.

This community has shown perseverance by surviving, and now prospering, in this formidable environment. While it might be unbearably hot in the summer, it entices rockhounders and prospectors, as well as us RVer’s, in the winter with its warm temperatures and open spaces. It has found its niche.

Yesterday was another day of rain showers, so it was a quiet and slow. We did help figure out a couple things to help Lynn, now we need to acquire parts to make the repairs. The rain also produced a fantastic sunset for us as Tom prepared tacos for our dinner.

Today we ventured out and saw the Fisherman Intaglio, which is a Native American geoglyph or design on the ground produced by using durable elements like stones, gravel or earth. This geoglyph depicts a man with a spear next to fish filled water. Native American oral history says that it represents the Great Creator Kumastambi, who is forming the Colorado River to bring water to the dry deserts of this region, using his spear to carve the path for the water to flow. I am surprised that this Itaglio is still here and visible, although it would be clearer and easier to see if you were high above it. It appears like a heavy storm or herd of animals would destroy it, but we could still make it out. We also saw the Quartzsite Rock Alignment, which is close to the Fisherman. This is a large rendition of the word QUARTZSITE, with an arrow pointing in the direction of town, constructed of rocks. There is also a rock compass pointing due north in the same types of rocks. These letters are perfectly formed, having crisp straight edges and smooth circular curves. Lynn noted how quiet and peaceful it was out there, nestled among the mountains. Heading back, we briefly attended the Party on Plomosa hosted by the Escapees Group. It gave Lynn a chance to see what they are about and grab a quick snack. We appreciated the free hot dogs, chips, and candies they were offering, but didn’t see any familiar faces from when we were members ourselves.

We are hoping the sunshine continues, so the solar can give our batteries a good topping-off. Maybe we will have another adventurous day over the weekend.

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