Aboriginal Remains in Verde Valley, Arizona | Page 2

cavate lodges,

group E 232 298. Plan of cavate lodges, group C 233 299. Map of an
ancient irrigation ditch 239 300. Part of old irrigating ditch 241 301.
Walled front cavate lodges 250 302. Bowlders in footway, cavate
lodges 252 303. Framed doorway, cavate lodges 253 304. Notched
doorway in Canyon de Chelly 254 305. Notched doorway in Tusayan
255
[Illustration: Plate X. MAP SHOWING DISTRIBUTION OF RUINS
AND LOCATION OF AREA TREATED WITH REFERENCE TO
ANCIENT PUEBLO REGION.]
* * * * *
ABORIGINAL REMAINS IN VERDE VALLEY, ARIZONA
By Cosmos Mindeleff
* * * * *
INTRODUCTION.
THE REGION AND ITS LITERATURE.
The region described in the following pages comprises the valley of the
Rio Verde, in Arizona, from Verde, in eastern central Yavapai county,
to the confluence with Salt river, in Maricopa county.
The written history of the region treated extends back only a few years.
Since the aboriginal inhabitants abandoned it, or were driven from it,
the hostile Apache and Walapai roamed over it without hindrance or
opposition, and so late as twenty-five years ago, when the modern
settlement of the region commenced, ordinary pursuits were almost
impossible. Some of the pioneer settlers are still in possession, and are
occupying the ground they took up at the time when the rifle was more
necessary for successful agriculture than the plow.
The first notice of this region is derived from the report of Espejo, who
visited some "mines" north and east of the present site of Prescott early

in 1583; in 1598 Farfan and Quesada of Oñate's expedition visited
probably the same locality from Tusayan, and in 1604 Oñate crossed
the country a little way north of the present Prescott, in one of his
journeys in search of mineral wealth. Nothing seems to have come of
these expeditions, however, and the remoteness of the region from the
highways of travel and its rough and forbidding character caused it to
remain unknown for over two centuries. It was not until the active
prospecting for gold and silver accompanying the American invasion
and conquest began that the country again became known. Valuable
mines were discovered east and south of the site of Prescott, some of
them as early as 1836; but it was not until after 1860 that any
considerable amount of work was done, and the mining development of
this region, now one of the best known in Arizona, may be said to date
from about 1865. Camp Verde was first established in 1861, at a point
on the northern side of Beaver creek, but was not regularly occupied
until 1866. In 1871 it was removed to its present location, about a mile
south of the previous site. It was abandoned as a military post in 1891,
and gradually lost the military element of the name.
Concerning the archeologic remains of the Rio Verde valley almost
nothing is known. In the early history of Arizona the Verde was known
as Rio San Francisco, and vague rumors of large and important ruins
were current among trappers and prospectors. The Pacific railway
reports, published in 1856, mention these ruins on the authority of the
guide to Lieut. Whipple's party, Leroux by name. Other notices are
found here and there in various books of exploration and travel
published during the next two decades, but no systematic examination
of the region was made and the accounts are hardly more than a
mention. In 1878 Dr. W. J. Hoffman, at that time connected with the
Hayden Survey, published descriptions of the so-called Montezuma
well and of a large cliff ruin on Beaver creek, the latter accompanied by
an illustration.[1] The descriptions are slight and do not touch the
region herein discussed.
[Footnote 1: Tenth Ann. Rep. U.S. Geol. Survey for 1876 (Washington,
1878), p. 477.]

The first publication of importance to the present inquiry is a short
paper by Dr. E. A. Mearns, U.S. Army, in the Popular Science Monthly
for October, 1890. Dr. Mearns was stationed for some years at Camp
Verde, and improved the opportunity afforded by numerous hunting
expeditions and tours of duty to acquaint himself with the aboriginal
remains of the Verde valley. He published a map showing the
distribution of remains in that region, described several ruins in detail,
and illustrated some pieces of pottery, etc., found by him. The article is
unfortunately very short, so short that it is hardly more than an
introduction to the wide field it covers; it is to be hoped that Dr.
Mearns will utilize the material he has and publish a more
comprehensive report.
The remains in the valley of Rio Verde derive an additional interest
from their position in the ancient pueblo region. On the one hand they
are near the southwestern limit of that region, and on the other hand
they