Tag: Mohave County

Mohave County, located in the northwestern corner of Arizona, is a region of vast desert landscapes, rugged mountain ranges, and the striking Colorado River. Established in 1864, it encompasses over 13,000 square miles, making it one of the largest counties in the United States. The county’s seat is Kingman, a historic town known for its Route 66 landmarks and proximity to the Grand Canyon Skywalk. The region also includes popular recreational areas such as Lake Havasu City, home to the relocated London Bridge, and Bullhead City, a hub for water sports and gaming. With its blend of natural beauty, historic sites, and vibrant communities, Mohave County offers a unique glimpse into the diverse character of Arizona’s western frontier.

Wolf Hole – Mohave County Ghost Town

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Mohave County, Arizona Ghost Towns
Mohave County, Arizona Ghost Towns

Wolf Hole, Arizona is a ghost town in the remote Arizona Strip region of Mohave County, northwestern Arizona. It sits on the Uinkaret Plateau (near Wolf Hole Mountain) at approximately 36°45′46″N 113°32′58″W, at an elevation of about 5,043 feet (1,537 m). The site lies roughly 25–33 miles south of St. George, Utah, in a sparsely populated area of plateaus, canyons, and limited water sources north of the Grand Canyon.

Today it consists mainly of foundations, a derelict (often described as adobe) house, and remnants of fencing or corrals. Access is via graded dirt roads (generally suitable for 2WD vehicles in good weather), and the surrounding landscape includes areas near the Mount Trumbull Wilderness.

Naming and Early Exploration

The name “Wolf Hole” stems from a mistranslation by Major John Wesley Powell during his Colorado River and Arizona Strip explorations in the late 1860s–1870s. Powell and his party applied the name to a local spring and water hole; the Paiute (Pah-Ute) term was reportedly something like Shinabitz-spitz or a reference to “Coyote Spring.” Explorers conflated the animal name, and “Wolf Hole” stuck on maps and in records.

The spring was a critical water source in an arid landscape, supporting Indigenous use and later Euro-American ranching. Powell’s broader mapping and ethnographic work helped open the region to further exploration and settlement.

Ranching History and Settlement

The Arizona Strip’s harsh conditions—limited water, droughts, isolation, and rugged terrain—delayed permanent settlement. Early livestock activity intensified in the late 19th century amid the broader Western cattle boom. By the 1890s, prominent cattleman Preston Nutter expanded operations across the Arizona Strip (and into Utah and Colorado). Around 1897 he acquired rights around Wolf Hole (including purchase of a spring claim for a modest sum) as part of consolidating water sources and range rights on the Shivwits Plateau and nearby areas such as Grand Wash and Mount Trumbull. Nutter became one of the dominant figures controlling springs and grazing lands in the western Strip.

Smaller ranchers and homesteaders also operated in the vicinity, practicing open-range cattle and some sheep raising, with limited farming where water allowed. Droughts (including severe ones in the early 1890s and later periods) repeatedly stressed operations. The 1916 Stock-Raising Homestead Act and related land policies encouraged further small-scale claims, but the environment limited long-term success.

The Community and Post Office Era (1918–1927)

Wolf Hole formalized as a small ranching and farming outpost in 1918 with the opening of a U.S. post office (sources note establishment around July 3, 1918; some variation exists for exact start/end years, commonly cited as 1918–1927). Dexter Parker served as postmaster and operated the facility from his ranch, which also functioned in part as a general store, gas station, and stop for travelers. The post office linked isolated ranchers and homesteaders to the outside world (often via routes to St. George, Utah), handling mail, supplies, and sometimes dairy products from local operations.

The settlement remained minimal—likely fewer than a dozen households clustered near the spring and rudimentary ranch buildings. It never developed into a substantial town with commercial or mining focus (unlike many Mohave County boom towns driven by minerals). Daily life centered on livestock, water management, and coping with isolation, extreme weather, and scarce resources.

Decline and Abandonment

The post office closed in 1927, marking the effective end of the formal community. Factors included the region’s inherent challenges (chronic water scarcity, drought, limited economic viability for small operators), consolidation of ranching under larger outfits, and broader shifts in Western land use and transportation. Residents dispersed to more accessible areas. By the mid-20th century the site was largely abandoned, with structures deteriorating into the sparse remains visible today.

Cultural Notes and Legacy

American author and environmentalist Edward Abbey (1927–1989), known for Desert Solitaire and The Monkey Wrench Gang, sometimes claimed Wolf Hole as a residence or used it as a mailing address/byline. This was largely symbolic or aspirational, reflecting his affinity for remote Southwest wilderness; he did not maintain permanent residence there (accounts describe it as “camouflage” enhancing his desert hermit persona). Visitors seeking him in the 1970s found little or nothing at the site.

Wolf Hole exemplifies the ephemeral nature of many Arizona Strip outposts: water-dependent ranching communities that briefly served isolated settlers before fading. It contrasts with Mohave County’s earlier mining boom towns and stands as a quiet remnant of frontier adaptation to one of Arizona’s most remote landscapes. Nearby features include Wolf Hole Mountain and ongoing land management activities (e.g., Bureau of Land Management projects related to fuels reduction and habitat in the broader Wolfhole area).

Sources for this report draw primarily from historical summaries, ghost town documentation, USGS geographic data, ranching histories of the Arizona Strip (including Nutter’s operations), and contemporary accounts of the site and its cultural associations. Primary records on such remote places are limited, and some details (exact post office dates, precise population) vary slightly across sources.

Colorado I – Colorado River Steamship

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The Colorado I (also known simply as the Colorado) was a stern-wheel paddle steamer—the third steamboat overall on the Colorado River and the first sternwheeler to operate there. It played a key early role in commercial navigation on the lower Colorado, helping supply military posts, support settlement and mining, and prove the viability of sternwheelers for the river’s shallow, shifting, sandbar-choked waters.

Construction and Launch

George A. Johnson & Company (the dominant early operator on the river) commissioned the vessel. It was built in San Francisco by the noted California steamboat builder John G. North, then disassembled, shipped by sea in sections to the Colorado River estuary (in Mexican territory at the river’s mouth on the Gulf of California), reassembled, and launched in December 1855.

Captain Isaac Polhamus Jr. (who would become one of the most experienced pilots on the river and later command several other vessels in the fleet) took command.

Specifications

  • Type: Stern-wheel paddle steamer (wooden hull).
  • Length: Approximately 120 feet.
  • Engine: 80-horsepower steam engine.
  • Cargo capacity: Up to about 60–70 tons of freight (sources vary slightly; some list ~60 tons, others up to 70).
  • Draft: Less than 2 feet when loaded (ideal for the Colorado’s shallow conditions and frequent sandbars).
  • Other details such as exact beam are sparsely recorded in surviving accounts, but as a sternwheeler it was narrower and better suited than sidewheelers for navigating the river’s narrower channels and sloughs.

Compared with Johnson’s earlier sidewheeler General Jesup (launched 1854, ~104 feet, 50 hp, ~50-ton capacity), the Colorado I was more powerful, carried larger loads, and handled the strong currents and obstacles more effectively. Sternwheel design also allowed techniques such as reversing the wheel to help free the hull from sandbars.

Role on the Colorado River

Steamboats on the lower Colorado (from the Gulf of California upstream toward the Virgin River area) began in 1852 primarily to supply the isolated U.S. Army post at Fort Yuma more cheaply than overland freight. Early sidewheelers like the Uncle Sam (1852) and General Jesup proved the concept, but shifting sandbars, low water, strong currents, and tidal bores in the delta made the work difficult and hazardous.

The Colorado I improved efficiency on the core run between the estuary (where ocean vessels transferred cargo, often midstream to avoid Mexican customs) and Fort Yuma. It made faster upstream trips with larger cargoes. It also towed barges at times, further increasing payload.

Beyond routine freight (supplies, goods for settlers and mines), it supported military operations. During the 1858–59 Mohave War and the establishment of Fort Mohave, the Colorado I and General Jesup carried troops and supplies upriver under contract (reportedly at $500 per day). It contributed to the broader expansion of river commerce that later served mining booms (including areas like Eldorado Canyon) and settlement in what became Arizona, California, Nevada, and adjacent Mexican territory.

Johnson’s company held a near-monopoly for years; the Colorado I was an important part of the early fleet that generated substantial profits before competition and, later, railroads arrived. Navigation remained adventurous—pilots frequently dealt with grounding, low water, and the need for wood fuel from riverside yards often staffed by local Indigenous people (including Cocopah).

Ultimate Fate

After roughly six years of hard service (frequent groundings, wear from sandbars, and the river’s harsh conditions), the hull of the Colorado I was worn out. It was dismantled in spring 1862 (sources commonly cite April 1862; some secondary accounts mention August) at or near Fort Yuma / Arizona City.

Its engine and boiler were salvaged and installed in the larger successor vessel Colorado II (launched 1862 at Arizona City under the protection of Fort Yuma’s guns, partly out of concern over possible Confederate threats during the Civil War). The Colorado II (about 145 feet, 179 tons, same 80 hp engine) continued in service until it was itself dismantled in 1882.

The Colorado I thus marked an important transition: the shift to sternwheelers better adapted to the Colorado, the growth of Johnson’s profitable river trade, and the reuse of machinery that extended the company’s operations. Commercial steamboating on the lower Colorado continued for decades (peaking and then declining with the arrival of railroads in the late 1870s and the eventual blocking of the channel by Laguna Dam around 1909), but the Colorado I was a foundational vessel in that era.

Cocopah I – Colorado River Steamship

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The Cocopah I (often simply called Cocopah) was a stern-wheel paddle steamer and the fifth steamboat to operate on the Colorado River. It was launched in August 1859 and served until 1867.

Construction and Specifications

Built in 1859 in San Francisco for George A. Johnson & Company at a cost of $35,000 (roughly equivalent to over $1 million today), it was the largest steamboat yet placed on the river. Key specifications include:

  • Length: 140 feet
  • Beam (width): 29 feet
  • Draft: Approximately 14.5–19 inches even when fully loaded (sources vary slightly; commonly cited as a mere 19 inches with full cargo)
  • Cargo capacity: Up to about 60–100 tons (it could also tow barges carrying additional tonnage)
  • Type: Stern-wheel paddle steamer with a powerful engine suited to pushing heavy loads against strong currents

It was specifically designed to replace Johnson’s earlier side-wheeler General Jesup and to handle the Colorado’s difficult conditions—shifting sandbars, snags, shallow water (especially in low-water seasons), and strong currents. The stern-wheel configuration and shallow draft made it far better suited to these conditions than earlier side-wheel vessels.

The boat was disassembled in San Francisco, shipped to the mouth of the Colorado River, transferred to another vessel, and taken upriver to Gridiron Landing in Sonora, Mexico, where it was reassembled and launched in August 1859.

Role on the Colorado River

Operated by George A. Johnson & Company (later associated with the Colorado Steam Navigation Company), the Cocopah I played a central role in the commercial and military development of the lower and middle Colorado River corridor during the late 1850s and 1860s.

It ran routes primarily from the river’s mouth/Gulf of California area (and later the safer Port Isabel Slough) northward. Key destinations included Fort Yuma (about 120 miles upriver), La Paz/Ehrenberg area mining districts, Fort Mohave/Hardyville (roughly 300 miles), and occasionally farther during high water (toward Eldorado Canyon or similar points). Wood yards along the river, often staffed by Cocopah laborers cutting cottonwood and mesquite, supplied fuel.

Captain David C. Robinson (a longtime Johnson employee who had previously commanded the exploratory steamer Explorer far upriver) was its primary early captain.

The vessel transported freight, passengers, mining equipment, provisions, and military supplies. It supported:

  • U.S. Army posts (notably Fort Yuma and the newly established Fort Mohave after the 1858–1859 Mohave War)
  • Early gold and silver mining booms along the river
  • Settlement and commerce in what became Arizona Territory and adjacent areas

One of its early major tasks involved supporting military logistics connected with Fort Mohave (established 1859). Steamers including the Cocopah helped move troops, artillery, and supplies upriver when overland routes proved difficult. Freight rates by steamer were dramatically lower than overland teamster rates, helping open the region economically.

The Cocopah I exemplified the shift to larger, more capable stern-wheelers that made regular commercial navigation practical on the challenging Colorado.

Ultimate Fate

The Cocopah I remained in service until 1867. By then it had seen heavy use; accounts note boiler repairs and eventual condemnation as unseaworthy. Its boiler and engine were removed, and the hull was hauled ashore at Port Isabel, Sonora (the company’s port and shipyard settlement near the river mouth). There it was converted into housing for workmen.

It was replaced by the larger Cocopah II (launched 1867 at Arizona City), which continued in the fleet for more than a decade until railroad competition (especially the Southern Pacific bridge at Yuma) ended the main era of Colorado River steamboating.

The Cocopah I is remembered as a pioneering large stern-wheeler that helped establish reliable steam navigation on the Colorado and supported the military, mining, and settlement expansion of the desert Southwest in the mid-19th century. Primary sources for these details include Richard E. Lingenfelter’s Steamboats on the Colorado River, 1852–1916 and National Park Service historical summaries.

Cocopah II – Colorado River Steamship

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Cocopah II was a stern-wheel paddle steamer (sternwheeler) and the tenth steamboat to operate on the Colorado River. It entered service in 1867 as a replacement for the original Cocopah (often called Cocopah I).

Background and Construction

The original Cocopah, launched in 1859, had been one of the largest and most capable vessels on the river but was taken out of service around 1867. Its engine and boiler were removed, and the hull was hauled ashore at Port Isabel, Sonora (Mexico), to serve as housing for workmen at the port and shipyard.

George A. Johnson & Company (later reorganized as the Colorado Steam Navigation Company in 1869) built the replacement, Cocopah II, at Arizona City (present-day Yuma, Arizona) in March 1867. It was launched there in May 1867. The vessel completed Johnson’s main fleet of four steamers (Cocopah II, Colorado II, Mohave, and Nina Tilden) plus six barges that dominated Colorado River traffic from the late 1860s into the early 1870s.

Captain Isaac Polhamus (also spelled Issac in some accounts), the company’s senior steamboat captain and later known as the “Dean of the Colorado River,” commanded Cocopah II. Polhamus had previously captained earlier vessels such as Colorado I.

Specifications

  • Type: Wooden-hulled stern-wheel paddle steamer
  • Tonnage: 231 tons (about 3 tons lighter than the original Cocopah)
  • Length: 147.5 feet (7.5 feet longer than the original)
  • Beam (width): 28 feet (1 foot narrower than the original)
  • Draft: Very shallow (sources note under 20 inches when loaded, suited to the Colorado’s sandbars and fluctuating water levels)
  • Cargo capacity: Reports vary; one account credits it with carrying about 120 tons of freight on less than 20 inches of water.

These dimensions made it well adapted to the lower Colorado’s difficult conditions of shifting channels, sandbars, snags, and seasonal low water.

Role on the Colorado River

Cocopah II operated primarily on the lower Colorado River, running from the river mouth and delta area near Port Isabel, Sonora (on the Gulf of California), northward past Arizona City/Yuma to landings that served military posts, mining districts, and settlements in present-day Arizona, California, and Nevada. Key stops included Ehrenberg (formerly Mineral City), Aubrey City/Landing (near the Bill Williams River), Hardyville, and Fort Mohave.

It transported freight (supplies, mining machinery, ore, provisions, and general merchandise), passengers, and often towed barges to increase capacity. The boat supported the region’s mining booms (including silver and copper discoveries in areas such as El Dorado Canyon and La Paz), military logistics, and growing settlement. Woodyards along the route—frequently staffed by local Cocopah people—supplied fuel. Crews were diverse and included local Indigenous pilots and deckhands valued for their knowledge of the river’s shifting channels.

One notable performance was a reported record-breaking voyage from Aubrey City to Yuma (about 220 miles) in four days. Other accounts note efficient round trips, such as Yuma to Mohave (roughly 232 miles) in five days under capable captains.

By the late 1860s the company was moving substantial tonnage and earning strong profits. Cocopah II formed part of a fleet that, around 1873, included several steamers and barges making dozens of trips annually as far as Ehrenberg and Hardyville.

Decline and Ultimate Fate

The arrival of the Southern Pacific Railroad transformed the economics of river transport. The railroad reached Yuma, bridged the Colorado River at Fort Yuma around 1877, and purchased the steamboat company. Rail service captured most of the long-haul freight and passenger traffic that had previously relied on the steamboats connecting to ocean vessels at the Gulf of California.

Cocopah II was retired in 1879. It was dismantled in 1881. (Some residual upper-river or local service continued with other vessels for a time, but the classic steamboat era on the lower Colorado effectively ended with the railroad’s dominance.)

Cocopah II exemplifies the peak and relatively rapid decline of Colorado River steamboating: purpose-built shallow-draft sternwheelers that opened the desert Southwest to reliable bulk transport in the mid-19th century, only to be rendered largely obsolete by the transcontinental railroads.

Esmeralda – Colorado River Steamship

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The Esmeralda (also spelled Esmerelda) was a stern-wheel paddle steamer that operated on the Colorado River from 1864 to 1868. It was notable as the first opposition steamboat to challenge the monopoly of George A. Johnson & Company, the first to regularly tow large cargo barges on the river, and the first steamboat to reach Callville, Nevada (near modern Lake Mead), in 1866.

Construction and Early Service

Built in 1862 at the 3rd Street shipyard of Patrick Henry Tiernan at Steamboat Point in San Francisco for Captain Washington Pitts, the Esmeralda was originally intended for the Sacramento River and upper San Joaquin River trade.

Specifications

(figures vary slightly by source; those for Colorado River service are most consistent):

  • Type: Stern-wheel paddle steamer
  • Length: Approximately 93 feet (some early accounts list ~100 feet)
  • Beam: About 20 feet (early accounts sometimes cite 24 feet)
  • Hold depth / draft: Hold ~3.5 feet deep; draft about 33 inches
  • Cargo capacity: Roughly 50 tons on the steamer itself; capable of towing a barge with up to 100 tons
  • Other: One deck and a square stern in original configuration

It was smaller than many of Johnson’s boats but relatively powerful for its size, making it well-suited for towing.

Role on the Colorado River

In early 1864, amid complaints about high freight rates and slow service from Johnson & Company’s monopoly (especially after mining booms increased demand), San Francisco merchants backed an opposition line. Captain Thomas E. Trueworthy’s Union Line acquired the Esmeralda. It was sent south under Captain Charles C. Overman, accompanied by the Victoria (a four-masted schooner converted from a barge, intended as a store ship at the river mouth). The Victoria was soon destroyed by the tidal bore.

At the mouth of the Colorado, Overman built the Black Crook, the first large tow barge used on the river (about 128 × 28 feet, ~100-ton capacity). Barges were towed on a ~100-foot cable attached amidships to avoid fouling the stern wheel, with a helmsman steering the barge in the steamer’s wake.

In early May 1864, Trueworthy took the Esmeralda (towing the Black Crook) upriver to Fort Yuma in just 3 days and 8 hours—demonstrating competitive speed even while towing. This challenged Johnson’s dominance and helped clear freight backlogs. Another rival, the Nina Tilden, soon joined the opposition. Competition intensified (Johnson responded with the powerful Mohave), rates fell, and excess capacity appeared by late 1864.

In summer 1865 the opposition boats consolidated into the Pacific and Colorado Steam Navigation Company (still under Trueworthy, with San Francisco backing). The key ambition was reaching Callville (established by Mormons under Anson Call as a potential “back door” port for Utah settlements, which could cut overland freight costs dramatically). An 1865 attempt failed at Roaring Rapids in Black Canyon.

In summer 1866, during high water, the Esmeralda (under Captain Robert T. Rogers, Trueworthy’s former first mate, and accompanied by promoter “Steamboat Sam” Adams) tried again with a barge and about 90 tons of freight. The three-month voyage was difficult due to scarce firewood (limiting power) and low water in places. At what became known as Ringbolt Rapids, the engine lacked sufficient power; a ringbolt was set in the canyon wall and the boat was winched through using its capstan. On October 8, 1866, it reached Callville—the farthest steamboat navigation point achieved on the lower Colorado at that time. The Arizona Legislature later formally thanked Rogers (and Captain William Gilmore) for the accomplishment. Goods from the trip remained in storage into early 1867 before being sold and hauled overland to Salt Lake City.

Ultimate Fate

Despite the Callville triumph, the company was deeply in debt. Upon returning downriver, the Esmeralda was seized by the Yuma County sheriff for unpaid debts. It passed briefly through the hands of the Arizona Navigation Company (an attempt by creditors to continue operations). In fall 1867 both the Esmeralda and Nina Tilden were sold to George A. Johnson & Company. The Esmeralda was dismantled in 1868.

Its short but eventful career helped break the early monopoly on Colorado River shipping, pioneered barge towing that became standard practice, and demonstrated the practical (if seasonal and difficult) upper limit of steamboat navigation toward the Mormon settlements—though the hoped-for major Utah trade route never fully materialized due to water conditions, costs, and later railroad competition.