Copies of the following letters were received by the current President of the Clarkdale Historic Society and Museum as well as the Town mayor and council members.  These letters of support are meaningful, appreciated, and underscore the importance of maintaining the Historic Clarkdale Bandstand.....take a look.

By Nate Campbell Posted to Facebook October 6, 2022

Fifty years ago today the Tonto Apache (Dilzhe’e) was recognized as a tribe by an Act of Congress. Many of the elders who fought for what we have today are no longer with us.

Some of them didn’t get a chance to move from the “Camp” to the new 85 acre land. I would like to pay homage to the following former tribal council members who are no longer with us: Chief Melton Campbell, Harry Curtis, Vinnie Ward, Polly Davis, Wally Davis, Sr., Wally Davis Jr., Ivan Smith, David Kenny Davis, and Farrell Hoosava. A special mention goes to J.O. Martin, who brought the Word of God to our little tribe, in which many of us received salvation. Even though those that didn’t get a chance to live on the new reservation they marched around the boundaries and prayed and gave thanks unto God. I remember the elders marching around the boundaries of the reservation praying that God would bless the land. My grandma Martha was out there marching with her traditional Apache camp dress. In this photo you will see four very special people! These are the ones that helped us get land, recognition, and new homes. Pictured left to right is: Nicholas Houser, Joe Sparks, George Esber, and Uncle Vincent Randall. Chief Melton Campbell led the posse to Washington D.C., all the way to the halls of Congress speaking on the behalf of Dilzhe’e. I would also like to mention Doris Sturgis, and Nan Pyle, just to name a few. It was only 85 acres but it was a giant step for us as a people. Our land use to range from the Verde Valley, down to the Tonto Basin area, westward to the boundaries of the White Mountain reservation and east to the Mazatzal Mountain range. I have mixed emotions right now. One being thankful, the other, bittersweet memories that flood my mind.

See post here

   

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• 60 Years Ago - July 31, 1962

  The 400-foot steel smokestack was demolished by explosives following two days of preparation by a crew of 50 men using 21 acetylene cutting torches, 4 cranes and a diesel locomotive.  The massive flattened steel ruins were later cut up and removed for salvage.  Gulf States Land and Industries, owner of the abandoned smelter was clearing the site for a new steel mill that was never built.

  The photos show the stack falling in one piece and moments later flattened on the ground.   (John Bell & Gulf States Land and Industries)

   

  Facts:

  • The 400-foot stack was built for the United Verde Copper Company by the Chicago Bridge and Iron Works in only four months between November 1913 and March 1914 
  • It was the largest self-sustaining steel chimney in the world at 400 feet in height and 30 feet 9 ½ inches in diameter
  • The bottom 50-foot section of the stack was bell shaped and 50 feet in diameter at the base
  • The upper 350 feet of the stack was constructed using 48 rings of steel plate with a thickness varying from ¼ inch at the top to 11/16 inch at the bottom
  • 72,000 steel rivets weighing 38,000 pounds held the steel plates together
  • The steel stack was anchored to its concrete foundation by thirty-six bolts that were 14 feet long and 4 inches in diameter
  • The interior of the stack was lined with firebrick supported by 4-inch angle iron attached to every other horizonal seam       CBI Water Tower News - Google Books

If you would like to comment please contact  info@clarkdalemuseum.org 

  Elberta (Coon) Hulse, with nephew Dennis Coon, and her daughter Martha Morgan. 

Happy 70th Birthday to Dennis April 2nd.

And Happy Birthday to Elberta who turns 95 on April 4th. 

Elberta was born in 1927 at the Coon Ranch near Tapco.

We are saddened by the passing of one of Jerome’s most knowledgeable and dedicated historians, Nancy Smith. 

Preparing for opening of CHSM left to right Pat Williams, Drake Meinke, and Nancy Smith, circa 2007

In 2020 CHSM recognized Nancy for her dedication in furthering our mission to preserve and protect the unique history and built environment of Clarkdale, “Arizona’s first company town and planned community.”    Nancy's perseverance and expertise produced a lasting contribution to telling the story of and preserving our region’s rich history.

Amongst her many achievements and gifts to our community include:

·  The placement of the Clark Memorial Clubhouse on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982

·  Working as historian for “A Historic Resource Survey of Clarkdale, Arizona” in 1989

·  Preparing and finalizing the application for the Clarkdale Historic District to be placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1997 which resulted in its acceptance in 1998

·  Completing the application and establishment of the Clarkdale Heritage Center as a 501(c)3 non-profit organization in 2003

·  Working to prepare and open the Clarkdale Heritage Center now known as the Clarkdale Historical Society and Museum in 2007

·  Serving on the Board of Directors for the Clarkdale Heritage Center.

·  Serving as our featured speaker at the September 2019 CHSM First Friday event

·  Servings as the museum’s accountant from 2019 to 2021.

contributed by Michael Lindner, President 

CHSM Board Members and guests left from the Clarkdale School at 16th Street and Main for our short hike over the old Jerome to Clarkdale Road.

Below is a link to a photo taken in 1920 showing the road entering what is now upper main street. The brick homes furthest west go to 15^th street. Note there is a baseball game in progress.

https://azmemory.azlibrary.gov/digital/collection/shmining/id/421/rec/9

Below is the link to two versions of the Sanborn Maps of Clarkdale.  The first is from October 2015.  The second is from October 2015 with page updates through December 1938.  (Close evaluation of the maps show they are not completely updated through 1938.)

The first shows the detail of the construction camp and original wood school house in lower town as well as the upper town business buildings.  The second shows Patio Town (Park) built over the construction camp, enlarged upper town business buildings and a separate map of the smelter site.

https://www.loc.gov/collections/sanborn-maps/?fa=location:yavapai+county%7Clocation:arizona%7Clocation:clarkdale

 

Background:

In 1867, the Sanborn Map Company of Pelham, New York, began creating maps to assist fire insurance agents in assessing the fire hazards of particular pieces of property in towns and cities throughout the United States. The maps indicate the size, shape, and construction materials of residences, commercial properties and factories and often include such details as building use, house and block numbers, widths of streets and locations of water mains. In addition to their detail, the Sanborn maps were regularly updated, in some cases up until the 1970s, making them a valuable tool for documenting the changes in structure and building use in American cities.

contributed by Michael Lindner

If you would like to comment please contact us at info@clarkdalemuseum.org

Beaver Creek Preservation and Historical Society	beavercreekhistorical.com
Black Canyon Heritage Park	blackcanyonheritagepark.org
Camp Verde Historical Society	https://www.campverde.az.gov/our-community/history/historical-society
Chino Valley Historical Society	cvazhs.org
Arizona Copper Art Museum	copperartmuseum.com
Clemenceau Heritage Museum	clemenceaumuseum.com
Cornville Historical Society, Inc.	cornville-historical-society.org
Dewey-Humboldt Historical Society	deweyhumboldthistoricalsociety.org
Museum of Northern Arizona	musnaz.org
Pioneer Museum	arizonahistoricalsociety.org
Riordan Mansion State Historic Park	https://azstateparks.com/riordan-mansion/
Jerome Historical Society	jeromehistoricalsociety.com
Mohave County Historical Society	mohavemuseum.org
Sharlot Hall Museum	sharlothallmuseum.org
Museum of Indigenous People	museumofindigenouspeople.org
Western Heritage Center	visitwhc.org
Sedona Heritage Museum	sedonamuseum.org
Skull Valley Historical Society	https://skullvalley.org/historical-society
Old Trails Museum	oldtrailsmuseum.org

If you have a comment or want to request a correction email us at info@clarkdalemuseum.org 

The story goes that George Benatz Sr. did all the lighting for the town. He would use the fire department’s ladder. However in the1990’s he was not well enough to light the bandstand so the FD dropped the ladder off at Janice Benatz's home. She hauled that big ladder to the bandstand and George had noted all the lights and where they went. Janice says when she was on the bandstand roof it was creaking and unstable, but she got it done. Janice remembered that at one time they used big colored bulbs and Jess Valdez said the kids threw rocks at them to see how many they could break!  George Benatz Sr., Janice's dad, remembered  the original bandstand was closer to Main Street.

contributed by Jeanne Baird