http-equiv='refresh'/> Tin TeePee/Log Cabin: We Visit A Grave

Tuesday, April 14, 2015

We Visit A Grave

I sure hope Mr. Bradshaw appreciated our visiting his gravesite as much trouble as it was for us to get there!  Today was the toughest riding I’ve done—by the time we stopped for lunch my knees were knocking and my hands were shaking!  I was up on three wheels, sometimes two I think more times that I want to count—the rest of the time I felt as if I was going to land on my nose, the trail was so steep!  The rest of the ATV group praised my riding skills—I jokingly said, “I want a RZR after that, I just want to be a passenger!!!” 

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In 1862 the brothers William and Isaac Bradshaw along with William Warringer, sought and received a 20 year exclusive contract from Arizona’s first territorial legislature for a ferry service across the Colorado River between Providence Point, California and Olive City in Arizona. William Bradshaw’s brother Isaac, ran the ferry most of the time, while William went to the Weaver Mining District in Arizona and spent his time prospecting and exploring. William died in 1864, later that year the Silver Mountains were renamed the Bradshaw Mountains.

In 1867 Isaac Bradshaw got gold fever so he sold his interest in the ferry in Providence Point, left his wife and children and traveled to Arizona. He first tried his hand at prospecting, but did not meet with success. He then sought opportunities in the Copper Basin District located in the Sierra Prieta Mountains in Yavapai County. There he became a partner in a copper mining operation. Still having the lust for gold, he sold his interest in the Copper Basin property and went to the southern Bradshaw’s where he found his nirvana. His mine was not especially profitable, but it produced enough to keep him in beans and bacon. He died Christmas Day, 1886, at his claim on Whipsaw Gulch near Castle Creek where he is buried.”   wickenburg-az.com

Leaving North Ranch at 8:30am we headed for the fairgrounds where we unloaded our ATVs and set off.  Mike and Cathy need a little Crisco to get their RZR in the trailer! SmileIMG_1440

It was a very warm day with a stiff breeze making it hard for the cowboy to hang onto his hat!  Actually it was hard for all of us to hang onto our hats!  Little Emmi was a trouper as usual, her shade apparatus works very well!IMG_1445We rode through some of the most rugged country I’ve ever seen—it was gorgeous out there!

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IMG_1472Steep mountains, very little water, cactus everywhere, rattlesnakes and the relentless sun beating down—you wouldn’t want to be lost out there!

 IMG_1477It was a great day riding with great friends! 

6 comments:

  1. Looks like a lot of fun. Nice that you left flowers.:-)

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  2. Beautiful country, glad you had some stops to take pics in between the white knuckle parts. I'm always amazed at the number of muscles used to really ride a quad - it's a great work out! I doubt Mr Bradshaw ever thought he'd be a "destination" all these years later :-)

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  3. Nice photos from your ATV rides. Beautiful countryside too. That is quite the story about the Bradshaws.....and the grave site seems to be well kept.

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  4. Gorgeous desert!!! Glad you made it home all right after your challenging ride:) Emmi's new get up looks like a mini prairie schooner:)

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  5. Nice to see you are having fun and not just work on the new house. Kepp the beautiful mountain pictures coming but they make me "homesick" :-)

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  6. All I can say is Girl you got guts! Just reading it scared me.

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