The Parker post. (Parker, Ariz.) 1910-1918, 1914-02-28
LA PAZ WAS
RICH IN GOLD
FAMOUS OLD DIGGINGS SUBJECT
OF REPORT BY MEMBER OF
THE UNITED STATES GEOLO-
GICAL SURVEY.

VI I1OW4dHu bduCIOll, Ol Tie Ollleu
States Geological Survey, Bulletin
451, issued by the government.
This part of the report has a spe-
cial local interest for the reason that
it has particular reference to the old
mining district of La Paz, located in
the southern portion of the Colora-
do River Indian reservation.
ing mining town of about three thous
and people and today there is not a
house left standing in the place
1t was also at one time the county
seat Of Yuma county.
The greater portion CT the rich
placer ground here referred to is now
owned by the New La Paz Gold Min.
ing company of which O. L. Grimsley
is the president and general manager.
The placer deposits near Dome
Rock mountains were among the ear
liest discoveries in central western
Arizona, and they have been worked
with more or less success in an in
termittent fashion ever since 1862.
AS no work was in progress at the
time of the writer's visit and as it
was impossible to examine the fam
Gus La Paz district, it has been
thought advisable to incorporate in
this description extracts from the re-
port of j. Ross Brown of the mineral
resources of the states and territori-
es west Of the Rocky mountains, pub
lished in 1863 Mr. A. Mickey, one
time member of the territorial legisla-
ture from La Paz, is the authority
for the following information on the
La Paz district:
Captain Pauline Weaver and others,
in the month of January, 1862, were
trapping on the Colorado river, and
at times would stray off into the
mountains for the purpose of pros
pecting for gold. They had discover
ed what was then named and is still
called ''El Arroyo de la Tenaja," )"
which is about 2 miles north from
Ell Campo Ferra, and about Z miles
east from La Paz. In this gulch
they had discovered gold in small
quantities and had taken out So or
So worth, which Captain Weaver kept
in a goose quill.
Soon after this discovery Weaver
visited Fort Yuma and exhibited what
gold he had This evidence of the
existance of commodity so much
sought for in this country convinced
others that gold might be found in
quantities by hunting for it. Don
Jose M. RedondO, having heard of the
discovery at once set out to visit
the newly found Ell Dorado in COM
pany with several others He arriv-
ed few days afterwards at the
camp of Captain Weaver, who point
ed out to him and his party
the particular gulch from which
he had taken the gold. After a short
examination of this place the party
set out in different directions to dis
cover, if possible, something which
would pay to work, and the extent
OF the placers. Within less than a
mile from Weayer's camp, south,
Redondo took a pan of dirt to pros
pect, and when he had dry washed
it, to the astonishment of himself
and the party with him, he found
that he one 'chispa' which weighed
2 ounces and 81, besides other small
pieces. Others of the party found
good prospects, but none Of the com
pany had come for anything more
than to ascertain the truth or falsity
Of the reported glad tidings, ,and there
and work for want of necessary pro-
visions and tools, but were COMPEL
ed to return to La Guna, a settle
ment some 20 miles above Fort Yu-
ma, on the Arizona side Of the Colo
RADIO. Very soon the knowledge of
these discoveries spread to Sonora
and California, and the people began
to pour in from all points and con
tlnued to come until they probably
1900. This population
was maintained to a greater or less
extent until the spring of 1864, when
the apparent exhaustion of the plac-
ars and the extreme high prices for
provisions caused large numbers TO
leave. The discovery of the Weaver
and Walkers diggings in the year
1868 drew away many of the miners
from these placers.
On the yield of these placers, any
thing like an approximate to the aver
ape dai1v amOl1nt Of what woo talznn