Mohave County miner., 1914-03-07
La Paz Was Rich in Gold.

States Geological Survey, Bulletin 45l, issued by the government.
 This part of the report has special local interest for the reason that it has particular reference to the old mining district of La Paz, located in the south ern portion of the Colorado River Indian reservation.
 La Paz was at one time fiourishing mining town of about three thousand people and today there is not house left standing in the place. It was also at one time the county seat of Yuma county.
 The greater portion of the rich placer ground here referred to it is now owned by the New La Paz Gold Mining company of which o. l.. Grims- ley is the president and general mana. ger.
 The placer deposits near Dome Rock mountains wore among the earliest discoveries in central western Arizona. and they have been worked with more or less success in an intermittent 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 famous La Paz dis trict, it has been thought advisable to incorporate in this description extracts from the report of J. Ross Brown of the mineral resources of the states and territories west of the Rocky moun- tains, published in 1868. Mr. A. Nc Key, one time member of the ter ritorial legislature 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 noun. tans for the purpose of prospecting for gold. They had discovered what was then named and is still called "El Arroyo de la Tenaja," which is about miles north from Fl Campo Terra. and about ! miles east from La Paz. In this gulch they had discovered gold in small quantities and had taken out 2S or 3S 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 sxistance 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 Fl Dorado in company with several others. He arrived few days afterwards at the camp of Captain Weaver, who pointed out to him and his party the particular gulch from which he had taken the gold. After short examination of this place the party set out in different directions to discover, If possible, something which would pay to work, and the extent of the placers. Within less than mile from Weaver's camp, south, Redondo took pan of dirt to prospect, and when he had dry washed it, to the astonishment of himself and the party with him, he found he had one 'chispa' which weighed ounces and Is, besides other small pieces. Others of the party found good pros- poets, but none of the company had come for anything more than to as- ported glad tidings, and therefore were not prepared to remain and work for want of necessary provisions and tools, but were compelled to re. turn to La Guna, a settlement some 20 miles above Fort Yuma, on the Ari- zona side of the Colorado. Very soon the knowledge of these discoveries spread to Sonora and California, and the people began to pour in from all points and continued to come until they probably numbered l,5OO. This population was maintained to a great CT or less extent until the spring of 1864, when the apparent exhaustion of the placsrs and the extreme high prices for provisions caused large num- bers to leave. The discovery of the Weaver and Walkers diggings in the year 1863 drew away many of the