The Coconino sun., 1923-06-08

it has been proven by costly exper-
ience that it is a difficult matter to
improve upon the old routes them
selves.
Bearing this fact in mind, the fol-
lowing extracts from minutes of the
board of supervisors Of Yavapai coun-
ty of over forty-three years ago will
prove interesting.
The members of the board of su-
pervisors in 1879 were J. F. Fisher,
chairman, and J. n Rodenburg and
J. w. Sullivan. This is the same J.
w. Sullivan who passed over the town
site Of Flagstaff in 1869. He had
therefore on July Z, 1879, been in
Prescott nearly ten years, had broken
into politics and been elected to the
board of supervisors of the county.
Under date of July z, 1879, the fol-
lowing minute appears upon the pro-
ceedings of the board: "In compliance
with a petition to that effect, Road
District No. Is, commencing at hill
one-half mile north of Campbell's
& Bakers ranch near Point of Rocks,
thence by way of Chino valley, He'll
Canyon, Bill Williams mountain, San
Francisco mountain to the west bound
airy Of Apache (Navajo) county, was
established, and G. NJ Gray was apr
pointed overseer thereof"
If you will ask Mr.. Sullivan he will
tell you that when the Sullivan-Hance
party broke camp on the morning of
the present townsite of Flagstaff,
along the old trail to a point near the
present railroad station of Maine;
thence through Garland Prairie and
across the head of Sycamore Canyon,
then, slSirting the southeastern foot
hills of Bill Williams, they descended
the rim by the old government trail;
then across the head of Hell's Can
Won and into Chino valley, and on into
Prescott. 1t is doubtful that dollar
has been spent upon this old road
since G. N. Gray was appointed over
seer in 1879, and yet you could leave
Flagstaff in wagon today and fol-
low with comparative ease the same
route taken by the Sullivan Hance
party in 1869.
Another old road that would be of
great benefit to eastern Coconino as
we'll as to eastern Yavapai and north
ern Gila, especially in view of the
connections it would now make, is
that established by the Board of Su-
pervisors in 1880. The minutes of the
Board show that, on October 13, 1880,
"a petition from residents of the Mo-
gollon mountains along the stage road
praying for the establishment of a
road district commencing at Beaver
Head and extending along the stage
road, via Stoneman lake and Pine
Spring, to the Westerly boundary of
Apache (Navajo) county, was read"
The petition was granted, and Robert
Peasants appointed overseer.
Road District No. "a, from Flag
staff through Lockett's valley, via
Thomas F. McMiIlen,s ranch, w. H.
Anderson's ranch, Fort Rickerson,
Hart's ranch, thence along Grand
Canyon road tt, the Cedar ranch, a
distance of about 35 miles, was es-
tablished September Z, 1888, and Al
Beasley appointed overseer.
On December 10, 1887, a petition
was presented to the board asking that
Road District No. be established.
The road ran from Spring Valley to
Williams, thence south via the rail-
road reservoir to Rowe's ranch. The
petition was granted and w, H. Smoot
appointed overseer.
The last road district of which
made note was that established Octo-
Der %, 1888 from Flagstaff to Wins
low. w. H. Switzer was appointed
ovnrSPer
Public Schools
Flagstaff was in its swaddling
clothes when one of its substantial
citizens determined it should have a