FORT MOHAVE, ARIZONA AREA: MOHAVE AND MILL CITY RAILROAD

 MOHAVE AND MILL CITY RAILROAD

First, there was COVID; now, incessant snow and rainfall. All of this has kept me from enjoying my backyard, otherwise known as the Kaibab National Forest. Since the beginning of this year, the Kaibab Plateau has experienced 15 feet of snowfall; normal is 5 feet. This is just the natural cycle returning, where once every five years we have a blockbuster winter. 

Not one to just sit in the house and age not-so-gracefully, I have been exploring historical sites near the Colorado River. There are a number of unique and relatively unknown sites, from Needles, California to Las Vegas, Nevada. Some of these locations are a short drive from the main highway, others are a number of miles. 

A word of caution must be said regarding travel in the desert. Choose your season wisely; warmer months bring intense heat, cooler months below freezing temperatures. At any time or season, rain and flash floods are a real danger. Most of the desert is dry and arid, covered in scrub brush and various sized rocks. Majestic in its' stark beauty, the landscape is scarred by seasonal river and creek beds coalescing into wide flood plains. When dry, the ground becomes soft from the sandy soil and when wet, becomes a quagmire. Flashfloods are sudden, fast and potentially deadly. Do not cross or meander on a dry stream bed when the threat of thunder warns of impending rain. Dry sandy soil may strand your vehicle; a flash flood will sweep you away in a matter of moments. 

For you desert dwellers, the following may be taken as fact, but you are well aware of how many people are wandering the desert back roads without even an hours' worth of water. Always be prepared with adequate clothing for the season, and a supply of food and water in your vehicle. Don't drive a road that looks unsafe to you or is beyond your skill to travel. I am used to the forest and all its dangers, but the desert is far deadlier and will kill you faster.

Having given clear warning and wise advice, I present an interesting area to visit. I would use a good map, then research and document the area you are going to visit. Access to the area is limited, crisscrossed with trails, river channels, steep grades and extremely rough roads. Not to mention the tire sucking sand traps. Four-wheel drive is a must, not an option. You can get lost, even if it is only a few miles from the agricultural area of Mohave Valley.

FORT MOHAVE, ARIZONA AREA: MOHAVE AND MILL CITY RAILROAD

Courtesy Google Maps

East of Fort Mohave is the abandoned mill and townsite of Mill City (back when I was young, Mohave was spelled with a J: Mojave. Times have changed.)  

I accessed the area by turning East off of Highway 95, unto Road 351 (Willow Road) at the Spirit Mountain Casino. I followed the road until it turned to gravel and dirt, then crossed over the irrigation ditch. There is a poorly marked road that turns to the left, which is the way to the area. You will pass an open-air target practice area, with abandoned and stripped cars. There are a number of side trails, one of which follows the creek bed, and another takes you to higher ground. You will need to decide which way to proceed, and why you need to have a good map and a navigation instrument.

 AVOID THE AREA if there is the slightest hint of rain in the mountains or over your location. Flash floods kill. (I can imagine the conversation to your significant other, "Let's go to this remote and isolated old mill site in the desert." After the trip, don't wonder why the front door slams and you find yourself alone. Maybe go to the casino instead?)

Looking east towards Oatman area. Note the rugged landscape, and deep ravines. 

Looking West from the mill site. Mohave Valley is in the distance. This gives you an idea as to how rugged the area is and provides an indication of the number of diverging trails. This area seems to be used as an offroad vehicle playground. 

                        

Spring flowers were in bloom. Don't forget to enjoy the little things in life. 

The Mill site area, located on a bench above the creek. You will have to drive up a steep incline to reach the area. Ample parking. Or, if you found the road that takes you to the top of the ridge above the site, you can walk down to this location. 

Another view of the foundation piers and retaining wall that were built for the ore bin and mill structure.

 Mill Town was aptly named; this complex would have required a number of workers to operate the machinery that processed the ore. There are indications that dwellings and structures once dotted the area. 

On the ridge above the complex, the railroad grade was laid on a raised embankment. From this point, there must have been a trestle, so that the ore cars could dump their cargo into the bunker at the mill. A water pipeline was buried next to the grade, and then continued for some distance further along the ridge.

A unique feature was the large concrete holding basin that was built on top of the ridge above the mill. A pipeline was laid underground to the mill complex. This was to provide water for the workers and the mill operations. What is unique is the amount of labor that went into building an open-air collection pool, that certainly would have had problems with evaporation in a desert climate. 

Standing on the edge of the cistern, looking west.

 

Farther east, within sight of the cistern, 

the railroad grade crosses the road. A sign commemorates the spot.

 

According to the sign, the Mohave and Milltown Railroads (?) extended from this point some seventeen miles to the Oatman, Arizona area. A spur or branch continued to the Fort Mohave and Colorado River area, only a few miles distant from this point. Transporting the raw ore from the mines to the river by wagon was proving to be a costly venture. The ore still needed to travel by steamboat to a smelter where the gold or silver was extracted.

The purpose of the railroad was to transport the ore, other than by wagon, to the mill that concentrated the valuable minerals. The concentrate could then be transported by wagon or possibly by rail to the Colorado River. 

All of this seemed a sound and astute business decision, and thus was born out in 1902. However, the oftentimes cruel desert environment had other plans. The railroad operated for a year and was suddenly washed away by flash floods cascading down the stream beds that the grade had crossed. If they only had a satellite view of the terrain, they would have seen that the entire area is one vast seasonal flood plain. One source indicates that over a million dollars were invested in the project, that operated only a year. 

Wagons once again plodded from the mines to the river. Hopeful if not wishful thinking kept the vision of a railroad alive, but eventually the line was completely abandoned in 1913. Much of the history of this venture is lost to time, yet it is possible to speculate that the mill complex was used to concentrate the ore after the railroad was washed away. Then again, memories fade and time passes on under the sun and heat of the desert sky.

The marker area looking West. The grade was on a fill, and once crossed a trestle at this location. 

The grade as it continues on to Oatman.

                                                  

Objects that attest that iron horses once trod the rails. 

 Please leave in place for future visitors.

A section of the grade, as it continues towards Oatman area.

Along the Oatman Highway, there is another section of the grade designated a trailhead. You can walk the grade, although it is deteriorated. It is not an easy hike and should not be ventured alone. Ample water is a necessity.