TAKING THE OFF-RAMP

taking the off-ramp Remnants of a High-class Ghost Town

Courtland, in the southeast corner of the state, is an allbut-forgotten ghost town. But at one time, thanks to the copper boom, it was a bustling hub. That was back in 1910 when two railroad branches-trains from the El Paso and Southwestern Railroad and the Southern Pacific-transported ore daily.

"More than 2,000 people are housed in tents, box-houses and even grass-thatched adobe, stretching up and down the gulch for miles and miles," wrote a reporter for the Arizona Gazette.

Surviving a Mount Graham Log Ride

Long ago, the Gardner family lived on Mount Graham, southwest of Safford, because the father worked as a logger. Neal, 2, and Duane, 4, were playing on a bridge over the flume that carried logs down 6 miles to Pima.

Neal was poking a broomstick into the water. Suddenly the broomstick got caught. Duane tried to grab his little brother, but Neal was pulled into the water and carried off with the logs.

At times he went under water. Other times, he floated and got hit in the back, receiving bruises and scrapes. He tried to grab the sides, scraping his hands raw.

Finally he arrived at the bottom where workmen pulled him out. Miraculously he was alive and not terribly hurt. His mother came and took him back home on horseback. He lived until 1966 when he died in a plane crash in Wyoming. The plane was not found until months after the accident. If he had lived, he would be in his 90s now, this lucky boy who survived a hazardous water ride that could have taken his life as a little child.

"There are restaurants, groceries, general merchandise stores, a barber shop, pool room, hardware store and a number of 'hotels' where one has the rare privilege, these formation days, of jumping at the chance to get a good bed over a dust floor for from 75 cents to a dollar and a half at night.

"There is no abundance of water and a bath is a real luxury. The town is distinctly orderly. There are only two saloons."

Indeed, nestled in the foothills of the Dragoon Mountains, Courtland was one of the more respectable frontier towns. It had a post office, a newspaper, butcher shop, ice cream parlor and in later years a movie theater. When mining operations died after World War I, people drifted away. The railroad tracks were pulled up to be used elsewhere. Today the only remaining building with a roof in Courtland is the old jailhouse, which was steel-reinforced and built to last. It was occupied until recently by the town's sole resident and his dog.

First Drive-through McDonald's Feeds an Army

In 1975 the Army commander at Fort Huachuca in southern Arizona ordered soldiers not to wear their uniforms into local restaurants, and Sierra Vista restaurant owners were looking at a serious loss in business. The McDonald's owner came up with a unique idea. He broke a hole in the wall and served hamburgers to the soldiers standing outside. A menu board was added, and a Ronald McDonald figure took orders, making this "hole in the wall" at Sierra Vista the world's first McDonald's drive-through.

1875 A Prescott editor bemoans the "abominable, pernicious, scoundrel" who stole his best suit. The pants are found three months later.

1880 A bridge spanning the San Pedro River washes away, delaying stagecoach travel from Benson to Tombstone.

1893 Phoenix citizens inflicted with gold fever rush to the Superstition Mountains to stake claims.

1894 No mail is delivered to Phoenix for 11 days because of a nationwide railroad strike.

1895 A gasoline stove explodes in a Williams tailor shop and two blocks of flimsy wooden buildings are destroyed.

1898 The Cochise County jail holds 22 prisoners, most of them awaiting trial.

1927 Tucson day laborers receive their first pay increase in 20 years, raising the pay scale from $2.50 to $3 per day.

Two Eggs Over Sidewalk, No Toast

Each July 4, visitors to the tiny community of Oatman in northwestern Arizona on Old Route 66 can try their hand at frying eggs on the sidewalk. Each contestant gets two eggs to crack open and cook to an edible doneness in 15 minutes. Contestants may get creative about the method of solar heat they use. Information: (928) 768-6222.

Autry's Angels

One of the silver screen's most successful singing cowboys, Gene Autry, blazed a path in the entertainment world with nearly a hundred movies and more than 600 recordings to his credit. In addition to his acting and singing success, “America's Favorite Cowboy” was also a

Tombstone by Lamplight

The 1880s might have been a rough-and-tumble time for residents of Tombstone, but elegance found its way into the mining town-something reflected in its trendy dining establishments. Elaborate menus, published at length in the town's newspapers, detailed scrumptious listings of everything from “fruit to nuts.” Classic French cuisine topped the lists, but German, Chinese, Italian and Irish cooking were also included. Author Sherry Monahan pieced together an 1880s cookbook from old newspaper clippings and turn-ofthe-last-century recipes to create her book, Taste of Tombstone: A Hearty Helping of History. Monahan was also able to add recipes from Otto Geisenhofer, Tombstone's first baker. “Those are the crown jewels of the book,” said Monahan. The self-taught cook declares her favorite old-time recipes include green-apple dumplings, salmon baked a la Richelieu and macaroni a la Italienne. If you have the hankering to try some of the Tombstone dishes but don't want to cook, stop for dinner at the Tombstone Boarding House's Lamplight Room. The restaurant, decked out in Victorian finery, serves up Monahan's period recipes every night. Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday would feel right at home. Information: Tombstone Boarding House, (520) 457-3716 or toll-free (877) 225-1319; www. tombstoneboardinghouse.com.

savvy businessman with several noteworthy investments, including the Los Angeles Angels, which have since become the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. Autry died in 1998, but in Mesa his name lives on at the Gene Autry Park and Sports Complex. The Anaheim Angels, one of a dozen teams in the Cactus League, has played at the sports complex in the past, even though the team's spring training is based at Tempe Diablo Stadium.

Willow Springs Records Names of Old

rivers traveling U.S. Route 89 on the Navajo Indian Reservation should look for Willow Springs, a red rock outcropping slightly more than 16 miles north of Cameron. From 1873 until 1898, Mormon pioneers traveling to and from Utah etched their names into these rocks during stopovers at the springs, one of the few water sources between the Little and main Colorado rivers. The names stand out in clear relief and include those of well-known Mormon families-Cluff, Flake, Perkins-who helped settle Arizona. The accessible spot makes a fun stop for those who want to crawl over the boulders hunting names and inscriptions. The ruins of the Willow Springs Trading Post stand behind these rocks. Drive east of the highway about a quarter-mile, cross the wash and see the rocks to the left.

Indian Sculptures

Ever hear of wood sculptor Peter Toth and his Whispering Giants? As a tribute to America's Indians, the Hungarian-born artist in 1971 embarked on an effort to sculpt figures of Indians from all regions of the country.Toth uses local wood, and each of his creations measures 20 to 40 feet tall. They're on display at museums, town visitors centers and parks.

Arizona got its 35-foot-tall Whispering Giant in 1979, made of ponderosa pine, the first to sport facial hair. It stands at First Street and Berry Avenue in Winslow. “A lot of people travel from state to state just to see Toth's work,” says Jessica Monsegur, chamber executivedirector.

To view the sculpture, take Exit 253 off Interstate 40 to the north side of the highway. Information: (928) 2892434.

Lemon Crisis Soured Yuma

Everyone knows Yuma is hot in July, so the town was extremely worried when they read the July 3, 1907, edition of The Yuma Examiner. A frontpage headline screamed: “CITY FACES LEMON FAMINE ON THE FOURTH.” Under the headline in bold letters were the dreadful facts: “Only Fifteen Boxes on the Market Yesterday and They Went in aHurry at Advance of $1 a Box.” Anxious readers read on to learn their fate: “Yuma is facing a lemonless Fourth of July or nearly so. Every merchant in the city awoke to the fact yesterday morning that the one thing needed most for the three days of celebration was lemons. With this realization came the shock that the city's lemon supply practically was exhausted with no chance to get any more until next Monday. What lemons were on the market sold at an advance of $1 a box over the price ruling two days before. They sold for $5.25. Alexander & Co had fifteen boxes and this represents the total supply until Monday. Mr. Sanguinetti has telegraphed to Los Angeles for a supply by express.”Opium paraphernalia commonly appeared in archaeological sites of old Chinatowns around Arizona. These finds conjure up scenes of mysterious, dark opium dens with intoxicated partakers. A look back into history, however, shows opium smoking held a respectable status in Chinese society. The poppies historically grown in China had a mild opiate, and the 30-second smokes during social gatherings had an effect akin to drinking wine.

LIFE IN ARIZONA 1 8 0 0 s OPIUM USE IN OLD CHINATOWNS HAD A 'RESPECTABLE' ERA

A more potent and more addictive opium emerged from India. Several Chinese emperors tried, unsuccessfully, to ban the imported product,coined “foreign mud” or “flowing poison.” Until opium became illegal, most of the narcotic sent to the United States during the late 1800s was used to produce laudanum, a common ingredient in patent medicine at the time. Only a fraction of the opium made its way into an opium pipe.

Question of the Month

What is an Arizona skink?

AThe Arizona skink is a lizard with a round body and shiny scales. Bony deposits in its skin give it added protection from animals looking to make a meal of it. The Arizona skink lives in a few mountainous areas in western Arizona.

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