The Payson Country

BY: EDWARD H. PEPLOW, JR.

Payson Country

Arizona's Payson country is much more than a geographical wonderland. It is more than pine and and prickly pear, golden eagle and saguaro wren, blizzard-bound upland and sunseared lowland. It is more, even, than an unsurpassed panoply of Nature's grandeur and variety which has been adapted gradually, bit by bit to man's use. It is a breeding ground of tradition and a proving ground of new awareness. In the past was bred those traditions of ruggedness and self-reliance which were the hallmarks of the pioneer West. It nurtured those virtues of neighborliness, courage and resourcefulness upon which the successful new founding of any civilization must rest. Nor were the challenges all Nature's. In the vastness of the desert and the fastness of the mountain wilderness renegades from civilization found temporary refuge and, for a while, an arena for lawlessness. Some of the bloodiest pages in Southwestern history were written upon the towering battlements of the Mogollon Rim. Today modern technology has all but subdued the awesome challenges of Nature, and civilization has supplanted the rule of the rustler, claim-jumper and badman. Now, instead, there is an emerging awareness that the wilderness itself is a heritage that must be preserved for the edification of present and future generations to come.

The Payson COUNTRY per se has no defined boundaries. It extends, perhaps, from the desert at its southern reaches to the high plateau above the Rim on the north and from the valley of the Verde River on the west beyond the Sierra Anchas on the east.

Starting from the little town of Payson, it is easy to be led either by gradual stages of geographical temptation or by long told tales of fact and fiction as far afield as Montana, Texas, Mexico and California, as Montezuma, Mangas Coloradas, General Crook and Captain Burt Mossman. As its most famous chronicler, Zane Grey, demonstrated, the Payson country is a land for wandering, for adventure, for imagination, for living!

Yet for purely practical purposes, most of the fascination that is the Payson country can be encompassed within a radius of only some twenty-five miles of Payson. In this spread of some 2,000 square miles are prehistoric Indian cliff dwellings and modern summer homes, giant saguaro cacti and towering Ponderosa pines, sluggish Gila monsters and tawny cougars, shimmering desertscapes and sparkling mountain lakes. Here the convenience of the modern has been superimposed only with care on the rugged face of the country, carefully, because long ago it became evident that, no matter how enduring the landscape might seem, the uncontrolled encroachment of man could denude and spoil it forever.

Payson itself is a small town nestled comfortably in a little valley near the upper end of the Mazatzal Mountains. The Mazatzals run approximately north and south across the geographical center of Arizona, with a slight crescent shape bowing their middle toward the west. At the north they butt their heads against the Mogollon Rim, and at the south they dip their foothills in the Salt River.

PAYSON IS SITUATED at an elevation of 4,930 feet and has a population (depending on when the count is made and what area is included) of as many as 2,000 people. No matter when the count or what the area, however, the population is a lot denser than it was ninety years ago. In 1875 there were only two known settlers, William Bureh and John Hook, in what was then known as Green Valley. Attracted by prospects of gold mining, they built a small stockade house where the Payson golf course is now located.While the Golden Waif was the first mine actually recorded in the area and brought D. I. Fouse, C. E. Thomas and I. M. House to swell the population, it was a combination of desultory mining, small cattle ranching, homesteading and farming that gradually shaped a settlement in the gracious little valley.

By 1882-83 the potential of a permanent settlement was recognized, and James C. Callaghan and John Hise laid out a town, called Union Park. The next year Washington established a post office there under the name of Payson, said to honor a member of the U. S. Senate who was instrumental in gaining passage of the bill.More colorful, however, is the local legend of the origin of the name. This says a newcomer traditionally was invited to drink with cordial welcomers. When finally he turned to thank his hosts, however, he found himself gazing down the tunnel of a .45 to the curt command, "Pay, son!"

Payson today is considerably more cordial. Indeed the modern version comes fully equipped with an active Chamber of Commerce, good tourist accommodations, a small but modern hospital, stage (bus) service, an airport, shopping facilities and most of the other basic accoutrements of modern living. Perhaps the most important single influence on the development of the Payson country is the U. S. Forest Service. Founded in 1905 as part of Teddy Roosevelt's drive to conserve the natural resources of the United States, the Forest Service today is concerned with the highly complex principle of multiple use of public lands.

The Payson country lies entirely within the confines of the Tonto National Forest and spills over, on the north, into the Coconino and Sitgreaves National Forests. The three industries directly and immediately affected by the institution of national forests were lumbering, mining and livestock raising, and all three remain economically important to the area today.

More recently, however, the recreational use of forest lands has become increasingly important. In the America of the post-World War II era, the financial ability of the average American to get away from home for weekends and longer periods has grown. Improved camping equipment from tents to trailers to the truck-borne version of the covered wagon - has brought living room comfort to the great outdoors. And physical and mental fitness are national concerns. The effects are evident everywhere in the Payson country. Summer homes by the hundreds are hidden beneath the pines and in mountain meadows. They vary from unpretentious one-room cabins to a few elaborate multi-story structures oldtimers refer to as mansions. Most are equipped for occupancy at any season, actual tenancy being determined by the owner's pleasure and his having available the automotive equipment (preferably of the four-wheel drive, high clearance, winch-equipped type) necessary to travel mountain roads during snow, mud and high-water seasons.

This is not to say the roads through the area are nearly the problem they were a few years ago. They have been vastly improved in mileage, surface and drainage. In fact, so rapid is the continuing improvement that map makers are always a little bit behind. This situation is alleviated, however, by the Forest Service's excellent system of directional signs and route markings and by publication each year of a large, detailed, revised highway map by the Arizona State Highway Department. The Forest Service also publishes recreation maps of the various national forests.

it is still the country

BACKBONE OF THE ROAD SYSTEM through the Payson country is the all-year complex of hard-topped highways built and maintained by federal, state and county funds. Arizona 87 is the main artery from the Phoenix area and runs through Payson to Strawberry. From Strawberry northeast to Winslow is a paved road, Arizona 65, while from Clint's Well northwest to Flagstaff is a road paved most of the way and passable all year.

Running east by north from Payson is Arizona 160 which meets Arizona 277 at Heber and provides a paved, all-weather route to Snowflake and thence to Holbrook or Show Low. From the Flagstaff-Clint's Well road, just above Happy Jack, is an all-weather road going west to connect with Arizona 79, the Black Canyon Highway.

Most scenic, indeed breathtaking, of the roads in the Payson country is the Zane Grey Highway, for many years known as the Rim Road. It snakes along the edge of the Mogollon Rim, originating on the west above Verde Hot Springs, southwest of Camp Verde, and affording indescribable vistas of forest filled valleys and distant peaks unsurpassed anywhere in the world. Only a few short sections of the Rim Road are paved now; but longrange plans call for eventual realigning and development to make this spectacular highway in the skies easily used the year around. When this is accomplished the resulting national scenic highway certainly will be one of the country's scenic show places.

for big romantic dreams

HERB & DOROTHY MCLAUGHLIN HISTORICAL It is impossible to predict when this dream will be accomplished, however. At present a section of U. S. Forest Highway 9 is being constructed to tie Arizona 65 (which is also FH 9) near where it mounts the Rim above Strawberry to the existing Fossil Creek road from Camp Verde. It is being worked on piece by piece as funds become available; but a firm completion date for this humble beginning of the Zane Grey Highway has not been set, much less such a date for the incalculably greater task of building the rest of the great project eastward as far as Pinetop.

As it is now, the Rim Road is like much of the secondary network through the Payson country; a good, graded, safe, dirt road usually usable in season by the ordinary passenger car. During and after winter snows or seasonal rains, however, it is recommended only for fourwheel drive vehicles and experienced drivers. If the traveler has any doubts about the usability of any road at a given time, local inquiry is advised.

It should be emphasized that the phrases, “passable all year,” and “all-weather road,” do not preclude temporary, local inpasses. Many people tend to forget that Arizona's high country is susceptible to heavy snows in winter, while even the desert country can be hit by cloudbursts. Such conditions can, of course, interrupt travel on any road, even superhighways, and their effects are felt more severely on the smaller, more remote roads.

Despite the occasional inconvenience of a muddy or rutted road, however, development of the Payson country in the last decade has been phenomenal. Less than ninety-five miles from Phoenix, over a good road, Payson is gateway to a wonderland that offers stimulating relief from the desert's summer heat and a rejuvenating agenda of changes from city life. Its proximity to Arizona's major center of population plus its growing national recognition have hastened its development.

TROUT FISHING IS EXCELLENT in a number of the ever-flowing streams, such as Christopher Creek, Tonto Creek, Spring Creek, the East Verde River, Haigler Creek and others below the Rim and in West Clear Creek, East Clear Creek, Barbershop Canyon, Willow Creek and Chevelon Canyon above the Rim. Most of them are stocked at frequent intervals by the Arizona State Game and Fish Department, and a friendly fisherman's chat at almost any of the stores, post offices or campgrounds will produce reliable (?) information on where the fish are biting and what baits or lures they are taking.

In the last few years, however, fishermen in the Paysoncountry have been given four beautiful bonanzas with more to come. They are the small, gemlike lakes scattered along the top of the Rim and created by dams built by Arizona Game and Fish Department. Woods Canyon Lake, dedicated in 1958, was the first and remains a favorite. Its surface is more than fifty acres, and its waters are well stocked with rainbow trout. Three well-equipped campgrounds, with fireplaces, toilets and running water, are on its shores, while a well-stocked store carries a wide variety of provisions. House trailers are permitted, and there are boats for rent. Maximum length of stay, as set by Forest Service regulations, is fourteen days. Woods Canyon Lake is located thirty-three miles from Payson, four miles west of the junction of the Rim Road and Arizona 160, just a mile off the Rim Road.

Black Canyon Lake is half again as large as Woods Canyon but the accommodations and access are somewhat more primitive. Camping areas are plentiful. The camper, however, is on his own, for as yet the only improvements are a boat-launching ramp and minimum sanitary facilities.

Knoll Lake, on the border between the Sitgreaves and Coconino National Forests, is reached by Forest Service Road 115, which takes off from the Rim Road at Tonto View Observation Point about four miles west of Promontory Butte. This 77-surface-acre lake is near a campgrounds with minimum improvements; so once again the camper is virtually on his own.

NOTES FOR PHOTOGRAPHERS "ALONG THE ROAD TO COLD SPRINGS" BY DARWIN VAN CAMPEN.

Photo taken along the road to Cold Springs, a short distance off the Houston Mesa which turns off from Arizona 87 between Payson and Pine. This is an area that should not be missed by visitors to the Pine-Payson Country. It offers much to those who seek out an enjoyable blend of scenery, fishing and solitude. 4x5 Linhof camera; Ektachrome; f.18 at 1/50th sec.; 150mm Symmar lens; August; bright sunlight; Weston Meter 200; ASA rating 50.

"THUNDERHEADS OVER STAR VALLEY" BY JOSEF MUENCH.

Homes in Star Valley, a settlement four miles east of Payson along Arizona 160. Summer flowers grace the lush meadow lands while summer clouds pile high over the Mogollon Rim. 4x5 Linhof camera; Ektachrome; f. 16 at 1/100th sec.; 6" Xenar lens; July.

"VIEW FROM ZANE GREY'S CABIN" BY JOSEF MUENCH.

View from Zane Grey's Lodge, situated under the Mogollon Rim north of Kohl's Ranch, off Arizona 160. It was here that Zane Grey, famous writer of western tales, received inspiration. View is looking south directly in front of his cabin, where the summer blooms of the Yucca elata sway with every breeze.

"VIEW OF OLD PAYSON" BY JOSEF MUENCH.

View of Old Payson was taken from the hills bordering Arizona 87 as it approaches the town from the south. Nestled among the cool pine forests in the Upper Tonto Basin, this typical western town has preserved its true appearance as a frontier settlement and is now a resort place at an elevation of 5000 feet. 4x5 Linhof camera; Ektachrome; f.22 at 1/25th sec.; 6" Xenar lens; July; sunny day.

"PAYSON COUNTRY CLUB" BY JOSEF MUENCH.

Golf Course and Country Club at Payson was taken from a hill to the west of town. Amidst the beautiful Tonto National Forest, below the Mogollon Rim, is the nine-hole golf course of mile-high Payson. 4x5 Linhof camera; Ektachrome; f.14 at 1/100th sec.; 81/4" Tessar lens; July.

"KNOLL LAKE" BY DARWIN VAN CAMPEN.

Photo taken at Knoll Lake, reached by a five mile side road leading from the primitive road along the Mogollon Rim. This new lake should gain popularity in a hurry. How can it miss? Trout, scenery, and accessibility (improving) should quickly add up to plenty of enthusiastic boosters. 4x5 Linhof camera; Ektachrome; f.20 at 1/25th sec.; 150mm Symmar lens; August; bright afternoon sunlight; Weston Meter 200; ASA rating 50.

"ALONG THE ROAD TO FLOWING SPRINGS ON THE EAST VERDE" BY DARWIN VAN CAMPEN.

Taken a short distance off Arizona 87 along the road to Flowing Springs (about ten miles north of Payson.) The river is the East Verde. 4x5 Linhof camera; Ektachrome; f.24 at 1/25th sec.; 127mm Ektar lens; August; bright sunlight; Weston Meter 250; ASA rating 50.

"BLACK CANYON LAKE" BY JOSEF MUENCH.

Black Canyon Lake on the Mogollon Plateau is reached by a good gravel road, southwest of the town of Heber. This man-made and well-stocked trout lake has its setting among the beautiful Ponderosa Pine forests which cover this large plateau. 4x5 Linhof camera; Ektachrome; f.16 at 1/25th sec.; 6" Xenar lens; July; sunny day.

"BELOW COLD SPRINGS" BY DARWIN VAN CAMPEN.

Taken a short distance off the Houston Mesa Road below Cold Springs. The Houston Mesa Road leads off from Arizona 87 between Payson and Pine. 4x5 Linhof camera; Ektachrome; f.20 at 1/25th sec.; 150mm Symmar lens; August; bright morning sunlight; Weston Meter 200; ASA rating 50.

"VIEW FROM FULTON POINT MOGOLLON RIM" BY JOSEF MUENCH.

Photo taken from Al Fulton Point, one-half mile off Arizona 160 using the old Rim Road eastward. Looking south from this point on the edge of the Rim, a tre-

mendous panorama unfolds. "NEAR PROMONTORY POINT MOGOLLON RIM" BY JOSEF MUENCH.

Photo taken near Promontory Point along the Rim Road between Arizona 65 and 160. View is looking across to Promotory Point which juts out from the 200 mile-long escarpment. Evergreen trees, shaped by the wind, stand like guardians overlooking the dense Tonto National Forest underneath the Rim.

"FROM HIGH VIEW LOOKOUT POINT MOGOLLON RIM" BY DARWIN VAN CAMPEN.

Photo taken at High View Lookout Point along the primitive Mogollon Rim Road. The photographer says: "This, to me, is the high point along the Rim Road, not only in elevation but in scenic enjoyment as well. The view is relatively unobstructed and interesting rock formations jut outward leading the eye toward the sweep of pine-filled country far below." 4x5 Linhof camera; Ektachrome; f.24 at 1/25th sec.; 150mm Symmar lens; August; bright sunlight; Weston Meter 300; ASA rating 50.

"FOR REST AND RELAXATION - WOODS CANYON LAKE" BY DARWIN VAN CAMPEN.

Photo taken at Woods Canyon Lake on the Mogollon Rim, one of the new lakes created for the sportsman and vacationist in the Payson area. 4x5 Linhof camera; Ektachrome; f.20 at 1/25th sec.; 127mm Ektar lens; June; bright sunlight; Weston Meter 200; ASA rating 50.

"PAYSON COUNTRY IS CATTLE COUNTRY" BY DARWIN VAN CAMPEN.

Taken along Arizona 65 on the Mogollon Rim a short distance after it climbs into the Rim from Strawberry. 4x5 Linhof camera; Ektachrome; f.20 at 1/25th sec.; 360mm Tele-Xenar lens; August; bright sunlight; Weston Meter 200; ASA rating 50.

"SIESTA TIME ON CLOVER CREEK" BY DARWIN VAN CAMPEN.

Taken along Clover Creek, a short distance off Arizona 65 south of Long Valley. This is a particularly pleasant spot to spend an hour, a day, or a week enjoying the Mogollon Rim Country at its best and that is very good indeed! 4x5 Linhof camera; Ektachrome; f.32 at 1/10th sec.; 127mm Ektar lens; August; bright sunlight; Weston Meter 200; ASA rating 50.

"ALONG HAIGLER CREEK" BY JOSEF MUENCH.

This sylvan setting of Haigler Creek is located along a dirt road between Arizona 160 and the town of Young in the midst of Tonto National Forest. Having its source under the Mogollon Rim, this trout-filled stream is at once boisterous and again quiet; inviting the ardent fisherman to throw out his line. 4x5 Linhof camera; Ektachrome; f.22 at 1/10th sec.; 6" Xenar lens; June; sunny day.

"SUMMER IN THE RIM COUNTRY" BY DARWIN VAN CAMPEN.

Taken along the primitive Mogollon Rim Road several miles west of Woods Canyon Lake. July and August rains in the Rim Country soon turn many mountain meadows into vistas of gold as bright summer flowers spring into colorful existence. 4x5 Linhof camera; Ektachrome; f.20 at 1/25th sec.; 150mm Symmar lens; August; bright sunlight; Weston Meter 200; ASA rating 50.

"AFTER A MOUNTAIN SHOWER" BY JOSEF MUENCH.

This scene was taken just off Arizona 160 on the Mogollon Rim between the towns of Payson and Heber. Blackeyed Susans (Western Coneflower Rudbeckia occidentalis) add their brilliant colors to the rain-filled ruts of a little forest road on this large plateau. 4x5 Linhof camera; Ektachrome; f.22 at 1/25th sec.; 6" Xenar lens; July; partly cloudy. Tonto Fish Hatchery is located just under the Mogollon Rim three miles north of Arizona 160 near Kohl's Ranch. Supplied by water of the upper Tonto Creek, this fish hatchery keeps the nearby trout streams well-stocked. 4x5 Linhof camera; Ektachrome; f.16 at 1/10th sec.; 6" Xenar lens; June; sunny day.