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Presentation
Version 070607
Derelict remains of the Burfind Hotel – looking toward
Cemetery. Photograph by: Neal Du Shane
Internet Volume One
Version 070607
Copyright © 2007 by Neal Du Shane
No part of this book or Website page may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without permission of the publisher.
Published by: Neal Du Shane, Fort Collins, CO 80525
First Internet Edition
Published in the
Cover: This is as Gillett appeared in 2006. Photo
was taken from the remains of the Burfind Hotel looking toward the southeast.
The remains of 50 internments in the
Table of Contents
Directions to Gillett and Tip
Top
Blacksmith aka Stage
Coach Robber
Henry Cordes Describes
Gillett
Information compiled by: Neal Du Shane
North on I-17. Exit at
1.1 miles stay right
1.8 miles stay right
3.9 miles
4.0 miles Take a right turn.
4.1 miles take right into Gillett.
4.3 miles Gillett N 34* 01' 07.5" W 112* 09' 49.3"
Take the same road out you came in on and turn right.
When you get back to the road you turned off of reset your trip meter to 0.00. 0.9 miles up the road there is a wash on the right where you can put your vehicle to a test of extreme 4 wheeling.
0.9 miles wash to right
2.6 miles take a left at the corral N 34* 02' 05.1" W 112* 11' 36.6"
4.2 miles rest area great views to the east
5.3 miles Cross Cottonwood Creek. N 34* 01' 39.6" W 112*13'37.4"
7.6 miles collapsed building on the right
7.7 Brewery on the left N 34* 03' 3.2" W 112* 14' 49.7"
Gillett! -
by Mark Quigley, feature for
The
I love
to hunt for old ghost towns, mines and mining camps. I have done this in and
around the
For many years I worked at
Of course this is the wrong time of year to be out looking at
old mines and haunted towns but cool weather is not far off. Well here is a
first attempt to get you interested in the great
Just
over a mile from
Gillett earned a reputation as a lawless Western town. By
March 1878, three men had already been killed in saloon gunfights. Through the
years, the ladies of Gillett tried to turn it into a civilized town by holding
town socials and inviting traveling preachers, but without much success.
Gillett served as a well-used stage stop. It also had a large and busy
gold/silver mill that ran a profitable operation. The area’s miners, cowboys
and stage drivers spent a lot of time in the town’s several saloons.
Several times the town’s blacksmith managed to hold up the
Wells Fargo stagecoach in
On June 12, 1878, two killings and a lynching took place in
Gillett within a few hours. A man named Setwright became involved in an
argument in one of Gillett’s saloons and broke a bottle over the head of another
man. Deputy Sheriff C. Burnett stepped inside the saloon and arrested Setwright
for his drunken behavior. Later that day, Mr. Weir, a respected town citizen,
asked the deputy to release Setwright into his custody. The deputy agreed, and
the two rode out of town together. A short time later, the mule Mr. Weir had
been riding wandered back into Gillett. An immediate investigation produced
Weir’s body, shot through the head, a short distance out of town. Deputy
Burnett and several other men saddled their horses and took off in search of
Setwright. He was captured about a mile and a half from Gillett and taken back
to town. Gillett had no jail, so Setwright was placed inside the house of Col.
Taylor and E. P. Rains until he could be taken to
By now,
word had spread of the recent murder and an angry mob of citizens began
gathering outside the home where Setwright was being held. As time passed, the
crowd became more and more angry and bent on dealing out their own punishment.
Sheriff Burnett tried to calm the mob by telling them that Setwright would be
taken to
Gillett’s lawless reputation grew through the years. The town
was also known as the stage robber’s capital of
The
Gillett silver mill served the town of
James Barney, a
Gillett
quickly declined after the Tip Top Mining Company moved its mill to the town of
To reach Gillett, follow Interstate 17 north from
Gillett can be found on the banks of the
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by Neal Du Shane Version: 070607 |
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Business Name |
Business Type |
Owner/s |
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Assayer |
Assayer |
C.C. Bean |
Bank |
Bank |
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Clark & Crooks Blacksmith |
Blacksmith |
Messrs. Clark & Crooks |
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Blacksmith |
Henry Seymour - known to
rob Stage Coaches in area |
Burnett's Boarding
House |
Boarding House |
James C. Burnett - Deputy
Sheriff |
Tip Top Co Boarding
House |
Boarding House |
Mrs. J.E. Brown |
Gillett Brewery |
Brewery |
Mr. Peter Arnold |
Anders & Rowe Merc. |
General Store |
Mr. Anders & Mr. Rowe |
C.P. Head's Merc. |
General Store |
C.P. Head |
C.T. Hayden's Merc. |
General Store |
T. Hayden - J.J. Hill Mgr. |
Ganz & Co.
Mercantile |
General Store |
Mssrs. Ganz |
Burfind Hotel |
Hotel |
Mr. Burfind |
Feed, Seed, Livery
Stable |
Livery Stable |
Tom Cusack & Mr. Mann |
Anders & Rowe
Lumber |
Lumber Yard |
Mr. Anders & Mr. Rowe |
Edward's Meat Market |
Meat Market |
Mr. Edward, Eliza wife |
Tip Top Mill |
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For Tip Top Silver Mine -
9 mi W. 10 Stamps, 136 men worked in Mine and Mill - Came from CA through
Maricopa Wells - 94 1/3% recovery. |
Post Office |
Post Office |
Mr. Moss |
Cattle & Horses |
Ranch |
Jack Swilling & |
Dairy |
Ranch |
L.G. Taylor - former
Distiller |
Gillett Real Estate |
Real Estate |
Jack Swilling - Lots
selling from $100 to $250 depending on location |
Bostick's Saloon |
Saloon |
Johnny Bostick |
Ganz & Co. Saloon |
Saloon |
Messr Ganz |
Keading and Wright
Saloon |
Saloon |
Mr. Keading & Mr
Wright |
Moss's Saloon |
Saloon |
Mr. Moss |
Anders & Shingles |
Saloon - Gambling |
Mr. Anders, Mr. Shingles |
Billy Moore's Saloon |
Saloon - Gambling |
Bill Moore |
Cate's Saloon |
Saloon - Gambling |
C.F. Cate – Judge |
Smith & Levy's
Saloon |
Saloon - Gambling |
Frank Smith & L. Levy |
Tip Top Saloon |
Saloon - Gambling |
Brooks & Collins |
Sheriff - Deputy |
Sheriff |
James C. Burnett - Deputy
Sheriff |
P&C Stage |
Stage Coach Line |
Patterson and Caldwell |
Wells |
Stage Coach Line |
Wells |
Truck Farm |
Vegetables |
Jack Swilling & |
Andres & Rowe
Warehouse |
Warehouse |
Mr. Andres & Mr. Rowe |
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34 |
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Restaurants |
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Clothing |
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Laundry |
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By Feb 1880 the mill had
closed and only one store remained open. June 1880 census revealed only two
men out of one hundred persons still living there. The stage coach continued
to operate until the turn of the century. |
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Research
and documentation by: Neal Du Shane, all rights reserved © |
Tip Top Mill
Photograph –
The town's blacksmith, a man named Henry Seymour, had a side job of robbing the Wells Fargo stage coach outside of town. In 1882, he held up 3 different stagecoaches on the, obtaining a total of $69,000.
His lawlessness was suspected when he used some of his
proceeds in a local saloon's poker game and soon he was caught trying to hold
up a fourth stage.
Looking southwest – Burfind Hotel foundation in
center. One of the roads to Tip Top, AZ in background
c. 2006 Photograph by:
Neal Du Shane
03/08/06
I had nothing to do this morning, so I decided to checkout
Gillett and the road to Tip Top just to see how bad they are.
The road to Gillett is a piece of cake (if it doesn't rain and the river
doesn’t rise). I found Gillett and what I believed to be 40 to 50 burials (
There is a lot of evidence of cattle in the cemetery area, bedding down so I'm
going out on a limb and predict we might find some headstones if we have a
probe. Ground is sandy and somewhat soft making probing easy.
Cattle, horses, burrow’s and other wild life, use headstones as scratching
posts, topple them, then with natural forces these toppled headstones become
covered, just below the surface. Its very probable headstones as we know them
today were nonexistent in mining camps such at Gillett. More likely a wooden
cross or simple stacking of rocks to identify the graves was used. After 140
years plus or take, these markers would decay and cattle would have scattered
the rocks making the graves hard to identify.
I'd like to go back and probe the area looking to see what else we can find.
40 to 50 burials - found one female child all the rest were male. No visible fence, fenced enclosures or markers or headstones but there are some stone piles indicating burials. Cattle have been the biggest culprits in destruction at this cemetery.
It should be noted the road isn't exactly like this Topographical map shows it. The current road is about a 1/4 mile south of the crossing shown on this map. With the exception of the last 600 feet, Gillett is accessible by a normal vehicle, just go easy and high clearance will definitely be an asset - so long as the river isn't high or it has rained recently. You could walk the last 1/2 mile wadding across the river, leaving your vehicle at the river side, if you prefer.
There are some stone walls/foundations still visible and the remains of the basement walls of the old Burfind Hotel. If you walk carefully in the town site on the upper level ground, you can still identify stone walls from old homes and buildings. The gravity feed stone foundation of the old Tip Top Mill is still visible from the lower bank looking up toward the town. The ore was brought in by various methods from the Tip Top Mine some 9 miles to the west for processing here. Its obvious vandals are trying to destroy this historic ghost town - and I can't blame the cattle for their destruction.
There were two daughters of Jack and Trinidad Swilling. Both were named Matilda, the first child was buried at the Swilling’s Stone House in Black Canyon City in 1875 (at that time referred to as Agua Fria) that we have researched and identified her grave and placed a marker to that effect.
Possibly the grave of Matilda Adeline Swilling in the
Photograph and feet of: Neal Du Shane
Jack Swilling was arrested for a stage coach robbery
southwest of Wickenburg which he never committed at Gillett in 1878.
Transported to
I should also mention the road I saw, that I thought was the Highway to Hell, leading to Tip Top wasn't the correct road (Whew). After viewing that road, I instantly decided there were no reasons for me to EVER see Tip Top!
Now it's Tip Top or bust!
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North from |
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Latitude N34 01.156, Longitude W112 09.798
(WGS84) - (Elevation 1,832) |
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Burials = |
53 |
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11/28/2006 |
Ref. |
SURNAME |
FIRST NAME |
MIDDLE NAME |
BIRTH DATE |
DEATH DATE |
COMMENTS |
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1 |
DOE |
John |
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5 |
FULKERSON |
William |
H. |
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1878 |
Tragically
shot - accidentally killed by his brother. |
6 |
GRINDELL |
Ed |
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Mar.
2, 1878 |
Shot
and Killed by Calhoun in Levy's Saloon - CTSTP 170 |
2 |
SETWRIGHT |
John |
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Jun. 12, 1878 |
Hanged
from Cotton Wood tree on Rio Agua Fria by vigilantly mob. |
1,3,4 |
SWILLING |
Matilda |
Adeline |
1876 |
1879 |
Daughter
of J.W. (Jack) Swilling 1,822 Elev. N34 01 08.0, W112 09 47.5 (+ - 15') |
2 |
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COL.
L. |
G. |
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Jun. 12, 1878 |
Killed
by vigilantly mob wanting to hang Setwright. |
2 |
WEIR |
Sam |
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Jun. 12, 1878 |
Shot
in the head by Setwright |
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7 |
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REFERENCE: |
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1 |
Neal Du Shane |
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2 |
Mark Quigley |
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3 |
"History of |
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4 |
Diane Sumrall - Pioneer's
Cemetery Association |
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5 |
Cathy Cordes - from AZ
Miner article in 1878. |
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6 |
"Catch the Stage to |
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Contributor: Neal Du Shane |
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There could be up
to 52 internments. Only one female child interment was found. No headstones/markers
remain (if there were any). In 2006,
the cemetery for the most part is in a circular driveway enclosure, E & S
of the foundation of the Burfind Hotel. A few rock enclosures are still
visible. Cattle use this area as bedding & have destroyed almost all
evidence. A few interments were detected north of the north side of the
circular driveway. |
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Material may be
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all copied material, AND permission is obtained from |
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the file. |
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These electronic
pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit |
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or presentation by
other organizations. Persons or organizations |
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desiring to use
this material for non-commercial purposes, MUST obtain |
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consent of the contributor, OR the legal representative of |
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the submitter, and
contact the archivist with proof of this consent. |
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Directions &
GPS readings may not be altered, deleted, changed. |
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This file was contributed for use and free
of any charge. |
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Contributor/Archives
by: Neal Du Shane (C) - All rights reserved |
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GPS reading taken by: Neal Du Shane 10/27/2006. The following were set at WGS84.
Burfind Hotel - N34 01 07.3, W112 09 49.5
Matilda Adeline Swilling’s grave - N34 01 00.4, W112 09 47.5, Elevation 1,822
Stone foundation in hill – N34 01 00.4, W112 09 49.5 Tip Top Mill
525’ X 1,620’ = 850,500 Sq. Ft. = 19.52 Acres
Consisted of 150, 100’ X 25’ Lots. 2, 100’ X 30’ Lots. Total Lots = 152.
East/West Streets names were
North/South streets names were
Gillett
Ghost Town Map
Map by Neal Du Shane
Not to Scale
Gillett Plat Map
Submitted by: Cathy Cordes
I was reading a book of my Grandfather's (Henry Cordes) and ran on to this description of Gillett:
“My first close view
of Gillett's ruins thrilled me to the bottoms of my feet! Delighted as I
am to find even the bare site of a historical town, my cup of joy almost spilled
over as I emerged from the thicket and looked upon a large building, comprising
seven units, arranged around three sides of a patio or small plaza.
Either these units had been built at different times, or by different owners,
as several types of construction were represented. Largest of the several
structures was built of white stone, its squared edges laid to the wall's outer
face. Frames of the doors and windows once had been painted blue, and the
building held two corner fireplaces.
From the descriptions
read, and one picture I had seen, it was easy to recognize this as the former
Burfind Hotel. Another of the ruins - this fabricated of adobe -
contained hand-hewn ceiling beams decorated in orange and blue paint.
Still another unit was built of random stone; a fourth, of large cobbles from
the nearby river. Some of the adobe walls were plastered, others
not. Most of the units contained at least one fireplace. Desert
brush was crowding in jealously from all sides, and one large saguaro stood
overlooking the ruins. In one corner of the patio or plaza, quite a hole
had been dug at sometime in the past-likely by treasure seekers.
From the first group
of buildings I ranged over a desert flat to the rear. Here were numerous
foundations, caved cellars, low walls, broken glass and assorted castoffs-and
the beginning of a rutted road leading to Tip Top.” Written by Henry
Cordes.
That was written in the 50's. There was also this from the Arizona Weekly Miner written sometime in late January 1878:
"I arrived at the
Tip Top mill site after a long and tedious journey". "Tender
smiles greeted me from the corner of every saloon and they are quite numerous,
I assure you. Messrs. Ganz &
"The
mill at this place is about completed," announced the Gillett
correspondence in the Miner of February 8, 1878. "The stamps will
begin pounding about the 15th. The miners are in great glee, betting that
Tiptop will go up to $50 a share in 60 days. . . The Tiptop saloon, kept by
Brooks and Collins, late of Broadway,
Gillett got its sea legs fast. By the end of March
1878, three men already had been murdered there, and on April 12 the Miner reported that the new and thriving
town contained several stores carrying large stocks of goods "that will compare favorably with the
mercantile houses of our own town, Prescott."
"Anders and Rowe, C.P. Head and Co., and C.T. Hayden are the
owners of these mammoth establishments," it was set forth. "A
brewery has been established by Mr. Peter Arnold. . . Saloons dot the
town. . . Mr. Edward's has erected a meat market. . . Building is progressing
all over town and the place presents a lively appearance. . . Wood choppers
and haulers are numerous and help fill the place with an industrious class of
people. Corrals are going up and are being filled with hay for the
accommodation of the freighters and others who are arriving continually from
the capital and other points throughout the Territory. Messrs. Clark and
Crooks have a thriving blacksmith shop in full blast. . "
In the same issue of the Miner as the foregoing report was
published a letter, half a column long, signed Eliza Edward's. After
giving details of yet another tragic shooting (that of William H. Fulkerson,
accidentally killed by his brother) Mrs.
Edward's concluded: "Only one
thing I regret in Gillett and that is the little regard in which many people
here hold God's sacred day. It is nothing but hammer and saw all day.”
Before another week had rolled around, a feed, seed, and
livery stable, had been opened at Gillett by Tom Cusack, and the Gillett
Boarding House had been opened by Mrs. J. E. Brown.
Cathy Cordes shared some historical information she found amongst her beloved Grandfathers (Henry Cordes) documents.
With this information we have documented 37 businesses for Gillett in 1878. There is no mention of a Restaurant, Laundry, Big Nose Kate's or Mattie Silk's Sporting House etc. so we don't have them all yet. Quote "several stores carrying large stocks of goods, "that will compare favorably with the mercantile houses of our own town, Prescott".
We know there were 252, 25'X100' lots that were for sale in Gillett in 1875 - 1878 and Jack Swilling was developing the town and selling the lots.
Cathy also provided one more name of William H. Fulkerson who was accidentally filled by his brother.
The Tip Top Mill at Gillett, started processing the Tip Top Mines ore around the 15th of February 1878?
If you find information relating to any community we are
working on, please share, you will be helping us preserve
Author Unknown
The town's blacksmith, a man named Henry Seymour, had a side job of robbing the Wells Fargo stage coach outside of town. In 1882, he held up 3 different stagecoaches on the same day, obtaining a total of $69,000.
His lawlessness was suspected when he used some of his proceeds in a local saloon's poker game and soon he was caught trying to hold up a fourth stage.
Remains of the Burfind Hotel in Gillett
APCRP Internet Edition
Version 070607
Web Master: Neal Du Shane
Copyright
©2003-2007 Neal Du Shane
All rights reserved. Information contained within this website may be
used
for personal family history purposes, but not for financial profit of any
kind.
All contents of this website are willed to the
HOME | BOOSTER | CEMETERIES | EDUCATION
| GHOST TOWNS
| HEADSTONE
MINOTTO
|PICTURES
| ROADS
| JACK SWILLING
| TEN DAY TRAMPS