Beale's Wagon Road

[walkncruise]

I'm doing the AzT right now, and after I'm finished, I'd like to try to follow Beale's Wagon Road.
There's a lot of history involving the trail, including use of camels.
Does anyone know of a reading source describing the route through Arizona?
I already checked Amazon and a couple Old Book sites.
Kingman Cruiser

[Nighthiker]

Check with the Arizona State Historic Preservation Office in Phoenix. The have a publication entitled Histroic Trails in Arizona From Coronado to 1940: Historic Context Study.

[walkncruise]

Thanks. I'll do that.

[walkncruise]

Checked with SHPO, and they don't have any info of value.
I'll keep working on it. I know portions will be through private property, and maybe a couple reservations, so I figured I'd check with owners first, then, depending on their response, either go around or through.

[Sredfield]

BLM in Kingman may have something, if not try the BLM State Office Archeologist.

[hikeaz]

In response to walkncruise's reply:

Lesley, Lewis Burt - UNCLE SAM'S CAMELS. The Journal of May Humphreys Stacey Supplemented by The Report of Edward Fitzgerald Beale (1857-1858). Harvard University Press, Cambridge, 1929, 8vo., brown cloth, t.e.g., 298pp., biblio., index, foldout map. Notes Farquhar: "Beale touched Colorado waters at the Little Colorado, Bill Williams River, crossing the main river, and the Mojave. Most important addition to the Colorado River story is the experiment of using camels for pack animals. They swam the Colorado, the first since an earlier geologic period to enter California." A classic account with close ties to Colorado River history.

Smith, Jack Beale - Tales of the Beale Road No. 4 Note: I believe that there was a series of books, each covering a section.... #1, started at the NM border, or thereabouts, & the book number increased as one moved across the state .
- A GUIDE TO THE BEALE WAGON ROAD - THROUGH THE KAIBAB NATIONAL FOREST. Tales of the Beale Road Publishing Company, Arizona, no date, 4to., yellow wraps, 52pp., illus., biblio. Black/white photos and map lead you through the Northern Arizona forest on the 1860s route. Jack Beale Smith is the authority on this subject.


Cook, James E. (edited by Dean Smith) - ARIZONA PATHWAYS. Trails of History. Arizona Highways, Phoenix, 1989, 4to., pict. wraps, 80pp., illus. by Bill Ahrendt. Full-color photography, historic photos and amazing artwork by Bill Ahrendt tell the story of the many trails and routes used by earlier settlers: The Honeymoon Trail, Beale's Wagon Road, Colorado River Route, etc.

More here >> ( dead link removed )

I'd, as well, contact these guys.. I know that they've mapped some of the trail..
( dead link removed )

Last but not least..( dead link removed )

kurt

[hikeaz]

[quote="hikeaz"]In response to walkncruise's reply:

Note: I believe that there was a series of books, each covering a section.... #1, started at the NM border, or thereabouts, & the book number increased as one moved across the state .

Phoenix library has a couple in the series. and Flagstaff P.L. has, I believe, ALL of them

[Nighthiker]

Great info hikeaz, most of thos publications were in the SHPO library, the publication I listed has an extensive bibliography and would be a good reference list for followup. Arizona State Parks has a paragrah or two on the Beale Road. Yes SHPO has a lot of problems. Also check the Arizona State Museum in Tucson.

[Randal_Schulhauser]

I've been doing some research about the ghost town of Canyon Diablo which happens to be along the Beale Wagon Road. I'm planning to do this as a future hike in the near future. I've found a couple of useful links...

( dead link removed )

http://www.ghosttowns.com/states/az/canyondiablo.html

[Randal_Schulhauser]

I've found no shortage of written history pertaining to the historic wagon trail. However, one major detail eludes me. Where is the trail marked on any map? I can find plenty of references to particular towns and landmarks the trail passes (example: Switzer Mesa, Government Prairie or Laws Spring), but finding the exact path the trail followed seems to be a secret. Yes, there are markers at various cross-roads, but I'm having difficulty connecting the dots...

Can anyone help?

[Randal_Schulhauser]

A GUIDE TO THE BEALE WAGON ROAD - THROUGH THE KAIBAB NATIONAL FOREST. Tales of the Beale Road Publishing Company, Arizona, no date, 4to., yellow wraps, 52pp., illus., biblio. Black/white photos and map lead you through the Northern Arizona forest on the 1860s route. Jack Beale Smith is the authority on this subject.

http://www.amazon.com/guide-through-Kai ... ikearizona

I've been trying to track down this book that is out of print and doesn't seem to be in any local library collection. I'm particularly interested in the maps this book contains. Can anyone help???

[joebartels]

The Kaibab one appears to be a tough find. I see several on #2, #3, Coconino, Flagstaff and Seligman but not that Kaibab one. A UK bookstore reportedly had it but appears to recently been snagged.

The NAU Cline Library has a Jack Smith Collection but only appears to have a few photographs not books.

Basically you need to hunt this dude down... if he's still alive?
Jack Beale Smith
PO Box 31391
Flagstaff, AZ 86003

One thing for sure. You could spend a day reading about this guy alone, google goes nuts.

[joebartels]

( dead link removed )

[Randal_Schulhauser]

FLAGSTAFF HIKES by Richard & Sherry Mangum http://www.amazon.com/Flagstaff-Hikes-A ... ikearizona lists 2 trailheads for the Beale Wagon Road.

1. Government Prairie access at junction of FR100 and FR107

2. Government Knoll access near junction of FR730 and FR81

3. Laws Spring access at junction of FR115 and FR2030

In Flagstaff, there's a historic marker on Switzer Mesa in homage to the historic wagon trail. I've seen the photo ( dead link removed ), but don't know the exact location of the marker (near Buffalo Park perhaps?)

I've only seen "general maps" for the Beale Wagon Road, a detailed map continues to elude me!

Maybe this is going to be a process of connecting-the-dots to arrive at a final route...

[Randal_Schulhauser]

The Kaibab one appears to be a tough find. I see several on #2, #3, Coconino, Flagstaff and Seligman but not that Kaibab one. A UK bookstore reportedly had it but appears to recently been snagged.

The NAU Cline Library has a Jack Smith Collection but only appears to have a few photographs not books.

Basically you need to hunt this dude down... if he's still alive?
Jack Beale Smith
PO Box 31391
Flagstaff, AZ 86003

One thing for sure. You could spend a day reading about this guy alone, google goes nuts.

From Joe's hint about a contact address for Jack Beale Smith, I managed to connect with Jack's wife Donna Smith. She can report that Jack is very much alive and they can be reached at;

Jack & Donna Smith
PO Box 19698
Oklahoma City, OKLAHOMA
73144
phone 405-819-5868
bealroad50@msn.com

After explaining my plight locating "A guide to the Beale Wagon Road through the Kaibab National Forest (Tales of the Beale Road)" by Jack Smith; Unknown Binding; $7.95, Donna indicated that there must be a problem with the book distributor (Amazon) and she'd get back to me. Let's just say that the book is now available on Amazon.com and I've got one on order (turns out Donna runs the cottage industry "BEALEBOOKS").

http://www.amazon.com/guide-through-Kai ... ikearizona

[Randal_Schulhauser]

I heard back from Kaibab National Forest yesterday.

Liz Schuppert
Public Services Staff Officer
Kaibab National Forest
800 South 6th Street
Williams, AZ 86046
Office (928) 635-8367
Cell (928) 606-4727
Email: lschuppert@fs.fed.us

Liz passed my query onto the staff archaeologist.

Neil S. Weintraub
South Kaibab Zone Archaeologist
Office (928) 635-5647
nweintraub@fs.fed.us

Neil seems to be a fount of information. A map has been forwarded to me via snailmail. He also answered some background questions I had about the Clover Ruins site near the Ranger Station in Williams AZ.

( dead link removed )

Stay tuned…