Miriam McFate Travel Journal - 1926

Tue, Nov 23, 1926

Left this morning at 6:45. Just a cool spring morning here. Drove on in the same valley. They have good crops thro this section. Great fields of Alfalfa knee deep. Great herds of stock cattle and milk cows.

We have seen many herds of sheeps this morning. Thousands in a flock. Each flock has a herdsman. They live in a little tent right out in the field. They stay with these night and day. Meadow larks singing everywhere. It sure seems funny. We crossed the Aqua Fria river. This river was perfectly dry. Like all the rest it is a shallow one and very wide. The bridge was 1/2 mile in length. When ever it does rain it must come in torrents. You can see by the washes in the bends that it was awful swift when it did have water.

They have acres and acres of head lettuces thro here. This is mostly raised by Mexicans. You can see hundreds of crates piled in their yards, in which it is shipped. They take a crate and carry it to the field, fill it full and carry it back. They cannot drive a truck into the field as it is too wet. Most everyone is flooding their land. So we have had a good chance to see them irragating. Drove on for quite a distance maybe 7 or 8 miles and here we crossed the Gila river. This to is a very wide river but has a good size stream flowing thro it. It is very swift.

After we left Hassayampa, we came into a hilly desert again. The rock thro here look as if they had been burnt. Some places they look like cinders, or large chunks of coal that have partly burnt. We saw hundreds of acres cover with these.

They are building a new road thro here. The road is very narrow and rocky. Low did not take hold so hadd to stop and tighten it again. The road is so narrow there is only room for one car. We had traffic stopped for awhile. 5 or 6 cars behind us. They could hardly wait for us to fix it. Toot and toot for us to move on but we did not care.

Have had a bad stretch of mt. road here for a short distance. We came to the Gillispie Dam. This is on the Gila river. The main bridge had been washed out in a recent rain so we had to drive across close to the dam. There is a wide strip of pavement here that forms a spill. This is wide enough for 3 or 4 cars abreast. Soo they are using this for a passing place at present. The water was 8 or 10 inches deep.

This dam is all cement and is 35 or 40 rds long. After we left this we drove out in a 26 mile stretch of desert. Not much growing thro this desert. Mountains all around us. Stopped at Gila Bend and ate our dinner. This is just a small place. Left at 1:00 drove for 26 miles over more desert.

Some claims on this desert are being cleared and out under cultivation. Some are just putting in their irragation ditches. Little yellow daisies and red desert poppies line both sides of our road thro here. Both in full bloom. Seems so funny to think they would grow out here where it is so hot. They have no water. Have never seen any along the ditches. Our road is better this afternoon is not so rocky and less loose gravel. Drove all afternoon in the desert. Nothing very interesting so can’t write much. Drove on till dark.

Had about 2 miles of foot hill roads before we reached a campground. Pulled into camp at Mohawk Ariz. This is just a little railroad town but it looks good to a fellow when he’s tired and dirty and it is almost dark. Are near a filling station. As I was getting supper some people drove up to get some gasoline.

Some fool light a match to see how near full the tank was and you know what happened. This car had luggage on the back wrapped with canvass this caught a fire. The hose that fills the tank also was a fire. Thot we was going to have a real exciting time. Tried to get our car started so we could drive away. Of course when a fellow hurries, he never can get any where. Well it didn’t matter anyhow.

They finally got it out. Every body was badly scart at any rate. It is so warm here tonight we are sitting out doors, with out any coats or wraps. Has been very hot all day. This is a fine climate here this time of the year. But people say it is awful hot in summer time here.