Picketpos Mountain, Apache Leap, and George Stoneman by Nancy J. Farrier

 

A couple of weeks ago, my husband and I went with our church hiking group to climb Picketpost Mountain outside of Superior, Arizona. Only four of us made the trek since it was a more strenuous hike/climb. It was hard, but so worth the effort. The views were gorgeous and the history of the area is something I’ve wanted to look into for a long time. Above is a view of Picketpost Mountain from the parking area with access to the trail. 

 

 

View of Superior from atop Picketpost.

Picketpost stands alone outside the town of Superior, majestic in its height, and with a 360° view of the surrounding countryside. In 1870, when Lt. Col. George Stoneman came to Arizona, he established a base camp where the current town of Superior stands, but he also assigned troops to climb the mountain and be lookouts. They were scouting for Apache activity.

 

Eastern view from atop Picketpost.

At this time, the telegraph was available in Tucson and Phoenix but not in the outlying areas. Stoneman was one of the cavalry wanting to set up a system for spotting Indian activity using a heliograph. The heliograph was a system of mirrors used to convey messages. There were more than 25 of these stations on mountain tops in Arizona. Picketpost was one of those.

 

A view of Apache Leap, the bluff
overlooking Superior

Across the valley that houses Superior is a bluff that overlooks the town in the Pinal Mountains. In the summer of 1870, Stoneman led a company of troops into the Pinal mountains in search of a party of Apaches. It is not recorded what prompted this mission, but may have been a sighting from the lookouts on Picketpost.

 

Postcard with Apache Warriors
Arizona, public domain

The cavalrymen engaged with a large group of Apaches and many of the Indians
died. From here, there are two different stories I’ve read. One claim is the Apaches who were left became disheartened or didn’t want to surrender so they chose to run off the bluff, committing suicide. Another account I read suggested there was thick fog and the Apaches were disoriented and ran off the bluff to their death. Either way, many of them died in that horrific attack. Thus the name of the bluff to this day is Apache Leap.

 

General George Stoneman
Public Domain

George Stoneman was in charge of the cavalry in Arizona for only a short time. He began his career before the Civil War, attending school with other famous General, such as Andrew “Stonewall” Jackson. He rose to the rank of General and was captured during the Civil War. He was exchanged for a Confederate Brigidier General and Stoneman returned to the army. He led a raid into Virginia destroying a stronghold of General Lee’s. 

 

Due to politics of the time after the war ended, Stoneman became a Major General, but was mustered out in 1866. He then reverted to his regular army rand of Lt. Colonel and was appointed in charge of the 21^st infantry and sent to Arizona. After establishing Camp Pinal and the Picketpost camp, Stoneman fell into disfavor over his ill treatment of the Indians. 

 

He left the Army and moved to California, something he’d long dreamed of doing. He was elected Governor of California in 1882 and instituted some new state hospitals, a home for the blind, and a Forestry Board. 

 

All this is fascinating history I dug up both before and after climbing Picketpost Mountain. I am in awe of the cavalry troops who climbed the peak on a regular basis carrying provisions. The area is remote and the climb up there is challenging even when you aren’t weighed down with a pack. 

 

Have you ever been to Superior, Arizona? It’s a small mining town with some great food and little shops. The history of the town is fascinating and worth looking into. With the Pinal Mountains close by, and the trails, including the one up Picketpost, it’s worth considering for a day trip.