After passing through the Williams area and down
Partridge Creek, the Whipple expedition headed southwest,
looking for the "Bill Williams Fork" mentioned by
Sitgreaves. They entered Chino Valley near Picacho Butte
and then found a creek flowing out of the mountains on the other
side of the valley. They followed this creek into the
mountains and discovered an Indian ruin on a hill near the
creek. They named the creek Pueblo Creek (it's now Walnut
Creek) and the mountains the Aztec Range (Juniper
Mountains).
Here are portions of
Whipple's notes:
January 17 [1854].
--...As we proceeded, about three miles from south to southwest
we encountered another stream, somewhat larger than the last,
also flowing through a fine valley towards the southeast.
We ascended its left bank two miles. Here two branches
formed a fork, within which was a smooth, grassy hill about
fifty feet high. Upon the top were remains of an ancient
pueblo.
Just above the ridge that forms the head of the
valley is a still higher promontory which one of the party
climbed:
January 23 [1854]. -- To
obtain a still more extensive view, Mr. Campbell climbed a steep
hill, several hundred feet above the ridge of the pass, formed
by a short spur from the abrupt termination of the northern
mountain chain, and found on top ruins of another
fortification. Its length was one hundred feet. It
was twenty-five feet wide at one end and twenty at the
other...From a fancy founded on the evident antiquity of these
ruins, we have given the name of Aztec Pass to this place.
Whipple's comment:
January 18. --...Mr.
Campbell and myself walked to the top, and found ourselves upon
the summit dividing the waters flowing west from those of Pueblo
Creek. The western slope was not steep, but wide and
smooth descending to an open valley that appeared to extend far
towards the west-northwest.
