Union Pass - Mohave County

 

Where: Union Pass in Mohave County off Highway 68

 

Travel Conditions: There is no access from highway 68.  A high clearance vehicle or ATV can gain access through back roads from Golden Valley area.

 

Operation Dates:  Established in 1897.  There is a date of 2/26/40 found in some concrete in the area.  The decline was sometime after the 1940's.

 

Description:  Elevation 3680 feet.  The Beale expedition crossed through Union Pass on October 15 and 16, 1857. (Arizona Place Names)

 

The rock house, by the side of the road, at Union Pass stands today as a monument to Jonathan Draper Richardson and his wife Victoria.  The spot where Richardson chose to build his rock house is less than a quarter of a mile east of Highway 68 on the crest of the Black Mountains- the mountain wedge known as Union Pass. 

In 1897, Richardson, his wife and three children settled there, the area, had lush native vegetation, ample water and just enough flat land to accommodate a pioneer homestead. “We left Los Angeles in 1896,” one of Richardson’s daughters, Edith, was to write. “Crossing the 360 miles of desert in the summertime was anything but easy in a covered wagon with two horses. We crossed the Colorado River at what is now called Lake Mohave on a raft operated by a white man, his two sons and a crew of Indians. We settled at Union Pass in 1897 on a homestead (160 acres) where my parents lived the rest of their lives”. When the Richardson’s arrived they found the remains of an old Army post that had been established there to protect the immigrants from Indians on the old road from Kingman to the Colorado River. There were old harnesses, pieces of Army clothing, Union buttons and other artifacts found. An old horse barn found on the site (now gone) was used to house the Richardson’s pet burro, Whitey. 

The family developed an extensive garden and orchard at their homestead. By 1910 they were pressing upon the weary travelers who stopped at their house an abundance of fruits, including apples, peaches, pears, figs, apricots and elderberries. Stopping by the Richardson ranch, exchanging news and gossip and drinking the deliciously cold water from the hand pump at the well became the highlight of the traveler’s hot and dusty day-long trip from Kingman to Katherine mining district. Using hand tools only, Draper and Victoria maintained the narrow winding road over Union Pass, three miles each way from their house. They were paid a small monthly sum by Mohave County to keep the road usable. Victoria and Draper celebrated their golden wedding anniversary in 1931. Victoria died of cancer in 1935 in Mohave General Hospital. She is buried in Mountain View Cemetery. Draper became ill soon after the death of his great helpmate. He died in 1940 and was buried beside his wife.  Their legacy remains. The old road through Union Pass has been bypassed by Highway 68, (Leonard, 1984)

 

What you will see today: Today there are still old rock buildings standing, a wood structure garage, an old water tank, an old gas station building, and some nice shade trees.  

 

Comments:  Peaceful quite place to enjoy some peace and quiet time under the shade trees even though highway 68 runs nearby.

 

Minerals Mined: N/A - This location was close to many mines nearby in the Black Mountains

 

Acknowledgement: flicker.com - stretchypants