Wickenburg, Arizona

Infobox Settlement
official_name = Town of Wickenburg, Arizona
settlement_type = Town

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imagesize =
image_caption = Old Santa Fe RR station, now museum and town offices
image_

seal_size = 93px

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mapsize = 250px
map_caption = Location in Maricopa County and the state of Arizona


mapsize1 =
map_caption1 =
subdivision_type = Country
subdivision_type1 = State
subdivision_type2 = County
subdivision_name = United States
subdivision_name1 = Arizona
subdivision_name2 = Maricopa
government_type =
leader_title = Mayor
leader_name = Ron Badowski
established_date =
area_magnitude =
area_total_km2 = 29.8
area_total_sq_mi = 11.5
area_land_km2 = 29.8
area_land_sq_mi = 11.5
area_water_km2 = 0.0
area_water_sq_mi = 0.0
elevation_ft = 2057
elevation_m = 627
population_as_of = 2007
population_total = 6593

population_footnotes = cite web|url=http://www.census.gov/popest/cities/tables/SUB-EST2007-04-04.csv|title=Annual Estimates of the Population for Incorporated Places in Arizona|publisher=United States Census Bureau|date=2008-07-10|accessdate=2008-07-14]
population_metro =
population_density_km2 = 208.9
population_density_sq_mi = 541.2
timezone = MST (no DST)
utc_offset = -7
latd = 33 |latm = 57 |lats = 54 |latNS = N
longd = 112 |longm = 44 |longs = 53 |longEW = W
website = http://www.ci.wickenburg.az.us/
timezone_DST =
utc_offset_DST =
postal_code_type = ZIP codes
postal_code = 85358, 85390
area_code = 928
GNIS_id = 13730
blank_name = FIPS code
blank_info = 04-82740
blank1_name =
blank1_info =
footnotes =

Wickenburg is a town in Maricopa County, Arizona, United States. According to 2006 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the town is 6,423.cite web | url = http://www.census.gov/popest/cities/tables/SUB-EST2006-04-04.csv | title = Annual Estimates of the Population for All Incorporated Places in Arizona|format = CSV | work = 2006 Population Estimates | publisher = U.S. Census Bureau, Population Division]

Geography

Wickenburg is located at coor dms|33|57|54|N|112|44|53|W|city (33.964881, -112.747936)GR|1.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 11.5 square miles (29.8 km²), all of it land.

According to the [http://www.mag.maricopa.gov/pdf/cms.resource/MAGRegion72713.pdf Maricopa Association of Governments Municipal Planning Areas and Incorporated Areas Map] PDF, the municipal planning area for Wickenburg includes a much larger area of land than any other planning area in the Phoenix metro area. If the city were to annex the entire area within its planning area, it would become the largest city by area in Arizona, surpassing Phoenix.

Demographics

As of the censusGR|2 of 2000, there were 5,082 people, 2,341 households, and 1,432 families residing in the town. The population density was 441.7 people per square mile (170.5/km²). There were 2,691 housing units at an average density of 233.9/sq mi (90.3/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 91.76% White, 0.28% Black or African American, 1.18% Native American, 0.37% Asian, 0.12% Pacific Islander, 4.53% from other races, and 1.77% from two or more races. 11.02% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 2,341 households out of which 20.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.7% were married couples living together, 8.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.8% were non-families. 33.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 18.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.15 and the average family size was 2.72.

In the town the population was spread out with 19.9% under the age of 18, 6.2% from 18 to 24, 20.4% from 25 to 44, 24.8% from 45 to 64, and 28.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 48 years. For every 100 females there were 89.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.9 males. The pregnancy rate is 95% higher than surrounding townships.

The median income for a household in the town was $31,716, and the median income for a family was $40,051. Males had a median income of $34,219 versus $25,417 for females. The per capita income for the town was $19,772. About 6.9% of families and 11.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.5% of those under age 18 and 5.1% of those age 65 or over.

History

The Wickenburg area and much of the West became part of the United States following the Mexican-American War in 1848. However, until 1860 the Wickenburg area was unexplored and the Hassayampa River was unknown. The first recorded penetration by white men was by a group called the Gila Rangers who were pursuing Indians who had been raiding the Butterfield overland mail route and miners at Gila City.

An 1862 gold strike on the Colorado River near the present-day Yuma inspired hardy prospectors and miners, predominantly from California and Mexico, to search for minerals throughout central Arizona. The names of these settlers now label many of the surrounding geographic landmarks, including the Weaver Mountains and Peeples Valley.

Among the gold searchers was an Austrian man named Henry Wickenburg. His quest for gold was rewarded by the discovery of the Vulture Mine, where over $30 million in gold has been dug from the ground. [http://www.jpc-training.com/vulture.htm] Throughout the foothills surrounding Wickenburg are relics of other mines that stand as a tribute to the pioneer miner and prospector. The mining lore of the region, past and present, adds much to the charm of the area.

Ranchers and farmers who built homes along the fertile plain of the Hassayampa River accompanied the miners. Many of the resourceful and committed settlers came from Sonora, Mexico, giving this area the distinction of being the northern edge of the Hispanic ranching frontier. Together with Henry Wickenburg and the miners, they helped found the young community of Wickenburg in 1863.

As the number of settlers grew, they encroached on the indigenous Yavapai Indians, who lived, farmed, and hunted along the Hassayampa River. The settlers staked mining and water-rights claims, bred livestock that damaged vegetation and scarce water sources, and drove out native species on which the Yavapai relied for meat. Eventually, many White settlers decided to eradicate the Yavapai. The settlers initiated a series of planned raids against the Yavapai. The Yavapai fought back, and approximately 1000 Yavapai Indians and 400 settlers died in the so-called "Indian Wars" during 1860-1869. Eventually, the US Army convinced the weary Yavapai to settle on a permanent Reservation. Due at least in part to inadequate government rations supplied to the reservation dwellers, the Yavapai began to raid stagecoaches and other resources.cite book | last = Pry | first = Mark E. | title = The Town on the Hassayampa: A History of Wickenburg, Arizona | publisher = Desert Caballeros Western Museum | pages = 39-46| year = 1997 | id = ISBN 0-9657377-0-5]

In 1872, in response to events such as the Wickenburg massacre, General George Crook began an all-out campaign against the Yavapai, both those on the reservations and those still living freely within their traditional territory. In December 1872, the Skull Cave (or Skeleton Cave) battle in the Superstition Mountains decisively routed the Yavapai, and within a year Yavapai resistance was crushed. Yavapai today remember this battle as the most catastrophic event in their history. They were compelled to move to the Rio Verde Reservation, where their excellent land management led to a flourishing Yavapai economy. After only two years on the Rio Verde Reservation, however, local officials grew concerned about the Yavapai's success and self-sufficiency, so they persuaded the Federal Government to close their reservation and move all the Yavapai to the San Carlos Apache Reservation. As such, the Yavapai are now the only Arizona Indian tribe moved completely away from their traditional homeland.

Wickenburg was also the home of Jack Swilling, a prospector from the eastern US who mined in the town and later visited the Salt River Valley in 1867. Swilling carried out irrigation projects in that area and was involved in the establishment of Phoenix.

The infant town of Wickenburg went through many trials and tribulations in its first decades, surviving the "Indian Wars," as well as mine closures, desperados, drought, and a disastrous flood in 1890 when the Walnut Creek Dam burst, killing nearly 70.

Through it all, the town continued to grow. Its prosperity was ensured with the coming of the railroad in 1895. In those years it had even once been seen as a candidate for territorial capital. The historic train depot today houses the Wickenburg Chamber of Commerce and Visitor's Center [http://www.wickenburgchamber.com] . As of 2007, only freight passes through because passenger trains ended their runs in the 1960s.

Along the town's main historic district, early businesses built many structures that still form Wickenburg's downtown area. The abundant clean air and wide-open spaces attracted new residents. Guest ranches offered a unique experience to tourists who fell in love with the West. The Bar FX Ranch became the first true guest ranch in 1923, followed by Remuda, Kay El Bar, Rancho de los Caballeros, and Flying E ranches, just to mention a few. The construction of the Phoenix to California highway (Highway 60) brought even more tourists, making Wickenburg the Dude Ranch Capital of the World. As of 2007, some of these ranches still offer their hospitality. Rancho de los Caballeros is now a golf resort, [http://www.loscaballerosgolf.com/] while Remuda has been converted into the nation's largest eating disorder treatment facility and is now Wickenburg's largest employer [http://www.remudaranch.com/] . The Hassayampa community became a vital contributor to the US effort during World War II when the Army trained thousands of men to fly gliders at a newly constructed airfield west of Wickenburg cite book | last = Pry | first = Mark E. | title = The Town on the Hassayampa: A History of Wickenburg, Arizona | publisher = Desert Caballeros Western Museum | pages = 145| year = 1997 | id = ISBN 0-9657377-0-5] . After the War, modern pioneers and home builders developed Wickenburg into a typical American community.

Modern Wickenburg

Wickenburg today is a modern town with over 600 businesses providing a range of services, shopping, specialty shops and galleries for western-themed gifts. It is the home of two world-renowned mental health treatment facilities, including Remuda Programs for Eating Disorders [http://www.remudaranch.com/] and The Meadows [http://www.themeadows.org/] , as well as smaller treatment centers. The City Council is working to annex land eastward along US-60 to the intersection of AZ-74, to expand the soft economic base of the city [http://www.wickenburgsun.com/articles/2007/10/03/news/news13.txt] . At present, most Wickenburg residents shop outside the city because Wickenburg lacks the wide variety of shopping and dining opportunities available in the malls and large stores in the Phoenix area. As such, the city remains tax-poor. Although, its unique local economic base has made it fairly self-contained and independent from nearby Phoenix and environs, Route 660 of the Valley Metro system now provides a linked bus service through Surprise. More home construction has meant increased growth, although the city continues to primarily attract retirees because of the limited number of local high-paying jobs needed by a younger population to support their families. Wickenburg's challenge is to provide the transportation, communication, and shopping resources needed by the increasing population, and to do so in a manner that respects and enhances its historic image as the center of the Old West and maintains its small-town feel [http://www.wickenburgsun.com/articles/2007/09/28/news/news19] .

Folklore

* In the late 1800s, there were so many questionable mining promotions around Wickenberg, that the joke grew that whoever drank from the Hassayampa River was thenceforth unable to speak the truth. "Hassayamper" came to mean a teller of tall tales.

References

External links

* [http://www.ci.wickenburg.az.us/ Town of Wickenburg]
* [http://www.wickenburg-az.com/ wickenburg-az.com]
* [http://www.wickenburgchamber.com/ Wickenburg Chamber of Commerce]
* [http://www.wickenburgsun.com/ The Wickenburg Sun]
* [http://www.delewebbcenter.org/ The Del E. Webb Center for the Performing Arts]