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To Friends Of
Cave Creek Canyon
From Steve Wolfe:
"Arizona Highways Magazine's Facebook page's Friday Fotos theme for this week was "Birds", so I figured I'd submit a bird you don't see too much outside of SE Arizona, the Painted Redstart. It made the Friday Fotos gallery"
Welcome to the Yosemite of Arizona!
We don't know when this picture was taken but guess about 80 years ago. The banner was up for decades. Let us know if you think it should still be up!
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Friends Of Cave Creek Canyon Receives $4,000 Grant
for "Environmental Sanitation"
We are very grateful for the grant from the Legacy Foundation of
Southeast Arizona
"Promoting Population Health and Community Wellness
Throughout Southeast Arizona"
Reed Peters [left] receiving
Legacy Foundation Grant
This $4000 grant will enable FOCCC to keep having porta potties on South Fork Rd. at the parking berm year round. It is obvious that they have been "well received"!
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Spiders & More With Mike Jacobi!
"I'm watching you!" This mature male Giant Crab (or Huntsman) Spider ( Olios giganteus) was found on the floor of the Visitor Information Center [VIC] while sweeping.
The females are among our largest true spiders.
This Phidippus asotus jumping spider was found just outside the VIC. Not even a half-inch in overall length, it looks big and furry when revealed in all its glory macrophotography. Salticids, or jumping spiders, are the pinnacle of spider evolution and have excellent vision that allows them to jump across distances and pounce on prey.
The season for autumn-breeding tarantulas seems to have started early as our night temps have dropped into the 40s and even 30s here in Cave Creek Canyon. This male Aphonopelma is even smaller than the seven-legged fella I posted a few days ago. The two were collected 1.25 miles apart. This one was about 120 feet higher in elevation (4912 ft.)
This is our endemic, Aphonopelma chiricahua, which was recently described by my friend Brent and two colleagues. This female is the first known to be collected from a burrow in recent years. I recently wrote an article about it and its cousin from the Peloncillo Mountains for the British Tarantula Society ("American Mountain Endemics") and it can be downloaded from the publications page of my website at www.mjacobi.com.
This Dark Jerusalem Cricket was nearly one and a half inches long, about as large as the little Aphonopelma parvum dwarf tarantula males I have found on the road over the past couple days. These relatives of the giant wetas of Australia and New Zealand are also known as potato bugs and feed on horse and cow dung as well as root plants, tubers and other insects.
To enjoy a three-minute slideshow of Mike's 2018 images of "Chiricahua Wildlife" from insects & spiders to reptiles, birds & mammals click here
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The Southwestern Legacy of Sara Lemmon
by Wynne Brown
Sara Plummer in 1865, before her marriage to John Lemmon. | Wynne Brown/Original at the University and Jepson Herbaria Archives,
University of California, Berkeley
As Sara Allen Plummer waved goodbye to her family from a wooden sidewheel steamer, she wondered what lay ahead for her. It was 1869, she was 33 years old, and she was hoping to save her own life by moving - alone - from New York to California.
She probably never imagined that she would one day be hailed as "one of the most accurate painters of nature in the state." Or that Mount Lemmon, the highest peak in Southern Arizona's Santa Catalina Mountains, would be named for her.
How did a young woman born in Maine leave such a long-lasting legacy in the Southwest?
Sara's early education was as a teacher in Worcester, Massachusetts. She then moved to New York City to become certified in chemistry and physics while supporting herself by teaching calisthenics (gym) and giving art lessons.
In her spare time, she nursed wounded Civil War soldiers. Ironically, her own health was terrible, and after barely surviving pneumonia, she realized her life depended on escaping the bitter Northeastern winters.
After moving across the continent, she settled in Santa Barbara, where she became intrigued by Western plants. It wasn't uncommon for 19th century women to be knowledgeable botanists, and Sara, a skilled observer and gifted illustrator, soon was among them. She also started Santa Barbara's first library and established a lecture series, which attracted a certain Civil War veteran in 1876.
John Gill Lemmon, born in Michigan in 1832, was a teacher and school superintendent before he enlisted in 1862. Thirty-six military engagements later, he was captured and sent to Georgia's infamous Andersonville Prison. After the war, he was released - emaciated and traumatized - and moved to Northern California to recuperate. He had always liked natural history and collected a few odd-looking plants that turned out to be new species.
By the time John met Sara, he was considered an important Western field botanist.
They soon became "botanical comrades," fell in love and married on Thanksgiving Day, 1880.
Where would two frail botanists spend their honeymoon? Sara wrote her family March 20, 1881:
Tomorrow at 4 p.m. Lemmonia and I start for Arizona and New Mexico on a botanic exploring expedition. ... I have long desired to see the far-off land of the Apaches and then to go with Mr. Lemmon exploring, and gathering the rare and perhaps new species of flora will be sufficient delight to more than balance the fatigues consequent upon such a trip.
Photo of specimen discovered by Sara Plummer Lemmon and now at
the U. S. National Herbarium, part of the Smithsonian Institutes
Every couple of months Wynne sends out a newsletter with event announcements and snippets about her research on Sara Lemmon.
The latest issue focuses on a Fort Bowie discovery:
(If you'd like to receive the newsletters, there's a "Subscribe" link in the upper left.)
Wynne is a former resident of Whitetail Canyon, near Portal and Cave Creek Canyon. She is one of the founders of Friends of Cave Creek Canyon and is on the board of FOCCC. To read more about our friend, Wynne, go to her website:
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Exciting
FOCCC
News!
Educational Outreach Program
The mission statement of Friends of Cave Creek Canyon states "Our Mission is to inspire appreciation and understanding of the beauty, biodiversity and legacy of Cave Creek Canyon through volunteer work and outreach programs."
It has long been a desire for us to be able to offer a program with a
curriculum
that meets Arizona requirements and provides a fun and educational program for bringing children and nature back together.
We are very fortunate to have found Carol Fri
schman
to
lea
d our prog
ram. Carol is a retired teacher and also author of many
ch
ildren's nature books and articles. She is a birder, a naturalist and former Audubon c
hapter president.
Step One: Outdoor Education for Kids [By Carol Frischmann]
On October 11, the FOCCC pilot project in outdoor
science
education began when students from Apache School took a field trip to our
Visi
tor Information Center for activities designed to help them learn about leaves and trees. The day began with students observing native trees in the "bird watching" circle at the Center. The informational signs which are in place helped students learn the names of the trees. Each student presented their observations to the others, practicing their oral presentation skills.
Next, students took specimen leaves and matched the four specimen leaves to the trees they had just discussed, reinforcing the learning from the presentations. Those same leaves served as the basis for the sun prints that the students made. Using Plexiglas, cut and donated by Ray Mendez, and sun print paper, donated by Mary Frank, kids created their own sun prints, allowing them to continue to manipulate the leaves, noticing the shape, the venation, and size. Cecil Williams, Chair of the FOCCC Education Committee, laminated the sun prints and trimmed them so that they could be featured at Apache's upcoming open house.
After lunch and a walk up the road to see the sycamore trees and
"get the wiggles out," kids selected leaves, grasses, and small pieces
of bark to incorporate into a small art project. Each student laid out a design on the plastic, and Cecil powered through the lamination process with the students helping. This gave students something to take home and show their parents as an aid to telling about their day in the canyon.
Cecil was delighted with the response of these young scientists during their first exposure to our forest classroom. "Our visitors were very engaged. Requests to do more sun prints and leaf collages as well as hugs given to teachers tells it all! Carol did a wonderful job. She will certainly have enthusiastic students when they return in November."
For November, the same group of students will return to discuss habitats, take a hike to Vista Point to see our watershed habitat, and talk about how the story they read in preparation,
The Lorax
, by Dr. Seuss, is related to what they see at their visit and what they know about other habitats.
New Education Outreach Coordinator, Carol Frischmann said, "The kids seemed to have a good time and asked great questions. This was a good start to the development of a program that will serve children in grades K-12, organized to help develop a love of the environment by helping kids (and their adults) about our special place."
This is ALL happening at YOUR Visitor Information Center!
Through your financial support and volunteers we have made many accomplishments this year:
- Agreement with the US Forest Service allowing us to operate interpretive programs, educational outreach and operate a small store.
- Make substantial improvements to the grounds with new walkways and plantings. Thanks to Mike Jacobi for keeping the facilities looking so good, with help from Tony Donaldson.
- Upgrading the inside of the building with new displays, fixtures, heaters, computers and more.
- Offering cell phone and wifi facilities
- Make major improvements to the RV spots for the Volunteer Hosts that come here to help. These volunteer hosts are the backbone of our program. Without them there would be no Visitor Information Center!
- Developed a wonderful cadre of hosts that return year after year.
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Some of The Glories of the Chiricahua Mountains
Red-naped Sapsucker by Jackie Lewis [above and below left]
Lawrence's Goldfinch by Jackie Lewis
Monsoon clouds and sunset by Dick Schreiber
[Joy Comstock Mendez]
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Stories of the Past
EXCERPTS FROM THE CHIRICAHUA BULLSHEET
The Chiricahua Bullsheet, an entertaining and highly opinionated newsletter and journal of local history written by Carson Morrow
Courtesy of Dick Zweifel
On July 23, 1903, a happy go lucky fellow by the name of Frank (Banty) Caldwell rode out of the mouth of Jhus Canyon which is located in the Chiricahua Mts. on the East side. He had just finished doing some assessment work on a mining claim up the canyon and was carrying a miners pick on his shoulder and had a lot of camp gear and other tools tied on his saddle.
About three hundred yards from where the trail leaves the canyon and comes out on to White Tail Flat it passes through a clump of mesquite brush, Banty didn't get through that brush alive. Old One Armed Jim Gould was hidden in there and as Banty passed by he shot him between the shoulders in the back with a high powered gun. He probably never knew what struck him. When the shot was fired Banty's horse jumped and broke into a run, about where he came out of the thicket he fell off, landing with his head on one point of the pick which was driven completely through his head.
From the sign on the ground and from testimony later given at Goulds trial, he had been waiting in the thicket every day for three or four days before Banty came along.
Gould went out to see where Caldwell fell and turned him over on his back. Then got on his horse and disappeared for several months. It was rumored that he hid out in the Mogollon Mountains in New Mexico.
At the time of this occurrence the nearest law of any kind was at Bowie, Old Cap Tevis who was Justice of the peace there was summoned and impaneled a Coroners Jury which rendered a verdict of "Death of a gunshot wound inflicted by a person unknown" (Verdict not verified).
After-the few good neighbors living in the country at that time had gathered at the scene they decided to wrap the corpse in a bed tarp and bury him where he fell, as he had no known relatives.
But Frank Noland who was present says that Steve McComas insisted that a coffin be provided and that Caldwell be dressed in a suit of clothes which he kept at McComa's house. Lumber for the coffin was secured from Cap Burn's Mining camp and the grave was dug on a little hill about fifty yards East of where the killing took place.
The grave was unmarked until just a very few years ago. [editor's note: this is thought to be written about 1959], Frank Noland chiseled an inscription on a rock and set it in concrete at the head of the grave. Frank probably the only man still living who attended Caldwell's funeral or has any first hand knowledge of the affair.
It was generally understood that rivalry for the favors of a married woman who lived at the old Rock HouSe Ranch (now Kolmar) was the cause of the murder. She must not have been very choosey about the size and looks of her suitors. Her husband was a medium sized fellow, slightly inclined to corpulency. Gould weighed about 140 pounds while Caldwell was a little husky fellow about 5'6 in height. Tom Stafford says Caldwell was about forty six years old at the time of the murder.
During the time Gould was in hiding the Town of Paradise grew to the point that it boasted both a Justice of the peace and a Constable. So when Gould got ready he came in an surrendered to the law there. He was given a preliminary hearing and as he was apparently the only witness he told the story that he had met Banty at Jhus Canyon by accident and that after an exchange of shots Caldwell lost his nerve and turned to run when Gould shot him in the back just as he turned.
His bond was fixed at One Thousand Dollars and he was bound over to appear for trial in superior Court in Tombstone some months later. Old Man Gabe Choate furnished his bond. It was quite a different story when Gould came to trial. Witnesses didn't exactly sprout on bushes but a good number of people appeared to testify who had a lot of first hand knowledge of the murder they had kept quiet about what they knew simply because they had no doubt that Gould would kill them too if he got any inkling of their knowledge.
Henry Buckelew and his step sons, Will and Frank Noland had been riding after cattle while Gould was waiting for Caldwell to come along and had seen his horse tied to the thicket every day for three or four days before it happened. They had also seen Gould going to the place and heard the shot when he killed Caldwell .
They were at the scene almost as soon as Gould was out of sight and all being experienced cowboys and woodsmen could and did read the sign on the ground and interpret it until they knew what happened just about as well as if they had seen it.
Everything was kept so quiet that Gould fully expected to be acquitted in Superior Court but when Henry Buckelew, The Noland boys and a few others gave their testimony the picture changed. The Jury brought in a Verdict of "Murder in the First Degree" and he was sentenced to spend the balance of his natural life in the Territorial Prison at Yuma, Arizona.
When the judge pronounced sentence he told Gould that the only reason he didn't sentence him to hang was because he only had one arm. He served about nine years of his sentence. Arizona then came into statehood and the prison moved from Yuma to Florence. Gould and several other prisoners who had been sentenced specifically to Yuma Prison were released on that technicality. (not verified).
After he was released he went to Duncan Arizona and killed another man but was exonerated by the coroners jury. After that he came over to Rodeo, New Mexico and filed a homestead claim near where Fred Darnell lives now. Y entonces, Pues quien sabes.
{Editor's note: if you visit Yuma State Prison you hear the story about Gould being released early told by the docent]
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Join Friends of
Cave Creek Canyon
FOCCC provides many activities and events that benefit the entire community. Please consider joining FOCCC and support your community and your mountains.
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FOCCC 2018 Officers and Board
Reed Peters President
Other Board Members
Sheri Ashley Vice President
Bob Ashley
Wynne Brown
Mike Williams Vice President
Alan Craig
Rene Donaldson
Rick Beno
Treasurer
Stevie Wayman Secretary
Cecil Williams
FOCCC Board of Directors meets on the first Wednesday morning each month at the Chiricahua Desert Museum on Highway 80. If you have interest in attending or putting something on the agenda, please contact President Reed Peters at 520-558-2334. All members are welcome to attend.
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Friends Of Cave Creek Canyon
PO Box 16126
Portal, Arizona 85632 Visit Our Website |
Thanks to our "Sustainer's Circle" members
for their generous support:
Tom Arny, Bob and Bettina Arrigoni, Nancy and Thomas Denney, Mary George, Renata Golden, Bill and Sally Hague, Paul Hirt and Linda Jakse, Don Hollister, Pi Irwin and Zsombor Zoltan, Ken Jenkins, Leuthold Family Foundation, Barbara Lounsbery, Patrick McNamara, John and Karin McQuillan, Barbara and Pete Miller, Patricia Parran, CeCe Raak, Tom Roseman and Paula Baldwin, Delia Scholes, Donald and Martha Squire and Bob and Sherry Zoellick.
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Please support our Business Members who have given generously to Friends Of Cave Creek Canyon. Without their assistance, we would be hard pressed to accomplish our goals. Click on their names to check out their websites.
Business Memberships start at just $50.00!
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