Skip to main content

Throwback Thursday; Chiricahua National Monument, Arizona State Route 186 and Arizona State Route 181

By
Back in 2012 I was trying to clinch as many of the Arizona State Routes as I could and visit all the National Monuments located in the State.  When I had some free time during the winter months I made my way towards Willcox to visit Chiricahua National Monument.  During my trip towards the National Monument I took AZ 186 from I-10/US 191 in Willcox and AZ 181 to US 191 as I was leaving.


AZ 186 is an approximately 33.4 mile state route.  AZ 186 begins at a junction with I-10/US 191 in Willcox on Rex Allen Drive and continues to Haskell Avenue.  AZ 186 uses a former alignment of AZ 86 on Haskell Avenue to reach Marley Street.  AZ 186 exits Willcox on Marley Street heading eastward towards Chiricahua National Monument.  East of Willcox the alignment of AZ 186 enters the Dos Cabezas Range and passes by a small community of the same name before meeting AZ 181 at an eastern terminus near Chiricahua National Monument.

AZ 186 was supposedly created in 1955.  The route is not present on the 1951 State Highway Map but is displayed on the 1956 edition.

1951 State Highway Map

1956 State Highway Map 

After completing my route clinch of AZ 186 I took AZ 181 eastward into the Chiricahua Mountains and Chiricahua National Monument.


The Chiricahua Mountains is a 35x21 mile range central to Cochise County.  The Chiricahua Range generally is above 6,000 feet but has a high point of Chiricahua Peak at 9,759 feet above sea level.  The Chiricahua Range and by extension National Monument features volcanic rock hoodoos which were formed from a volcanic eruption in the Turkey Creek Caldera approximately 27 million years ago.  

When I visited Chiricahua National Monument the weather was supposed to be good in Cochise County.  However, when I approached the Chiricahua Range I encountered heavy fog and light snow attempting to drive above the clouds to Massai Point.  I eventually settled for some lower elevation hiking to view the hoodoos.











Near the entrance to Chiricahua National Monument is the Faraway Ranch Historic District.  The Faraway Ranch District was apparently first settled Ja Hu Stafford in 1879.  The Faraway district is generally more well known for an 1885 Cavalry Camp which was part of the last military campaign to capture Apache leader Geronimo.  Erickson Ranch was plotted in 1887 and eventually became part of Chiricahua National Monument when it was created in 1924.








Leaving Chiricahua National Monument I took AZ 181 westward to US 191.   AZ 181 has a strange alignment with various 90 degree turns as it approaches US 191.  AZ 181 is approximately 26.8 miles long and has only one community known as Sunizona along it's alignment.  AZ 181 was created at some point between between 1935 and 1938 when it would have had a western terminus at AZ 81.  AZ 181 is not seen on the 1935 Arizona State Highway Map but appears on the 1938 Edition when AZ 81 had been renumbered to US 666.

1935 State Highway Map Sectional

1938 State Highway Map Sectional
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Former US Route 50 and the Pioneer Route Lincoln Highway on Johnson's Pass Road

By
Johnson's Pass Road is one of the oldest highway corridors in California.  Johnson's Pass was part of the Lake Tahoe Wagon Road as it was completed during 1856 over the Sierra Nevada.  The pass would later be incorporated into the Pioneer Branch of the Lincoln Highway in 1913 and US Route 50 in 1926.  Johnson's Pass Road would be bypassed by a new alignment of US Route 50 over Echo Summit in 1938.  A replacement of the Meyers Grade east of Johnson's Pass would be opened to traffic in 1947.   Johnson's Pass Road remains accessible to traffic and is still signed by the Lincoln Highway Association.  Pictured as the blog cover is the view from the top of Johnson's Pass Road overlooking modern US Route 50 and Lake Tahoe.   Part 1; the history of Johnson's Pass Much of the history of what become the Lake Tahoe Wagon Road is discussed in the  September 1950 California Highways & Public Works  during its Centennial Edition.  The or...
Post a Comment
Read more

Former US Route 50 and the South Lincoln Highway from Folsom east to Placerville

By
The corridor of Folsom of Sacramento County east to Placerville of El Dorado County has been a long established corridor of overland travel dating back to the California Gold Rush.  The Folsom-Placerville corridor was once part of the path of the Lake Tahoe Wagon Road which became the first California State Highway and later the South Lincoln Highway.  In time the South Lincoln Highway's surface alignment was inherited by US Route 50.  The Folsom-Placerville corridor also includes the communities of; Clarksville, Shingle Springs and El Dorado. Part 1; the history of the Lake Tahoe Wagon Road, South Lincoln Highway and US Route 50 through Folsom-Placerville Folsom is located on the American River/Lake Natoma of eastern Sacramento County.  That lands now occupied by the City of Folsom were part of Rancho Rio de los Americanos prior to the finding of gold at Sutter's Mill during 1848.  During the California Gold Rush the lands of Rancho Rio de los Americanos were p...
Post a Comment
Read more

Old NC 10 - The Central Highway: Old Fort to Black Mountain through the Royal Gorge

By
A unique way of tracing the remnants of the Central Highway is through the mountainous terrain of Eastern Buncombe and Western McDowell Counties.  From the east on US 70, you reach the base of Blue Ridge Mountains at the town of Old Fort.  Old Fort is a tiny rail town that the old Central Highway and now US 70 goes through.  The Central Highway can be followed via a right onto Mill Creek Road from US 70.  Follow the highway as it takes you closer to the mountains.  When Mill Creek Road bears right to head towards Andrews Geyser stay straight until the road ends at a gate.  The nearby Piney Grove Church can be used for parking.  At this point, the old Central Highway began a 3.5 mile climb of the mountain to Swannanoa Gap.  NC 10 and later US 70 travelers followed this road for over 30 years until a new and modern four lane US 70 was built to the south.  This same four lane road would eventually become Interstate 40.    The Centra...
Post a Comment
Read more