A Rich Vein of History

Wickenburg fills an illustrious chapter in the history of Arizona and the West. An 1862 gold strike on the Colorado River near the city of Yuma inspired prospectors and miners to search for precious minerals throughout central Arizona. Among the prospectors was Henry Wickenburg, for whom the town is named.

Legend has it that Henry threw a rock at a vulture that was bothering his mule. The rock missed the vulture; but split into glittering gold nugget. Vulture Mine, named in honor of the scavenger, was one of Arizona’s richest, yielding more than $30 million in gold.