CATTLE COMMENTS
Arizona Heritage
Klondyke, Arizona - A Remote Place to Ranch in Graham County Written by Laura Flood
You cannot call Klondyke, Arizona a one-horse town. There could be more horses than people! It lies in the rugged desert mountains, West of Safford and deep in the Aravaipa Valley. Lori Sollers, a resident believes the population is around barely 50 people. Miners founded the town in 1900 upon returning from the Klondike Gold Rush in Alaska. Lead and silver ore had to suffice rather than gold. This helped Klondyke keep its quiet seclusion, even after the notorious Power’s shootout of 1915. Klondyke was believed to peak at 500 folks. The town had a post office in 1907, a saloon, church, and cemetery. However, half the residents departed during the Great Depression and the post office closed in 1955. Contrary to this parched land's view, thunderstorms have trapped residents in high flood waters. In 1998, the Holcomb’s, a couple from Nevada, operated a hunting ranch. The Holcomb's hunted mountain lions with hounds and guided guests on these excursions. Beautiful dark skies highlight the bright stars and brilliant sunsets in the backdrop of the Galiuro Mountains to the Southeast and the Santa Teresa Mountains to the North. Today, the Klondyke Horsehead Lodge operates from October to May and the Powers Cabin is open to tourists. Perhaps a reader of the Arizona Cattlelog could solve the below mystery! The mystery lies in the ranch name of the Klondyke branding (pictured below). The author of this article, Laura Flood, is pictured in the photographs. Laura has no captions on the back and took these photos while accompanying a friend filming the branding, over 25 years ago. A search led to a few comments, but nothing concrete. Do you know the ranch these photos were taken on? If so, email amorin@azcattlegrowers.org.
32 - September 2020
