Williamson Valley Road (Images of America)

Centuries ago, Williamson Valley Road began as a game trail for

native inhabitants. In the 1400s, ancestors of the Yavapai and

Hualapai hunted along ancient footpaths. Later explorers widened

these paths for horses. The 1800s brought military wagons transporting

supplies between the Rawlins, Hualapai/Tollgate, and Fort Whipple

camps while traders and settlers followed in stagecoaches. The fertile

lands of Mint Valley, Williamson Valley, and Walnut Creek were

ideal for raising stock and produce. Farmers sailed from Europe and

up the Colorado River before traversing the Hardyville Toll Road.

Ranchers imported the fittest stock and exported the finest meat with

the expertise of Mexican ranch hands. Camp Wood timbermen met

the demand for lumber. Eastern store owners set up shop as railroaders

laid far-reaching plans but short-reaching rails. Residents in the early

1900s arrived at rodeos, camp meetings, concerts, and dances in their

Model Ts using this road. Present-day suburbanites, schoolchildren, and

contractors commute on Williamson Valley Road, which was designated

as a Scenic and Historic Route in 2010.