Isaac and William Bradshaw were early Pioneers and prospectors. The Bradshaw Mountains were named after them, and so was Bradshaw City -- which
was a mining boom town, but is now a ghost town.
This article presents several views of Isaac's gravesite, taken at different times and from different angles. The grave site is located near Bradshaw Spring, Northeast of Wickenburg. It is in rough country --rugged and remote-- and requires a 4-wheel drive vehicle and an ability to not get lost. According to Neal Du Shane, many of the roads are creek beds, and if it starts raining, you may never make it out alive!
As this text is being written, plans are in the works to place a new, cement headstone for Isaac Bradshaw, at his grave on Saturday, Dec. 9th, 2006.
Additionally, the project to replace the picket fence around the gravesite is also in progress.
Placing the Headstone! Dec 9, 2006
Making the Headstone
For those of you that are keeping score:
1 - 80lb bag of Sakrete Mortar/Stucco mix. Fills the form with just enough left over for a small individual marker.
1 1/2 gallons of cold water - slightly on the wet side, but very workable.
Outside temperature was in the 50's working in the shade.
Would guess the humidity was in the 20% range.
Started working in the letters immediately after pouring and smoothing.
Below is a photo of the freshly manufactured headstone; to be placed on Isaac's grave.
The Story of William and Isaac Bradshaw
The following is largely based on two articles written by By Ms. Terry Munderloh. See her entire writings on the subject.
Isaac's Bradshaw's brother was William David Bradshaw -- known as Bill Bradshaw. Bill's exploits were fairly well known in the mining districts of California, long before he discovered the Arizona mountains which now bear the name Bradshaw.
William was born in Tennessee some time around 1826. His presence in California is first documented in Horace Bell's REMINISCENCES OF A RANGER: When young Bill was employed by the Mexican commander at Sonoma, Capt. Salvador Vallejo. Early in 1846 before the outbreak of the Mexican War, Bell's story relates that while Bradshaw was building a fence, Capt. Vallejo was displeased with the way the work was going and struck Bill with the flat side of his sword. Bill promptly attacked the captain.
Upon realizing what he had done, Bradshaw immediately decided to flee rather than face time in a Mexican prison. Bill quickly retrieved his rifle and struck out for the Sacramento Valley.
After the United States declared war on Mexico, in May 1846, Bill returned to Sonoma as a member of the Bear Flag party, and helped capture Vallejo's garrison on June 24, 1846. When Salvador recognized Bradshaw among the ranks of his captors, he allegedly told the Bear Flag commander, "now I suppose I will be murdered, finding this assassin in your force," pointing to Bradshaw. But Bill responded that an American never strikes an enemy when he is down. He shook Vallejo's hand and promised him his friendship.
On October 6, 1846, William Bradshaw was appointed First Lieutenant, in Captain Sear's Company D, Mounted Riflemen, in John C. Fremont's California Battalion. Bradshaw was honorably discharged April 17, 1847.
William Bradshaw spent some time around Los Angeles but when gold was discovered at Sutter's Mill, he turned to gold mining. But, in 1851 the Governor of California appointed Bill to command a detachment of militia to combat a threatened revolt of the French miners of Mokelumme Hill, and Bill successfully brought about a settlement without bloodshed.
When the news of Pauline Weaver's discovery of the wealth of the Plomosa placer mines at La Paz, Arizona in 1861 reached California, the adventurous Bill decided to explore those gold fields for himself.
At that time two arduous routes existed for travel from Los Angeles to La Paz. One way was to go to Fort Yuma over the old Sonora Road or by way of Smith's Survey through San Gorgonio Pass to Yuma and then proceed overland or by river steamer up the Colorado River to La Paz. The other option was to travel from San Bernardino across the Mohave Desert to Fort Mohave and then continue down river to La Paz, a more hazardous route owing to the scarcity of water, lack of habitations and raiding Paiute Indians.
In the spring of 1862, leading a party of eight men, Bill set off for the Plomosa mines determined to locate a shorter route. Bradshaw's party traveled the existing trail over San Gorgonio Pass and made their way southeast to the Salton Sink where several Cahuilla villages were located. Here Bill was befriended by Old Cabezon, a Cahuilla Chief, and a Indian mail runner from Arizona who was visiting the villages. The two Indians provided Bradshaw with a map of an ancient Halchidoma Indian trade route through the Colorado desert complete with the location of springs and water holes.
Using the Indians' map, Bradshaw's party journeyed on to Dos Palmas, crossed the then almost unknown desert between the Orocopia and Chocolate Mountains in an easterly direction reaching the Colorado River at Providence Point. There they crossed the river and journied four more miles up the east river bank to Laguna de La Paz, the immediate base for the mines.
Bill stayed a few days in La Paz visiting with the settlement's two merchants and the miners while observing the quantity of gold loads being brought in from the mines. Seeing other lucrative business potentials in addition to mining, Bill struck up a partnership with William Warringer to open a ferry service at Providence Point.
Bradshaw returned to Los Angeles and announced in the Los Angeles Star about his new-found straight line trail from San Gorgonio Pass to Providence Point and the establishment of a ferry across th the Colorado at the trail's termination. Almost immediately travelers, freight and stage lines, and the mail began using the "Bradshaw Road." Today the Bradshaw Road is accessible to off-road vehicles.
William was not happy to remain very long in one place, so he quit the ferry business, leaving that job to his older brother, Isaac.
In the winter of 1864 Bill returned to what was now Olive City, next to the ferry site. Shortly thereafter, Bill apparently killed himself. According to the Los Angeles News, Bradshaw "committed suicide at La Paz . . . by cutting his throat." Adding that he "was probably under the influence of liquor at the time; he was pursued by ghosts, etc. He walked deliberately into a carpenter's shop, took up a drawing knife, and with one stroke nearly severed his head from his shoulders."
Isaac Bradshaw sold his interest in the ferry, in 1867, and took up his brother's lust for gold dust. "Uncle Ike," as Isaac came to be known in Yavapai County, became part owner, developer and superintendent of the rich Copper Basin mines.
By 1871 the discovery and rapid development of the Tiger and Eclipse silver
mines warranted the laying out of a townsite on top of Bradshaw Mountain-- called Bradshaw City. At one time Bradshaw City had five thousand residents, but is now a ghost town.
Another view of Ike's Grave In 1882 Uncle Ike sold his interest in the Copper Basin mines and moved on to the Castle Creek gold mining district. He died on December 25th, 1886, at his claim on Whipsaw Gulch near Castle Creek where he is buried.
Since the time of the Bradshaw brothers, the entire Silver Mountain Range has came to be known as the Bradshaw Mountains. If William and Isaac were alive today, the two brothers would probably be astounded by the number of places, business, schools and associations bearing their name.
Webization by Kermit Kittleson -- klk83201@ida.net
