Damsel took this photo of Vulture Peak today, just after we were at the dog park with the pups. This magnificent mountain peak is visible here in the Hassayampa Valley and all the way down to the Phoenix Metro area. The peak is not far from Vulture Mine, which is where Henry Wickenburg discovered gold and eventually lead to the establishment of the town of Wickenburg, AZ. Click on the image to enlarge.
I wonder why old Henry didn’t call them Wickenburg Peak, and Wickenburg Mine and be done with it ? And when did old Henry do all of this?
Pretty neat.
Is it volcanic or one of the “mesas” that dot the Southwest?
Vulture Peak was so named because of the large population of Turkey Vultures (Buzzards) in the area. The mine was named after the Vulture mountain range where the peak is the main feature. Vulture City was established at the mine site and is now a ghost town and tourist attraction. The townspeople called the town Wickenburg’s place at first, eventually shortening it.
The origin of most of Arizona’s mountains is thought to be volcanic; this range is wind and erosion swept to give it this appearance. The northern part of the state has newer volcanoes such as the San Francisco mountains and Sunset Crater, north of Flagstaff.