Mayer High School - Cat Tracks Yearbook (Mayer, AZ)

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THE HISTORY OF MAYER Mayer was founded In the spring of l88l by Joseph Mayer. Mayer was just a clump of brilliant green cotton- woods, sparkling like emeralds in contrast to the more somber hues of the country around. It was the spring of 1881. The wagon road was the stage route that ran from Prescott to Phoenix through the Black Canyon. The clump of green cottonwoods grew around the Bug Bug Station. The Big Bug Station was Just a shack that was located on the bank of Big Bug Creek. Joseph Mayer was of French descent; he was born in Olean, New York. Joe, as he was always called, grew up working on cattle ranches, prospecting, working in mines and getting an informal education from the country around him. Joe married Sadie Belle Wilbur, a charming English woman. Together they moved into southern Arizona with courage and determination. They settled in Tip-Top and Joe opened a store. Knowing Tip-Top was not to be a permanent town, Joe looked for a place for the business to prosper. He therefore went to Prescott to look for a place to live. Along the way he stopped at Big Bug for the night. He liked the place, and felt the location was right for' a future town as it was only a day's ride from Prescott and was very close to the new opening mines. They moved into Big Bug. It paid off. Joe began to prosper immediately. He opened a hotel for stage passen- gers and a saloon for the mass of cowboys and miners. Every with heavy eyebrows, dark eyes, and black mustache, was well-known for his hospitality and willingness to lend a helping hand. Joe Mayer prospered and his family grew. He had one son and three daughters. The Big Bug Station was washed out by a flood in the Big Bug River when a dam built by the mining company gave way. Some lumber was salvaged and a new station was built farther back from the river. This house still stands and is the home of Miss Mamie Mayer and her sister, Mrs,. Winifred Thorpe, who are two f Joe Mayer's daughters.

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i 'I MARLENE POLEY { MARIO MORENO i$t Qrade YOLANDA OLVERA ‘DEBBIE TAYLOR' SANDRA MAKINSON RAY TOMBERLIN A JESSE BIASE

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-■ f,THli HISTORY OF MAYKR , (continued) Page The price 'of a ticket on the stage between;Pre-g ott% mid Phoenix war 12,‘;0 one way and $22.00 .round; Tlie Oeorgo Brothers owned the Mayer stage line lh ey:t?| held the ‘mall contract for both routes. , However ,r vhVr: :n valuable expire w s carried on the' stage,; it wash's ■i cdQd around by railroad through Ash Fork to' Los.. Angeles back to Phoenix. The stage coach was held up only pnce. during its runs while the George Bro thers •‘owned.,it h|®j By that time the railroad had reached Prescott and was preparing to build down to Phoenix. When the railroad had reached Phoenix:the stage'line found that its sun was setting. The railroad got;both'J the mail contract and the passengers and the stage was'J put into retirement. In 1898 the Santa Fe Railroad built a spur' .track from Prescott to Mayer and the old ox and mule teams ygms gave way to the iron horse. Several years later tracks were run out to the Crown King Mill; and mines ;tn the Bradshaw Mountains. in 1909 Joseph Mayer die leaving to his son. W. J. (Burr) Mayer a young town and the interests.‘1 As the new, recently completed Black Canyon'Highway , travels along the out-skirts of Mayer froi vPres gJ t:a » Phoenix, it brings Mayer nearer to the larger towns Arizona. The trin that used to be made by stage from; Prescott to Phoenix in 2b to 30 hours is now' made Jin. 2 |g| or 2-£ hours. This brings many visitors to Mayer n.qtr- W only because it is an ol ‘.mining town with a historic past, but also because of the ideal climate and.beautiful scenery that is found in town and surrounding country Today Mayer lies near the Big Bug River with .Ita,..- cottonwood trees, and is guarded by a symbolic ;smoke stack. The smoke stack symbolizes the d§7S f imi irS and prospering people of the town of the days goriet.;'pyv However, Mayer has survived the d ays,of .hpr'ps.p the depression as it was sown with too permanent ;avSeec; ) • o •’ i a ’ up arid wither. It now no s ties in its foothills -- w still richly endowed with landmarks of he .past, an tea lly gaining' improvement for the future. ‘ ' ; . I « a