The Thing – Benson, AZ

Benson http://www.bensonvisitorcenter.com/resources.htm http://www.desertusa.com/Cities/az/benson.html

When the Southern Pacific Railroad came through southern Arizona in 1880, the town of Benson was founded. The new town, at a somewhat different location from that of the earlier stage town (Ohnesorgen Stage Station) was the rail shipping point for the booming new town of Tombstone to the south. The city of Benson was incorporated in 1924 and was named for Judge William B. Benson of California, a friend of the president of the railroad. It is located at the intersection of Interstate 10 and Arizona SR 90 about 50 miles east of Tucson. It is also located on the beautiful San Pedro River, adjacent to the Union Pacific Railroads main line.

Spanish missionaries arrived in the San Pedro valley near current-day Benson in 1539. The town itself was founded in 1880, a boom year for all of Cochise County. As silver, copper and gold flowed from the mines at Tombstone and Bisbee, Benson was in the perfect position to transport the ore. In the early 1900s, the community grew along with the demand for copper and silver. These metals were mined in the San Pedro Valley and shipped to Benson for smelting and distribution via the railroad. Today, Benson provides important services to travelers along Interstate 10 and functions as a gateway for tourists visiting southeastern Arizona.

All this traffic naturally increased Benson’s trade. Businesses sprung up to serve travelers and settlers. Although the Great Depression hurt Benson businesses, the town survived to become a the “Gateway to the Land of Cochise.” Surrounded by natural and historical wonders such as the San Pedro Riparian National Conservation Area, Cochise Stronghold, Kartchner Caverns State Park 12 miles south and Texas Canyon, Benson offers train trips and stage coach rides once more.

A moderate climate, approximately 11 degrees cooler than Tucson in the summer, has resulted in Benson’s growing popularity as a retirement community and as a destination for tourists and winter visitors. The weather in Benson is comfortable most of the year. On an annual basis, the average daily temperature ranges from a maximum of 79.8 F to a minimum of 45.0 F. Benson receives approximately 11.4 inches of precipitation each year with snowfall being a very infrequent occurrence.

The areas surrounding Benson offer numerous opportunities for outdoor recreation. The Coronado National Forest and the San Pedro Riparian National Conservation Area provide areas for hiking, camping, and picnicking. Kartchner Caverns State Park, which opened November 12, 1999, will allows the public access to a spectacular, world -class cave that was only recently discovered. Overland Stagecoach Days celebration is held annually, each October.

Cities & Towns
Tucson, Arizona: 48 miles northwest
Willcox, Arizona: 37 miles east
Tombstone, Arizona: 25 miles south
Bowie, Arizona: 62 miles east
Bisbee, Arizona: 84 miles south

Parks & Monuments

Kartchner Caverns State Park: 12 miles south

Fort Bowie National Historic Site: 45 miles east

Saguaro National Park (East): 38 miles northwest

Coronado National Memorial: 57 miles southwest

Chiricahua National Monument: 75 miles east

Tombstone Courthouse State Historic Park: 25 miles south

Recreation & Wilderness Areas

Sabino Canyon Recreation Area: 45 miles northwest

Rucker Canyon Recreation Area: 50 miles south

Miller Peak Wilderness: 60 miles west

San Pedro National Riparian Conservation Area: 15 miles south

Cochise Stronghold Recreation Area: 42 miles east

Historic & Points of Interest

San Pedro Southwestern Railroad (Benson)

Gammons Gulch 24 miles northeast

Nearby Locations

Tucson – 46 miles http://www.visittucson.org

Tucson Arizona is located in south-central Arizona along the banks of the Santa Cruz River where Interstate 10 and 19 meet. The city’s elevation is 2,389 ft. and it is situated in a high desert valley surrounded by 4 mountain ranges: the Santa Catalinas to the north, the Rincons to the east, the Santa Ritas to the south and the Tucsons to the west. Tucson Arizona is the seat of the University of Arizona, which was founded in 1885, home to Pima Community College and is near a number of Indian reservations. It is the gateway to Saguaro National Park, which is located on both sides of the city. An expansive city covering substantial area, Tucson has many distinct neighborhoods along with several major incorporated suburbs of tucson including Oro Valley, Marana, Sahuarita, and South Tucson.

The city is home to more than 120 parks, including Reid Park Zoo. There are five public golf courses located throughout the area. Several scenic parks and points of interest are also located nearby, including the Tucson Botanical Gardens, Saguaro National Park, Sabino Canyon, and Biosphere 2 (just north of the city, in the town of Oracle), and Mt Lemmon located in the Coronado National Forest.

Tucson was probably first visited by Paleo-Indians, known to have been in southern Arizona by about 12,000 years ago. Recent archaeological excavations near the Santa Cruz River have located a village site dating from 4,000 years ago. It celebrates a diversity of cultures, architecture, and peoples. Tucson, too SAHN or TOO sahn, is one of the oldest towns in the United States. Tucson was orginally an Indian village called Stook-zone, meaning water at the foot of black mountain. Hugo O’Conor established the Tucson Presidio in 1775. August 20th, 1775 is considered Tucson’s birthday. Spanish settlers arrived in the area in 1776. Tucson officially became part of the United States with the Gadsden Purchase of 1854. Tucson served as capital of the Arizona Territory from 1867 to 1877.

Tucson boasts the best of both worlds...the progress and innovation of a metropolitan community and the friendly, caring atmosphere of a small town. Tucson’s rich cultural heritage centers around a unique blend of Native American, Spanish, Mexican and Anglo-American influences.

Tucson’s climate varies from the 2400 foot desert basin to the 9100 foot forests of the Santa Catalina mountains. The City’s dry desert air and winter sunshine make it a popular health and winter resort. The City is home to the University of Arizona and Davis-Monthan Air Force Base. The City’s industries include electronics and missile production.

The Tucson metropolitan area supports over 750,000 residents. As metropolitan Tucson continues to grow by nearly 2,000 new residents each month, the challenge of meeting citizen expectations also increases.

Willcox – 35 miles http://www.cityofwillcox.org/index.html

The City of Willcox was founded in 1877 and at that time was known as Mahley’s Camp. In 1880, the Southern Pacific Railroad built the Railroad Depot and when the first train stopped in the small camp with General Orlando B. Wilcox on board, those spectators recognizing the General began chanting “Wilcox! Wilcox! Wilcox!” A reporter from Tucson went back and reported in the Arizona Daily Star about the new railroad town known as Wilcox. In 1885 the town had a population of 500 residents. The City of Willcox was incorporated in 1915.

Tombstone – 24 miles http://www.cityoftombstone.com

“The Town too Tough to Die,” Tombstone was perhaps the most renowned of Arizona’s old mining camps. When Ed Schieffelin came to Camp Huachuca with a party of soldiers and left the fort to prospect, his comrades told him that he’d find his tombstone rather than silver. Thus, in 1877, Schieffelin named his first claim the Tombstone, and rumors of rich strikes made a boomtown of the settlement that adopted this name. Days of lawlessness and violence, which nearly had then-President Chester A. Arthur declaring martial law in Tombstone and sending in military troops to restore order, climaxed with the infamous Earp-Clanton battle, fought near the rear entrance of the O.K. Corral, on October 26, 1881. Truly a Historical American Landmark, Tombstone is America’s best example of our 1880 western heritage, which is well preserved with original 1880’s buildings and artifacts featured in numerous museums.

Bisbee – 47 miles http://www.discoverbisbee.com

Bisbee, 90 miles southeast of Tucson and nestled amongst the Mule Mountains, is the picturesque county seat of historic Cochise County. The community was founded in 1880 and named after Judge DeWitt Bisbee, a financial backer of the Copper Queen Mine. Although its mines closed in the 70s, a museum has welcomed, educated, and entertained more than a half-million visitors ever since. Featured among its exhibits is “Bisbee: Urban Outpost on the Frontier”, an in-depth look at the depths - and heights - to which miners and settlers went to carve a community and a living out of rock.

Sierra Vista – 33 miles http://www.go-arizona.com/Sierra-Vista

Located 70 miles southeast of Tucson, Sierra Vista has earned the title “Hummingbird Capital of the U.S.”. The town’s name means “Mountain View” in Spanish and accurately describes its picturesque setting at the base of the Huachuca Mountains. Sierra Vista serves as the main commercial, cultural, and recreational hub of Cochise County. The city is easily accessible for those wishing to drive or fly in. It is a short drive from Interstate 10 on State Highway 90 with a scenic view of the mountains and grasslands. For those wishing to fly in, Sierra Vista has its own airport. Typical of U.S. Army installations, a small community formed outside the post gates. As it grew, the community underwent several name changes. In 1915, it was called Buena, then changed to Overton, then to Garden Canyon and subsequently to Fry. When incorporated in 1956, the city was once again renamed and became Sierra Vista.

The U.S. Census of 1950 recorded a population of 50 persons living in Fry. In 1956, when incorporated, the population had reached 1671. Today, the population of Sierra Vista and Fort Huachuca is over 40,000. At an elevation of 4,623 feet surrounded by mountain peaks reaching nearly 10,000 feet, Sierra Vista enjoys a moderate four-season climate with abundant sunshine. The picturesque setting among the Huachuca, Dragoon, Mule and Whetstone Mountains confirms its Spanish name.

As you travel around Sierra Vista, the San Pedro Valley, and beyond the Huachuca Mountain range, you will find it easy to imagine the role this rugged terrain and wilderness in our picturesque corner of Arizona played during the 1800s. The scenic lookout points, majestic sky islands with mountainous nooks and crannies, and the harsh valley terrain created a formidable challenge to U.S. military defense. The ample escape routes and concealment opportunities that were taken full advantage of by the nimble and highly mobile Apache proved equally frustrating.

Area Attractions

Kartchner Caverns State Park http://www.azstateparks.com/Parks/KACA

Experience a stunning limestone cave in Southeastern Arizona that boasts world-class features. This “live” cave, discovered in 1974, is host to a wide variety of unique minerals and formations. Water percolates from the surface and calcite formations continue to grow, including stalactites dripping down like icicles and giant stalagmites reaching up from the ground. Tour guides will unveil this fascinating underground landscape during a memorable 1½ hour tour.

In November 1974 two young cavers, Gary Tenen and Randy Tufts, were exploring the limestone hills at the base of the Whetstone Mountains. In the bottom of a sinkhole they found a narrow crack leading into the hillside. Warm, moist air flowed out, signaling the existence of a cave. After several hours of crawling, they entered a pristine cavern.

It wasn’t until February 1978 that Tenen and Tufts told the property owners, James and Lois Kartchner, about their amazing discovery. During the four years of secret exploration, the discoverers realized that the cave’s extraordinary variety of colors and formations must be preserved.

The cave’s existence became public knowledge in 1988 when its purchase was approved as an Arizona State Park. Extraordinary precautions have been taken during its development to conserve the cave’s near-pristine condition.

Fort Bowie National Historic Site http://www.nps.gov/fobo

Fort Bowie National Historic Site (NHS) is located in the southeast corner of Arizona. The park includes most of Apache Pass, which separates the Dos Cabezas Mountains on the north from the Chiricahua Mountains to the south. The Dos Cabezas and Chiricahua Mountains were the home and stronghold of the Chiricahua Apaches, and Apache Pass was an important travel route for the Indians, separating not only the mountain ranges, but also the San Simon Valley to the northeast and the Sulphur Springs Valley to the southwest.

For more than 30 years Fort Bowie and Apache Pass were the focal point of military operations eventually culminating in the surrender of Geronimo in 1886 and the banishment of the Chiricahuas to Florida and Alabama. It was the site of the Bascom Affair, a wagon train massacre, and the battle of Apache Pass, where a large force of Chiricahua Apaches under Mangus Colorados and Cochise fought the California Volunteers.

Saguaro National Park http://www.nps.gov/sagu

The Giant Saguaro is only found in a small portion of the United States. Saguaro National Park protects some of the most impressive forests of these sub-tropical giants, on the edge of the modern City of Tucson. Saguaro National Park is composed of two distinct districts: The Rincon Mountain District and the Tucson Mountain District. The Tucson Mountain District lies on the west side of Tucson, Arizona, while the Rincon Mountain District lies on the east side of Tucson. Both districts were formed to protect and exhibit forests of their namesake plant: the Saguaro Cactus. The saguaro blossom is the state flower of Arizona. In late summer, the Tohono O’odham people come to Saguaro National Park to harvest the saguaro fruit.

Coronado National Forest http://www.fs.fed.us/r3/coronado

The forest was named for Fancisco Vasquez de Coronado, who journeyed in 1540 to the Zuni and Hopi villages through part of what is today the Coronado National Forest. The Coronado National Forest covers 1,780,000 acres of southeastern Arizona and southwestern New Mexico. Elevations range from 3000 feet to 10,720 feet in twelve widely scattered mountain ranges or “sky islands” that rise dramatically from the desert floor, supporting plant communities as biologically diverse as those encountered on a trip from Mexico to Canada.

Views are spectacular from these mountains, and visitors may experience all four seasons during a single day’s journey, wandering through the desert among giant saguaro cactus and colorful wildflowers in the morning, enjoying lunch beside a mountain stream, and playing in the snow later in the afternoon.

San Carlos Indian Reservation http://www.itcaonline.com/tribes_sancarl.html

The San Carlos Apache Indian Reservation, in southeastern Arizona, was established in 1871, and is home to a conglomeration of Apache tribes relocated there from traditional Apache homelands in Arizona and New Mexico. Its largest communities are San Carlos and adjacent Peridot.

Encompassing 2,910.707 square miles of land area, the San Carlos Apache Indian Reservation lies in northern Graham, southeastern Gila, and eastern Pinal Counties. It is the tenth-largest Indian reservation in land area. Landscape of the area varies considerably, including desert, alpine meadows, and Ponderosa Pine forest.

The region is blessed with a variety of geological, historic and recreational attractions. The temperate climate of the Reservation makes hunting for big and small game, such as elk, bighorn sheep, javelina, antelope and migratory birds, enjoyable in every season.

The hub of recreational activity is San Carlos Lake. A fisherman’s paradise, it was formed by the construction of Coolidge Dam and is rimmed by 158 miles of shoreline and stores. The lake contains 19,500 acre feet of water, making it the largest body of water in Arizona.

Many diverse opportunities exist for the angler on the San Carlos Reservation with both warm water and cold water fisheries available all year round. More water-based recreation opportunities are available on the Salt River. U.S. 60, the direct route between Show Low and Globe, cuts through the Salt River Canyon which is often referred to as the mini Grand Canyon. Whitewater rafting, kayaking and canoeing are popular sports as the snow melts and runs into the river.

The Tribe proudly opened its first Cultural Center September 12, 1995, located in Peridot, Arizona on Highway 70.

Biosphere 2 http://www.b2science.org

It wasn’t many years ago that Biosphere 2, nestled in the foothills of Arizona’s Santa Catalina Mountains about 30 miles north of Tucson, was the laughing stock of scientific research. Now, Biosphere 2 Center has become a major tourist attraction in the Tucson area.

Built in the late 1980s with $150 million in funding from Texas oil magnate Edward Bass, Biosphere 2 was designed as an airtight replica of Earth’s environment (Biosphere 1). This 7,200,000-cubic-foot sealed glass and space-frame structure contains 5 biomes, including a 900,000-gallon ocean, a rain forest, a desert, agricultural areas and a human habitat.

Some of the early designers and managers were interested in space travel and the possibility of colonizing the Moon or Mars. By building Biosphere 2 and sealing people inside, they hoped to learn what problems would arise from living in a closed system. So it was that in 1991, a colony of 8 people set about to live inside Biosphere 2 for two years.

The people who were selected to be Biospherians and live inside Biosphere 2 during the two closure periods came from 7 different countries. All spent several years in training to become more proficient in their own fields as well as gaining expertise in the skills of the others.

The first crew of Biospherians (4 women and 4 men) entered Biosphere 2 on September 26, 1991. The crew members remained inside for two years despite various problems, including limited agricultural productivity, and emerged on September 26, 1993. After a 6-month transition period, a second crew of 7 biospherians (5 men and 2 women) entered Biosphere 2. Unfortunately, after a number of physical and social problems developed, the project soon suffered scientific disdain and public ridicule before these experiments were suspended in 1994. Since then, there have been no resident crews living inside Biosphere 2, and no future human habitation is planned.