Peeples Valley History / Yarnell History
The history of Peeples Valley and Yarnell’s earliest citizens is known by the evidence they left of their life in the valley and surrounding hills. Today there still are remains of some of their homes and wall writings through out the area. Most of these remains are on private land and not available to public view. Our thanks to the Desert Caballeros Western Museum in Wickenburg and the Sharlot Hall Museum in Prescott for preserving and displaying the early lives of these incredible people and their way of life before the white man arrived and changed everything forever.
In 1863, Captain Joe Walker led a party of prospectors up the Hassayampa River and discovered rich placer gold deposits. In May 1863, a second party started up the Hassayampa and followed a small creek near-by up into the hills. This arroyo was named Antelope Creek by A.H. Peeples, leader of the group. It was guided by Pauline Weaver. While they were camping on Antelope Creek some of the party explored up the hill and in a hollow on the mountain top, lying on bare bedrock they found nuggets of gold! The word was soon out and the prospectors began coming to the Weaver Mountains around Yarnell. In 1864, Abraham H. Peeples settled on a ranch in what became Peeples Valley. On of the best known citizens of Peeples Valley was Charlie Genung who purchased the Peeples Valley Ranch and resided there with his family for nearly forty years. In 1872, Genung supervised the construction of the stage road through the valley and around Antelope Peak, with an ultimate destination of Wickenburg. Charlie also had a comfortable stage stop on his ranch with plenty of water. From there the route went to Kirkland and on to Skull Valley, and the final destination, Prescott.
In the 1870’s Harrison Yarnell arrived in Antelope Peak area and spent 30 years in the area. Yarnell scouted and studied the area around Antelope Peak and the hills south of it.
Post offices in the early days were established when the growth of an area warrant it. In 1875 Peeples Valley had one with Charles Genung as postmaster. In 1892 Yarnell got its first post office.
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Southern Yavapai County was a rich source for gold mining in Arizona until 1920’s, and even today you can see a few prospectors looking for their lucky day. Ranching began to emerge as a major business in the early 1900’s and remains even today.
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In 1926, the road from Yarnell to Congress was completed making travel from northern Arizona to Phoenix much easier but still a scary challenge. Peeples Valley and Yarnell both had huge truck and tourist stops that supported this major road in Arizona. When the Black Canyon Highway was completed in the 50’s making the trip from northern Arizona to Phoenix much faster, Yarnell and Peeples Valley reverted to small communities and the large ranches we have today.
The climb up Yarnell Hill today is one of the most breathtaking stretches of highway in Yavapai county and Arizona, soaring 2500 feet up the side of Table Top mountain in a scant four miles. At the top is Yarnell; a quiet, friendly village nestled in a gently sloping dell sandwiched between two towering ridges of the Weaver Mountains, overlooked by Antelope Peak. Twenty five miles north of Wickenburg and thirty three miles south of Prescott, it is far from city pollution and frenzy, yet within convenient reach of larger metropolitan areas. Yarnell’s and Peeples Valley scenery is a picturesque patchwork of green and gray, with mammoth granite boulders throughout the verdant growth of Oak, Hackberry and Chaparral, as if strewn in casual disarray by a giant and artistic hand.
Immediately south of Yarnell looms "The Hill" and the limitless miles of desert carpet stretched out below. A scenic overlook on Highway 89 two miles south of town offers a view of Wickenburg, Congress, gold mines and the ghost towns of Stanton and Octave - a stunning expanse 2500 feet below. Majestic sunsets can be enjoyed from this desert view.
Peeples Valley and Yarnell today is where cowboys still have real round-ups and prospectors still dig in the hills.
For information on becoming a member of the Peeples Valley / Yarnell Historical Society, contact our Membership Coordinator, Billie Carlson
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