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Go Wild
Climb through the Pinal Mountains, look over the Mogollon Rim, enjoy Roosevelt Lake and experience our history through the lens of Discover Gila County’s Blog articles.

Gila County Pioneer – David D. Gowan
Gowan was born in Kincardineshire, Scotland, in 1843, and he took to the seas at an early age. He sailed out of Scotland’s Bervie Harbor

The Hells Gate Wilderness
Access Points Welcome to Hells Gate! It is among the most remote and difficult to access wilderness areas in one of the most remote parts of

Battle of Big Dry Wash
The 1882 Battle of Big Dry Wash was the last major engagement between the U. S. Army and the Apaches in the Arizona Territory. In

The History of the Oxbow Inn & Saloon
The Ox Bow Saloon has always played a prominent role in Payson’s history. Offering drinks and “entertainment.” the saloon’s legacy included rowdy street parties, and

The Story of Payson, Arizona – First Stores and Saloons
The Pieper Saloon building as it appears today at its original location. In the spring of 1886, a settler named Frank Alkire came through Payson

The Babe Haught Trail
The Babe Haught Trail, also known as Tonto National Forest Trail #143, snakes up the Mogollon Rim near the Tonto Fish Hatchery. While this trail

Meet Famous Cowgirl – Tammy Kelly
If Tammy Kelly walks into a western clothing store anywhere in Wyoming, Oklahoma, or even in Las Vegas, Nevada, people know who she is. They

“The Day Hell Let Out For Recess”
I remember June 17, 1955 as the day “Hell Let Out For Recess” in Payson. The day was just like any other hot day in

Julia Randall – Pioneer woman & Extraordinary Teacher in Gila County
My cousin, Taylor Hale of Gisela, called me the other day and asked when the Rock School in Payson was built – the one we