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"Many stories have been told regarding the origin of the name Skull Valley.
There is documentation to demonstrate that the name dates back at least to 1864 when the first gubernatorial party arrived in the future Prescott. While it is a fact that there were several severe battles with Indians after the arrival of white men in Skull Valley, the name actually derives from the fact that the first white man who entered it found piles of bleached Indian Skulls. The Skulls were found by Captain Hargraves' company
of the First California Volunteers, while escorting Coles Bashford to Tucson in March of 1864. The Skulls were the remnants of a bitter battle between Apaches (Yavapais) and Maricopa (Pima) in which the latter were the victors. It is reported that the Apaches (Yavapais) had stolen stock from the Pima villages and were pursued by the Maricopas (Pimas). The dead were left where they fell.
At least thirty-five more Skulls were added to the bleaching bones as a result of a fight on August 12, 1866, in which six freighters (the chief of whom was a Mr. Freeman), five citizens and four soldiers battled more than one hundred Indians. The fight took place not more than three miles from the Skull Valley Station. Apparently the Indians were those who had stopped the same party from proceeding on its way on the first day
of the month, forcing them to return to Camp McPherson, as the Skull Valley Station was called. A private citizen rode back to the post for help when the Indians appeared. He returned accompanied by Lt. Oscar Hutton, who demanded to know why the Indians had stopped the train. The Indians replied, as they had once before, that the water, the grass, and the country belonged to them and that all whites must leave the Valley within the week. After sharp words on both sides, the battle was joined. When the bloody
conflict ended, twenty-three Indians lay dead in the immediate vicinity and several more were found at some distance from the battleground. These too were left where they fell."
(Byrd H. Granger, Will C. Barnes' Arizona Place Names, 5th Printing, 1975)
Visitor # Since 01/06/08
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