Wickenburg Arizona

Biography of Henry Wickenburg

Henry Wickenburg, born in Austria in 1820, migrated to the United States, reaching Arizona in 1862. After working at Fort Yuma and traveling to La Paz, he pursued a group of explorers to Peeples Valley, where they discovered gold near Turkey Creek. Wickenburg then located the significant Vulture Mine and faced legal battles over its ownership. By 1864, he established a camp in what is now Wickenburg, developing ore processing methods and facilitating multiple milling operations by 1866, substantially contributing to the region’s mining industry.

Biographical Sketch of James Cusenberry

James Cusenberry was instrumental in the establishment of the twenty stamp mill and later expanded it with additional stamps. Following his management, Sexton mismanaged the mill, leading to significant debt and eventual closure. The ten stamp mill originally owned by Smith and others was relocated to access wood and later sold to James Seymour, who hired Cusenberry for oversight. Cusenberry initiated plans for an eighty stamp mill, which significantly increased production, with estimates of gold extracted from the Vulture Mine reaching up to ten million dollars.