Cañada Del Oro

Missing Marker image. Click for full size.

1. Missing Marker

Inscription. For early travelers the road through this canyon was one of the most dangerous in Arizona. Indians attacked lone riders and wagon trains along this route from Tucson to Old Camp Grant on the San Pedro River. Despite the canyon's name, very little gold was ever found here.

Source: Historical Markers within the Arizona Department of Transportation Right of Way. Prepared by: Roadside Development Section, April 1, 1997

Erected by Arizona Development Board, Arizona Highway Department.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Roads & Vehicles. A significant historical date for this entry is April 1, 1869.

Location. Marker is missing. It was located near 32° 24.585′ N, 110° 56.546′ W. Marker was in Oro Valley, Arizona, in Pima County. It was on Arizona Route 77 at milepost 80, on the right when traveling south. Touch for map. Marker was in this post office area: Tucson AZ 85737, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker was in Arizona’s Sky Islands,

in the Sonoran Desert,

in the Phoenix Metropolitan Area,

and specifically in the Tucson Metro Metropolitan Area.

It was also in the American Southwest.

Globally, it was in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it found itself in what was once New Spain

and also the Gadsden Purchase.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 11 miles of this location, measured as the crow flies: The Tucson Tragedy (approx. 5.4 miles away); Tucson (approx. 5.9 miles away); DeGrazia Gallery In the Sun (approx. 6.8 miles away); Rillito Race Track

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(approx. 8.4 miles away); St. Philip's in the Hills (approx. 8.4 miles away); Lemmon Rock Lookout Tower (approx. 9.1 miles away); The Settlers of Binghampton, Arizona (approx. 9.8 miles away); The Tucson Plant Materials Center (approx. 10.6 miles away).

Additional commentary.
1. Cañada Del Oro
The first mention of this name, which is an old one, is in reports by Capt. C.R. Sellman of his military operation from June to November 1862. The canyon, which was part of the route from old Fort Grant to Tucson, was the scene of many Apache encounters. Typical was the attack by three hundred Apaches on a Tully and Ochoa wagon train on May 10, 1872. Five men were killed, seven wounded, the wagons were burned and all the mules taken. Apaches were very fond of roasted mule meat. Of futher interest is the fact that in 1877 Hiram C. Hodges reported finding rich placer gold deposits and that he had found evidence of mining for gold years before American occupation. That fact probably led to naming this canyon Gold Canyon on the 1879 Willcox map of Arizona Territory. (Source: Arizona's Names (X Marks the Place), by Byrd Howell Granger (1983), p. 113.)

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2. Cañada Del Oro Marker
Submitted November 1, 2011, by Bill Kirchner of Tucson, Arizona.

AZ-77 at Milepost 80 image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Bill Kirchner, October 22, 2011

3. AZ-77 at Milepost 80

View south where marker was located.

Photographed by Bill Kirchner, October 22, 2011

4. AZ-77 at Milepost 80

View north on AZ-77 at marker location.

Credits. This page was last revised on June 16, 2016. It was originally submitted on October 31, 2011, by Bill Kirchner of Tucson, Arizona. This page has been viewed 1,666 times since then and 54 times this year. Photos: 1. submitted on October 31, 2011, by Bill Kirchner of Tucson, Arizona. 2. submitted on November 23, 2011, by Bill Kirchner of Tucson, Arizona. 3, 4. submitted on October 31, 2011, by Bill Kirchner of Tucson, Arizona. • Syd Whittle was the editor who published this page.