Historical land occupance of the upper San Pedro River Valley since 1870

Abstract

This study traces the sequence of occupation of the land of the Upper San Pedro River Valley from its beginnings with the discovery and exploitation of its mineral resources through the exploitation of the free open range to eventual necessity to own or lease all grazing lands used. It concludes with a description of the development of small tract suburban residential occupation of significant magnitude since establishment of a payroll source at Fort Huachuca in 1954 and later the growth of popularity for suburban retirement living in Arizona. Concurrent with consideration of the sequence of occupation in the area, the consequences of denudation of the mountain woodlands for fuel prior to 1900 and the disturbance of vegetation and soil of the grasslands due to continuous uncontrolled overgrazing until 1930 is described and discussed. The study concludes that the changes to the landscape of the area since 1870 were directly due to the occupation and use of the land. Denudation of the mountain woodlands and severe disturbance of the grasslands caused significant change to the drainage and moisture content of the soil leading to an invasion of desert shrub into what was once a grass dominated landscape.