Desert Station | |
|---|---|
  Desert Station Location in the state ofArizona | |
| Coordinates:33°04′00″N112°21′31″W / 33.06667°N 112.35861°W /33.06667; -112.35861 | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Arizona |
| County | Maricopa County |
| Elevation [1]: 130 | 1,341 ft (409 m) |
| Population | |
• Total | 0 |
| Time zone | UTC-7 (MST (noDST)) |
Desert Station is a historiclocale, the site of a later station of theButterfield Overland Mail, in what is nowMaricopa County, Arizona.
Desert Station, established in 1859, was 21.82 miles (35.12 km) east ofGila Ranch Station throughPima Pass, amidst theFortymile Desert in the great bend of theGila River, onWest Prong Waterman Wash.[2] It lay 18.57 miles (29.89 km) west ofMaricopa Wells Station.[3]: 1056 Desert Station had its own well.[4] Two tanks were established on the route, one between Desert Station and Gila Ranch and another between Desert Station and Maricopa Wells station to water the horses as they crossed the desert. The two riverside stations were tasked to carry water to supply the tank nearest them.[1]: 128–32
In March 1861, the Butterfield line shut down, but during theAmerican Civil War, Desert Station's remained a stop for freighters and passing travelers coming into the New Mexico Territory from the riverport ofArizona City on theColorado River. It also saw the passage of the troops of theConfederate Army that briefly passed through to the west and then fell back before the advance of theCalifornia Column of theUnion Army that invadedConfederate Arizona and occupiedNew Mexico Territory in 1862.