28 December 2018 THE WEAVER MOUNTAINS IN THE HEART OF THE WEAVER MOUNTAINS of southwest rural Yavapai County, Arizona you’ll find the communities of Glen Ilah, Yarnell and Peeples Valley. To enjoy this charmingly different face of Arizona take the drive on Arizona’s Scenic State Route 89 (SR 89) from Wickenburg to Prescott. From the junction of County 71 and SR 89 in Congress, AZ, at a 3,000 ft. elevation, the road climbs up Yarnell Hill on SR 89, a 2-lane divided road, rising some 2,500 feet in elevation over 9 miles. The views of the valley below and Wickenburg beyond, become more impressive as the temperature becomes cooler and the air fresher. At the top of the Hill, nearly 5,000 ft. in elevation, the road curves to the left where the residential area of Glen Ilah comes into view. On the right, you’ll find the historic Ranch House Restaurant and Pete the Miner’s Gallery of massive rock and metal sculptures. The Glen Ilah area, having been open range until the early 1900’s, was homesteaded into the 1920’s and the area is said to have been named for ‘Ilha’, the daughter of a Phoenix building contractor who had bought the land there. The residential area is known for its quiet calm, slow pace, friendly neighbors and charming and unique homes nestled in the trees and boulders. Continuing your drive into Yarnell on SR 89, the speed limit drops to 35mph and the elevation drops slightly to an average of 4,500 ft. Homes hug the slopes of Antelope Peak and lower hills east of the highway. Homes of old town Yarnell are situated on the gently sloping ground to the west. Yarnell is vibrant with community activities too - from the American Legion Post 79 located on Lookaway on the southeast side of town to the world- renown Shrine of St. Joseph of the Mountains on the west end of Shrine Road to the Yarnell Regional Community Center & Thrift Store across from the Library on the northwest end of town. Between you’ll find churches and ‘mom and pop’ shops, service providers and eateries. Thursdays through Sundays are a great time to stop for a walkabout and shop for the unexpected and unusual. Yarnell has a history all its own. In 1892 a post office was established on the stage road intended for the few residents in the area at the time. Then in 1893, Harrison Yarnell struck gold on one of the peaks to the south of Antelope Peak. He sold his homesteading rights to finance the heavy equipment needed to extract the gold from the hard rock boulders. Three miles further north of Yarnell, the terrain opens up into the pastoral area of Peeples Valley. The Weaver Mountains range here runs on the east and west side of the valley some 12 miles across at its widest point, with Weaver Peak, the highest peak in the range, at nearly a 5,800-foot elevation and Rocky Boy Peak to the west. Driving through Peeples Valley you’ll find services and eateries lining the highway with ranch lands stretching beyond. Most of the residential area is on the west of the Valley with the historic Genung Cemetery and the Old Schoolhouse on the east of SR 89. It was in 1863 that Abraham Harlow Peeples led a group of prospectors from California as the gold rush there began to pan out. Mountain man, Pauline Weaver joined the group at Yuma. Weaver had been a trapper and had known of rock formations suggestive of gold. Weaver became the guide of the party. While heading to the ‘flat-topped peak’ a herd of antelope is said to have crossed the party’s path in a ravine with a stream. They named the stream Antelope Creek and the flat top became Antelope Peak. Arizona’s Scenic State Route 89 is a leg on the historic trans-continental, border to border US 89 so continuing north you’ll find yourself heading to Prescott. There are two ways into Prescott. One is to stay on SR 89 through By Wendy Fostiak-Amos, Designated Broker Visiting The Heart Of The Weaver Mountains