b"By Bob Roloff,The Arizona DuuudeI Henry died at his home from pneumonia. have always loved my road trips around rural Arizona. After serving in the Navy from 1961 toHenry and Annie's son, also named 1964 and returning to Arizona in the mid 60's IHenry married Rose Beluzzi of Payson on began taking road trips to some well-known placesChristmas day in 1910 and they made their in Arizona like Tombstone, Jerome, and Oatman, arehome in Jake's Corner, running the family three of my early favorites. While visiting these oldhomestead. They lived in a simple primitive historic sites, I would always try to find some localshome near the spring on the hill aboveLeAnne, with a that knew a little history of the area. I often wouldHardt Creek. Eventually, the Hardt's left the fondness for all find many stories about what once was a thrivinghomestead for good and moved to Payson wherecommunity. Revisiting some of these places has alwaysthey lived in an old house on Main Street which things historical, been a joy to me. Jake's Corner is one of those places. was said to also have been a stage stop years prior. shares her In 1923, Annie moved with her children to research she has Last year I started going back to Tonto Basin, afterChandler where she died in 1939. In 1924 George done for her book doing a couple of stories about Frank and Tami Kelly,and Gerda Felton bought the old Hardt homestead,about Jake's rodeo stars from that area. That rekindled my interest,about 60 acres, and built the very first store/bar/gas especially after my nephew Jim Dremler and wifestation. George Felton was the Gila County Corner.Patti bought a home there. Now its a regular trip forversion of Texas' Pecos Bill, me to deliverArizona Real Country Magazineto Jake'sand it was said that he could Corner Store, and the Butcher Hook Restaurant,ride any bucking horse that along with a couple of other stops. I always enjoyever touched the sky with visiting with Sheila the owner-operator of Jake'sease. He held a job at the Corner Store. Sheila is a real history buff which ledpowerhouse at Roosevelt Dam, me to LeAnne Moore, who has been doing researchand also toured with CharlieThe Arizona Duuude for a book on the history of Jake's Corner. LeAnneMeadows (Arizona Charlie) mentioned that she has always had a fondness forin Australia in a Wild Westwith Sheila, real history the history of anything. When she moved to Jake'sshow for a while. That leftbuff and current Corner six years ago she started researching and said,Gerda and her son Lou to runowner-operator of I knew that the Hardts had homesteaded it long ago.the store back in Jake's CornerJake's Corner Store.Billy Hardt owns a body shop here in Payson. Billy iswhich was then called Felton's. a great-grandson of Henry Hardt so I started askingGeorge died in 1938, and about Billy about the history. He knew quite a bit, but nottwo years later, Gerda sold the everything. I got all the information I could from Billyplace to Polly Brown. In turn, and some other Hardt relatives. LeAnne continuedPolly sold it to Jake and Nina looking for any written history about Jake's Corner.Stephenson and that is when the She couldnt find any books, so she decided to put onename was permanently changed together herself. She found books on the surroundingto Jake's Corner.places but not specifically Jake's Corner.In the 1960s, the old homestead was subdivided for Here is some of the history of Jakes Corner thathomes. In 1985 the Jake's Corner Convenience Store LeAnne has found out so far. In 1881 Heinrichwas built a few yards from the bar, and the trailer park Fredrick Christian Hardt and his wife Annie Harerwas added. The bar still stands in the same location Hardt made their way from Ft. McDowell whereit has since 1924. LeAnne says it took her nearly four they had been farming to the Greenback Valley ofyears to track down a Felton family member. Mary Tonto Basin where Annie's parents lived. Heinrich,Gerda Felton Morrow came down for a visit and better known as Henry, scouted out a spot for himthey went for a horseback ride around the old family and his family to settle down and discovered the lushhomestead. Tom Connally related that his dad Pete beautiful area of Mud Springs (now known as Jake'sConnally ran the bar sometime in the seventies and Corner). Henry and Annie had eight children, allhe said that in those trees around the trailer park born in her mother's home except for Susan Jane whowere where the Hardt's and Felton's used to keep their was born in Ft. McDowell. The Hardts raised cattle,horses. He said if you go look at some of those trees farmed, had a mining claim and also accommodatedyou can still see where some of the barbed wire was travelers as a stage stop on the Globe to Payson route.wrapped around it and the tree had grown over it. That Annie cooked meals for travelers and sold fruits andbig dead tree on the south side of the bar was there vegetables from her garden alongside the road. Thewhen they built it. Tom Connally still lives there today.Jakes Corner StoreHardt children attended the Rye school and whenIn 2008 Jake's Corner was used as the main location old enough, eventually made the trip to Payson onfor a movie titledJake's Cornerthat was directed and57510 N AZ HWY 188horseback to attend dances. Henry suffered so badlywritten by Jeff Santo and starred Richard Tyson, DianePayson, AZ 85541from arthritis in the later years that he had to be liftedLadd, Danny Trejo, and B. J. Thomas. It is the fictional on and off of his horse and relied on a wheelchairstory of an ex-football star who moves far from the928-474-4675to get around. In 1898, the year of the big snow,spotlight after a family tragedy. 10 May 2022"