To call Mr. St. John tough is a major understatement. Living to 84 alone around the turn of the century was a feat. Let alone for someone who went through the hell he did. That man was a BEAST!

@larrybarnett5799

2 ай бұрын

his knuckles probably dragged on the floor . to live through that.

Beautifully done, Steve. I love your choice of lesser-known locations to explore. Your narration and editing are outstanding, and I always learn a lot. Thanks so much!

@SidetrackAdventures

5 ай бұрын

Thank you, I appreciate it.

@stormrider9831

5 ай бұрын

Excellent job Steve. I have ridden the trails throughout that area. Your presentation is far superior to the accounts by historians like Marshal Trimble. You provide the facts in story form. The way history should be taught. First rode that area horseback in the early 90s. I am not a fan of the USFS but they seem to have done a nice job with signage. We are still dealing with Mexican criminals. See to your weapons and stand to your horses, Storm Rough Country Horses Arizona Territory

@1nvisible1

4 ай бұрын

*Love the picture @**8:22** of what it originally looked like* *Construction appears similar to stacked stone that the Indians would build.* *Dragoons were Spanish mounted soldiers that first came to this area two hundred years earlier.*

@cmarion1544

Ай бұрын

I agree. Your videos are always so interesting and beautifully presented!

I'm a 63 year old native Arizonan. This is the first time I've heard this story. Thank you.

@liberty8424

2 ай бұрын

I'm a little older & I haven't heard this either.

Very good video sir. My father in law and his sons ran cattle not to far from there back in the 40’s and early 50’s. He told me stories of cowboying that country that made your hair stand on end. Times have certainly changed from the days when he would take his 12 & 11 year old sons out there and leave them for a month or more on their own with a wagon, some food and water and a few head of horses to tend and gather their cattle. I don’t think many of us would have survived. My brother in law still cowboys on his ranch to this day. I really look up to him and miss my father in law.

@susanmcnabb2551

5 ай бұрын

Would love to hear those stories

@bongomakers

3 ай бұрын

Ray, I think maybe I met you in 2007 during a ride on the Butterfield stage route to Ft Bowie. Early during the day the clouds rolled in with stinging blowing rain. You loaned us heavy shirts which made the ride bearable. If that was you, a belated thank you!!

@raytribble8075

3 ай бұрын

@@bongomakers no sir that was not me… but had it been, I would have loaned you whatever you needed.

@dcongdon2294

2 ай бұрын

We`ve made ouir kids pussys.We`ve ruined our black men taking their families away from them.Made them bitter.That has to stop.

Hello Sir, I live in Benson, 15 minutes from where you are in this video. I grew up hiking, hunting and camping all over those mountains. There is so much history up there and in this valley, most of which you can easily access. There is everything from the Indian wars, the Earp days all the way to Clovis people and petrified mammoth tracks. I can lead you to petroglyphs and ruins and so many sites you could have years worth of content. I would be happy to point out some locations if you are interested. Thanks for the great video.

@dc-gb2zx

4 ай бұрын

That's great let's meet by that wall in 10 minutes

@terriclark4255

4 ай бұрын

Can u take my husband tom? We're in wilcox

@terriclark4255

4 ай бұрын

I'm serious. Hed love it. Retired and bored. His great uncle owned the mercantile in pearce

@sylviamaresca8852

3 ай бұрын

Live in Benson,too. Been there. Quiet and peaceful. The war is over for them, let them rest in peace.

@samsoninthepit

2 ай бұрын

@@CoDisFactSearchwaaaaaaaaaaa

That last structure on the way to the spring possibly could have been a spring house, where water was diverted and allowed to collect in a pool and sheltered from the elements.

@georgevanaken925

5 ай бұрын

👍 Gotta keep that donkey milk cool!

@earndoggy

5 ай бұрын

@@georgevanaken925 😂

@waltCW3ret

5 ай бұрын

That structure seems to be what is left of a retaining wall that likely spanned the wash below the spring. It would have dammed up and collected water year-round, and overflowed during seasonal monsoon rains, typically July through September each year. There is a similar structure on the eastern side of the trail up to the top of Cochise Stronghold in the Dragoon Mountains, shown as a backdrop in much of this video. Great video!!! 😄

@darrellfarley1869

5 ай бұрын

The structure by the mine shaft was probably a smelter to process ore.

@ryanm4013

4 ай бұрын

@@darrellfarley1869That’s my assumption as well.

I am a European (Dutch) and I,m absolutely mesmerized. Of course I saw western movies, but these films did not give me the right idea of the correct landscape.This is totally different of what I had in mind. Also people settling and living and facing all the dangers in this remote areas is stunning. Thank you Steve.

I live in Northern Ireland and would love to have been able to visit places like this. Plus definitely would have loved to see Cochises grave but at least he can rest in peace. Loved your narration of this story.

@sylviamaresca8852

3 ай бұрын

Native Americans were not buried in graves by their people, the bodies were wrapped in blankets and placed in trees. Their horses were killed nearby.

@michaelbryant2071

2 ай бұрын

Don't come in summer. Heat is brutal.

I'm a Warm Springs Chiricahua Apache that is a direct descendant of Warm Springs Chiricahua Apache chief's Victorio, Mangas Coloradas, and Loco and I am also a direct descendant of Chiricahua Apache US Scouts Charles Martine Sr and Paul Guydelkon Sr. I need to visit this place when I go through that area to Tucson. I live in New Mexico on an Apache reservation.

@Goyahkla6772

2 ай бұрын

Mescalero?

@ewellfossum

2 ай бұрын

@@Goyahkla6772 Au

@Goyahkla6772

Ай бұрын

@@ewellfossum right on that’s cool. I’m Lipan Apache but live on the Navajo rez

@ewellfossum

Ай бұрын

@Goyahkla6772 okay, I'm a Mescalero Apache tribal member but I have no Mescalero blood, my mother is one of a few full blood Warm Springs Chiricahua Apache left. My dad was Menominee, Badriver Ojibwe and Norwegian from Wisconsin, that's why I have a Norse name.

@blueshawll

Ай бұрын

Deep respect to your ancestors. They truly were amazing people.

The structure you pointed out at 12:30 is a basin for collecting gold during high water runoff. I’ve seen similar walls built in Mexico that prospectors built to capture gold carried by storm runoff.

@richardstone3473

3 ай бұрын

That is more probable than my suggestion that it is the remains of a small shot/blast shelter

I would contact the State of AZ Mines Department to see if that mine shaft is registered. There could be more information provided for that area you explored. If anything, the State Mines Department could note the area and put up signs announcing danger in and around this potential abandoned mine. Abandoned and unregistered mines in the AZ can bring injury and fatalities to unsuspecting explorers. Excellent video and story provided. You continue to do and provide great insight to our historic and iconic American Southwest. Thank you again.

@bluelionsage99

5 ай бұрын

I doubt there are many people tromping around that area - but that mine shaft was not well marked or protected from accidental falls.

@SidetrackAdventures

5 ай бұрын

There is a wire fence around it. Its somewhat hidden by the brush but you can see it in the video. If not for that though, someone could easily fall in.

@bluelionsage99

5 ай бұрын

Ah, I did not notice a fence in the video.@@SidetrackAdventures

@user-zp7jp1vk2i

5 ай бұрын

@@SidetrackAdventures when you positioned your phone I thought I saw water at the bottom???! which would not be surprising. in desert areas if you watch for bird action you'll often find a crevice or shaft with water running several feet down.

@RaoulThomas007

5 ай бұрын

There are excellent mining books online that generally describe the mine, what was mined and years of mining operations.

Steve you are the best teacher of western history and you don't make it boring like books. Thank you!

Wow, what a gruesome story. Thanks for all the effort you put into this.

@SidetrackAdventures

5 ай бұрын

Yeah, not exactly a holiday tale. Bad timing on my part!

@boossersgarage3239

5 ай бұрын

perfect timing IMO@@SidetrackAdventures

@wmjohns881

5 ай бұрын

As I mentioned previously Steve is so easy to understand. I don’t have to filter thru heavy accents nor rapidity of speech.

@ConnieWojahn

5 ай бұрын

So much of the American Southwest story is gruesome. Hard times, hard life, hard people. Survival was difficult. Desert, no water, very little vegetation for livestock, hot, glaring sun. Mining about the only income and in most cases, that ran out.

@ScottDLR

5 ай бұрын

@@SidetrackAdventures Not at all, Steve. It's all good!

If my Dad was still with us you would be his number one fan,he loved the south west and traveled off the beaten path every chance he got,I think of him every time I watch one of your videos,thanks for all your efforts🤗😎🤗😎

Good job and a story well told. 50 miles northwest of Tucson on I-10 is Picacho Peak the site of the western most battle in the Civil War. That occurred April 15th. 1862. I had an ancestor that killed the last Earp in Arizona in a gunfight on July 6th, 1900, in Wilcox, AZ. just east on I-10 from Dragoon Springs. Warren Earp was the youngest brother of Wyatt, Virgil et. all. He didn't take part in the gunfight at Tombstone but did take part in the "Vendetta ride" afterwards.

As a person whose father dragged us all over The West in the 1960s with his radar technician turned space shuttle comms engineer job assignments, 4 kids, a hunting dog and a wife, my little brother was born at Ft Huachuca we lived for a short time in Tombstone and me, as an adult driving I10 countless times across the West for decades and living in Tucson and beyond, stopping at the Dragoon Springs rest area around 2006 during a complete downpour, and camping in extreme cold in 2018 at Benson, you just never know what happened just right down the road until savvy people like you dig deeper and brave the elements and danger to give us these history stories, also my dad's ancestors were Mormons who settled in Willcox, Snowflake, Oaxaca, Missouri and Provo Utah, so all of this makes me want so badly to get out there and see this places you are showing us in this video and others. I feel so connected, misconnected to the history and my 6 grandkids grew up in Atlanta under their mother's thumb so they really have no clue as to half of their background. Thank you so much!

@riverraisin1

3 ай бұрын

You are lucky your father dragged you around the west in the '60's. Much of what was around back then has been destroyed by nature and modern society.

I've been there twice in the last few years. You did some good research to tell the story. Some of the hike towards the actual spring is taxing and I had to stop to catch my breath. You did a great job of eliminating the sounds of walking, the wind and breathing hard. Very nice presentation. Thank you.

Hello! Many of your recent videos have connected strongly with me. I am from El Paso, TX and my dad is from Douglas, AZ. My parents used to go to see each other over the South Line of the SPRR. My great grandmother's first husband was J.W. Walton who was a victim of the Raid in Columbus, NM. Also, I lived in San Diego from 1970 to 1994. I spent a lot of time in Las Cruces and Deming, NM. I have lived in Tucson since 1994 and have been all over Cochise, Co. AZ and know of many of the sites you have visited. Your channel is nice, informative, warm and meaningful. Thanks.

Being an Arizona native I love this history lesson! Great job of telling the story!

Great post! Your narration is excellent, the phrasing is perfect, with great pauses for emphasis! Your channel is on another level compared to 99% of YT posts! Thanks!

@SidetrackAdventures

5 ай бұрын

Wow, thank you!

Thanks for covering this. The Civil War and related parallel conflicts involving the Apache are an interesting yet highly obscure topic. Thanks as an Arizona resident.

Another excellent video. I had never heard of this. As a former San Diego native recently relocated to Arizona, im really enjoying these Arizona videos you are doing.

@SidetrackAdventures

5 ай бұрын

Thank you.

Excellent presentation. You provided a very nice glimpse of 19th century history in situ. Excellent visual effects. Thank you

Awesome!!! Arizona is filled with stories. Some may never be told. Many times I’ve run across structures in the desert made of rocks (probably because no lumber was available) and always wondered what their story was.

Appreciating these historical tours. Well done.

Very formidable terrain and an interesting history lesson, thanks!

Dang Steve, you're really good at this. Thanks for sharing as always!

Fascinating Steve, I've just visited the South West so it's fascinating to learn more about the area. From South Africa.

Great narration and camera work. Have lived within 30 miles of this location 75 years of my life. Beautiful desert views. My compliments on the research and all the work put into this excellent video. Certainly to be shared with others..

@smsmoof8128

3 ай бұрын

Know comedian Doug Stanhope?

@bisbeekid

3 ай бұрын

@@smsmoof8128 I certainly recognize the name, but don't personally know Doug. Will keep in mind, if there is ever the opportunity to meet him.

@smsmoof8128

3 ай бұрын

@@bisbeekid only ask because he lives in Bisbee, and talks about the town in his podcast and a bit on his standup

@bisbeekid

3 ай бұрын

@@smsmoof8128 Will check it out. I was born in Bisbee, but have lived about 25 mi from there for the past 50 years. Bisbee is great!! Thx.

Great video! I love seeing and hearing about these old US historical sites from up close!!! Since I cant get out to them much anymore, this is the next best thing! Makes me want to get back out and do some metal detecting again.

Thanks Steve for another great history lesson from a bygone era! Keep them coming please!

another banner show Steve . i shunned history as a kid but now… i love it .. thank you again for taking the time to make such great stories.. Merry Christmas 2023😎

@SidetrackAdventures

5 ай бұрын

Merry Christmas to you too!

Thank you for bringing all this history to us.

@SidetrackAdventures

5 ай бұрын

Our pleasure!

@belfastlad55

4 ай бұрын

Very interesting

Bravo! Thanks Steve for another great tale and superbly produced video!

This was wonderful! Beautifully narrated and produced. I recall enjoyed watching it. Thank you!

Your videos just keep getting better and better. Thank you Steve!

Great storytelling as always! Man, gotta ask... how do you find all the time to travel so far from home regularly? 😅 Truly impressive!

@SidetrackAdventures

5 ай бұрын

In this situation, my wife wanted to go to the Billy Joel and Stevie Nicks concert in Phoenix, and I thought if we are going to Arizona, surely we have time to stop by the Dragoon Springs Station... Most of the time its just fitting in things around work and school schedule.

@Star_sweeper

5 ай бұрын

Hey, we were at the same concert!

@CarsandCats

5 ай бұрын

Aha! I knew you were a teacher! :) @@SidetrackAdventures

@steveludwig4200

5 ай бұрын

@@SidetrackAdventures I would rather spend a month exploring the cool stuff you do than spend 5 minutes watching/listening to those old has beens....LOL

@wakranich3488

4 ай бұрын

@@steveludwig4200 Well Steve someday You'll be a "has been" or dead..

Steve you do such a wonderful job! The quality of your narratives and the videos are 2nd to none. Thanks for all the hard work and the editing that we are the recipients of. Great subject matter too.

@SidetrackAdventures

5 ай бұрын

Thanks!

Say brother, have been watching your videos for a while now and have become a huge fan. At a time in our country when things seem on fire, you are providing a respite and shift to a far more interesting era in America. You’re doing a great job, please keep producing these great videos.

I recently found your channel and really enjoy the videos about small, out of the way historical events in the southwest. They are helping me create a list of battle sites to visit when I travel to the southwest. Keep up the great work!

@SidetrackAdventures

5 ай бұрын

Glad you like them!

thanks Steve for another awesome adventure. You uncover obscure history that I have never heard of. Would love to visit there sometime.

@paulstark6818

4 ай бұрын

Bliley what a sad and wonderful story Steve St John must have been blessed with something we do not know about it have been a privilege to have known him you sure know how to do a story it is a real treat to watch them a big thank you from a bloke who loves history I Am down under Australia Rural NSW best wishes to you and crew ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤

Outstanding work, loved the historical detail. Very professionally done, thank you!

Steve is always bringing us the best informative and historical videos. I can't thank you enough.

Great video Steve, thanks for all your research and travel to make these possible!!

Hey Steve, thanks for bringing these stories to light.

Thanks! What an awesome tour into a forgotten piece of history except to a few. Enjoyed the tour very much and look forward to more. 😊

Excellent storytelling and accompanying video that makes this history so tangible. Keep up the good work!

i live in Hereford, The history here. all over the county, makes it awesome to live here...never run out of places to explore

Enjoyed the video, Steve. I love learning about little known events in history, and the people who were involved, and their lives.👍

I look forward to your videos every week... they're always interesting and give me ideas for future excursions... a glimpse into sites and worlds I wasn't aware of. Thanks and keep up the great work!

Good stuff! I’m a historian for The Ohio State University and I certainly never think “Arizona” when I think of the Civil War. You stated that the soldiers were taking prisoners to Texas but where were they taking them FROM? Very interesting video. I’ve been to Skeleton Canyon, where Geronimo formally surrendered, but I hadn’t even heard of the action at Dragoon Springs. Thanks for sharing your journey with us! Keep your powder dry. 🫡 Semper Fi

Thanks Steve for sharing yet another “ Off the beaten path location” & providing the history lesson along with it in your usual no nonsense & no filler material fashion. Really appreciate your time & efforts involved in doing what you do. I personally have traveled a good portion of the old “ Butterfield stage “ trail here in our own backyard out in Anza Borrego & have to say that trail & stage run was no joke !! Those early pioneers & travelers had more moxie & stamina than anyone around here these days , that’s for sure !! I enjoy visiting places like Vallicito Stage station & the Box Canyon narrows where the Mormon battalion cut that swath with pickaxes through hard stone & had to partially dismantle a wagon or two and drag them up & over what looked to be a dry waterfall & then re-assemble the wagons to continue on ….. Just imagine doing something like that today with a Tesla 😏😆. Anyway glad to see those flags flying at the sites in your video here & paying respect to those whose lives ended there . Carry on With your travels & mini documentary’s , & Merry Christmas & a Happy 2024 to you & yours 😊😎👍

@SidetrackAdventures

5 ай бұрын

Yeah, the Butterfield was no easy road, especially considering they ran day and night. I can't imagine some of the trails the stage was on at night.

I enjoyed your video . I love the history of actual events like this . Thanks for sharing 👍

Like all the others, thank you for taking us along to these places where people lived their lives and left their legacy

Another nice adventure. Thank you for the time you take to put these videos together. 👍🏻

Thank you for this presentation, which was fascination to watch. I'll be looking for more of your work.

Another outstanding and informative episode! Thanks so much Steve for showing me some place I will probably never get to visit!

Steve, Thank you for enlightening us. My family used to live in Tucson and one way of coming into town was through the Dragoon Mountains (Foothills?) I always felt that something had taken place there, so Thankyou for filling in the storyline!

Your story-telling and technical abilities are really improving. Nice work!

One of the better ones i have listened to or read, if not the best... I have been wanting to go exploring in a lot areas like this.

Excellent video. Your presentation was very well done. Thank you.

Another fascinating episode. Thanks again, Steve!

I really appreciate your use of drone footage it really gives a sense of how isolated and small that fortification was.

Thanks Steve. Great job. I'm gonna head there as soon as the weather settles. Just found you. Looking forward to seeing more. I'm always looking for remote historical sites to visit. Thanks again!

Excellent job, thanks for brining us along on you trip.

Thanks Steve - I found this fascinating to both see and hear. As a Limey, I grew up on TV westerns of the 50's and 60's, then realised that some of the characters in them were based on real people. And, once, many years ago, I had a copy of Western Treasures magazine. Thos tv stories weren't all as tall as they seemed.......

Great story. Loved this trip through time. Keep it up.

Really nicely done. Your camera work and narration are very good. I just stumbled on your site and will look for more. Thank you for your diligent historical work.

Just a thought about the mystery rock ledge. It may be the site where another small spring seeped from the rocks and the bottom was scraped out, forming a basin to catch more water. I have seen several sites like this in dry country, some with the water still seeping. A larger example can be found on the back trail to Old Fort Bowie, not far away. This was a beautiful video of the historical Dragoon Springs, of which I have also visited and was awed by. Nice job.

I wanted to visit the site last October 2023 but we ran out of time. Did make it to flagstaff, Oatman, Jerome, Tombstone, Busby and a couple smaller sites. I have a half brother in Kingman.

Steve. Your videos just keep getting better. Thanks for these informative journeys. I'm watching from Indonesia in semi-retirement planning my next move. Thank you and Merry Christmas.

I enjoyed this, usually I find American documentaries overblown and full of hyperbole, but your was measured, informative and well narrated. I will certainly watch more. I have been to the US on many occasions but always on business so I never got to explore much, one or two civil war sites, and one memorable drive from San Diego to Las Vegas through the desert, that's about it. At least I can see stuff via your site, so thanks Buddy.

The best historian on KZread! Thank you so much for your hard work.

I find your content to be a pleasure to watch. Interesting historical locations that I will probably never visit and your presentation is interesting and calming. I’ve come across some videos in the past but I’m subscribing now. Thanks for what you do.

Can't wait for your next video. You have one of the best channels. Thanks, and Merry Christmas!

What great way for me to enjoy a cold winter night.Thank you.

Great story as always…and so remote. All those people that lived back then were a hearty breed!

Enjoyed the historical stories and video bringing history to life. Great drone photography of the sites.

Thanks Steve for your sidetrack Videos. Greetings from San Diego.

Thank you for another great history lesson. Your the best Steve.

Wow, Steve! I really enjoy your off the beaten path travels! This one was a little gruesome! Have a great holiday!

Love, love, love your adventures. My whole family looks forward to them each week. You do such an amazing job of bringing a dirt road and some rock to life with your detailed story telling. Hugh Hauser would be proud. Thank you for a wonderful year of adventures into the past. Wishing you, your lovely wife and adorable son a very merry Christmas, and a joyous New Year.

@noelfoley7359

5 ай бұрын

Huell Howser.

@sharonwestbury7137

5 ай бұрын

@@noelfoley7359 Thank you so much, for taking the time out of your day to correct my mistake in the spelling of Mr. Howser's name.

@noelfoley7359

5 ай бұрын

@@sharonwestbury7137 You're quite welcome! Just in case anyone wanted to look him up.

Thanks Steve, another great video/story. Merry Christmas!

another good history lesson.... Steve, you have a way about you that is always enjoyable. and this episode is in my backyard.... so extra fun

Love your posts. You do a great job. Thank you for sharing places that I've never heard about and probably wouldn't without your efforts. Thank you for your research.

@SidetrackAdventures

5 ай бұрын

Glad you like them!

Your videos are so interesting! Great job! Thank you!

I'm going to be so sad when I finish watching all your old videos as I am a new viewer this year! Yeah, they're that good!

Great video as always Steve. Merry Christmas to you and your family.

What a great video. Thanks for sharing so much history! I really enjoy your videos

Hello from Minnesota. Great videos brother. Keep em coming 👍👍👍👍

The only time I went to Tombstone since I've read about the stories of the Shootout was to see the desert and the old buildings that are still left. I also had to go see Cochise's Stronghold which I truly enjoyed. Thanks Steve for the great videos.

@SidetrackAdventures

5 ай бұрын

I plan on getting to the Cochise Stronghold area soon. I thought about doing it on this trip, but had another place I wanted to visit (that I ended up not being able to get to...). Hopefully soon.

@paulas_lens

5 ай бұрын

If you are a camper, stay on the dispersed camp spots that are before the official campground area. The official paid spots are *very* tightly packed together.

You have a perfect voice for narration!! Great story!! Nice work!!

Great video of the historical events that occurred in Dragoon. Thanks!

Nice video! In travelling through that area, I always stop at Johnson Rd. Was there last week and going to explore more soon! Thanks for this great information!

Another great story. So many of these places were near my travels but I didn't know they existed!

Fantastic job Steve. Thank you!

Really well done, Steve! A complete story. Glad one of the fellows survived in what was a very dangerous place and time. I read a collection of early (1950s-1960s) western stories by Elmore Leonard, many of which feature Apache conflicts. Very rarely did more than a few people survive, though it's interesting how the short stories differ from the films inspired by them. The 3:10 to Yuma is one. Happy Holidays to you and your brave family. I so enjoy your jaunts. Cheers!

We really enjoyed this video. Thank you Steve.

Good to hear. Thank you much and happy holidays to you and yours. Adonai❤

Another awesome video Steve I try not to miss any keep up the great work thank you merry Christmas

@SidetrackAdventures

5 ай бұрын

Thank you, Merry Christmas to you as well.