208 ANTIQUITIES OF THE VERDE AND WALNUT CREEK  [etn. ann. 28 
The only accounts known to the author, of the ruins in Walnut 
Valley are the reports of Lieutenant Whipple and Lieutenant Ives," 
which unfortunately contain but meager descriptions of these antiqui- 
ties. Most of the writers on the ruins of Arizona do not refer to 
those found in this valley. 
Whipple speaks of several ruins on Walnut (Pueblo) Creek, but 
his references are too brief even for identification. One of these, 
said to be situated on Turkey Creek, he characterizes (op. cit , pt. 1, 
p- 92) as— 
dilapidated walls of a tower. The ground-plan was an ellipse, with axes 25 and 15 
feet, partitions dividing it into three apartments. The walls must have been large, 
as they yet remained 5 feet in height, and 6 feet wide. The hill is 250 feet above the 
river. 
This description does not correspond with respect to size, elevation, 
or general appearance with any ruin visited by the author in this 
region. 
Alarcon ascended the Colorado to the point where it forms a 
‘straight channel between high mountains,” possibly the mouth of 
Bill Williams River, the mountains being situated, as pointed out by 
Professor Turner, not far from the junction of this stream with the 
Colorado. 
Whipple found near his camp (No. 105) a ruin similar to those 
here mentioned, of which he wrote (p. 94) as follows: 
To obtain a still more extensive view, Mr. Campbell climbed a steep hill, several 
hundred feet above the ridge of the pass, formed by a short spur from the abrupt ter- 
mination of the northern mountain chain, and found upon the top ruins of another 
fortification. Its length was 100 feet. It was 25 feet wide at one end, and 20 at 
the other. The wall was well built, 4 feet thick, and still remaining 5 feet high. It 
commanded a view of the pass, and, with proper armament, was well situated to defend 
and keep possession of it from an enemy. The entrance, 6 feet wide, was from the 
steepest side of the hill—almost inaccessible. From a fancy founded on the evident 
antiquity of these ruins, we have given the name of Aztec Pass to this place. 
A ruin supposed to be that just described was visited by the 
author, the results of whose observations, however, differ so much 
from Whipple’s account as to suggest doubt regarding the identity 
of the remains. 
From Walnut Creek the old Indian trail followed by Whipple 
ascends Aztec Pass, becoming a rough wagon road bordering gran- 
itic rocks. West of the pass the country is comparatively level, 
sloping gradually to a sheep ranch on the Baca Grant, called Oaks 
and Willows. The high mountain seen from the road for some dis- 
tance west of Aztec Pass is called Mount Hope (pl. 92).2 Beyond 
1 Reports of Explorations and Surveys to Ascertain the Most Practicable and Economical Route for a 
Railroad from the Mississippi River to the Pacific Ocean. Made under the direction of the Secretary of 
War in 1853-4. Vol. m1, parts i-iv. Extracts from the [preliminary] report of Lieut. A. W. Whipple 
{assisted by Lieut. J. C. Ives], Corps of Topographical Engineers, upon the route near the thirty-fifth 
parallel. 
“This mountain is incorrectly located on the United States Land Office map. It stands on the Baca 
Grant. 
