The CURIOUS Ghost Towns of AGUA CALIENTE and SUNDAD | Arizona
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- Опубликовано: 9 июл 2024
- Sometimes old ghost towns have no ties to mining and their origins are less known. Agua Caliente and Sundad, Arizona are two remote abandoned towns with intriguing history that goes way back and yet still offers interest to visitors today.
Agua Caliente has a history that goes way back to when hot springs were used by area native Indian cultures. Despite disputes, a resort was built for the hot springs for visitors to come out to Arizona to soak in the waters which were advertised to cure many an illness or affliction. The resort ran roughly from 1897 to the 1950s in various forms. What remains of the town today are a 22-room white adobe hotel that housed guests, a few crumbling stone buildings down the road, and a pioneer cemetery. The hotel remains are on private property and should be viewed from the road.
Sundad has even less information known about it. Many theories point to it once being a location for tuberculosis patients to seek out drier air in hopes of relief or a cure. Today it is known for large rock art installations best viewed from a drone.
Pamphlet - azmemory.azlibrary.gov/nodes/...
VIDEO FILMED: 03/11/2023
▬▬ R E L A T E D V I D E O S ▬▬
⚪ • ORGAN MOUNTAIN DESERT ...
▬▬ L O C A T I O N I N F O ▬▬
⚪ Directions to AGUA CALIENTE - goo.gl/maps/KVssdTAxoZPGV9ocA
⚪ Directions to SUNDAD - goo.gl/maps/KATBtbmyTdJpxYCK7
▬▬ T I M E S T A M P S ▬▬
00:00 Agua Caliente Pioneer Museum
03:09 Old Buildings of Agua Caliente
09:21 Agua Caliente Resort
16:56 Road Conditions to Sundad
22:57 Downtown Sundad
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Welcome to the Cactus Atlas! We are Glenn and Amy and invite you to join us as we visit all sorts of locations across the American West. We tour both natural and man-made attractions.
Our base of operations is in the Phoenix, AZ area. We do a lot of hiking, day trips, and campground reviews and hope that we will be a great resource if you are planning a trip to the American West. We also hope to delight you with our exciting adventures!
I visited Agua Caliente in the late 1980's. The pool was empty, not filled in. The concrete forming the pool had WWII Army soldiers names, dates and/or hometowns inscribed in it. Across the RR tracks to the north was Army Camp Hyder, one of the WWII Desert Training Center camps. The main gate is still marked by 2 large columns. I also visted Sundad. I was told later that 1960's hippies were responsibile for most of the various rock designs.
Not surprising about the hippies to be honest. Very interesting about the names in the concrete. Thanks for sharing! 😄👍
I explored Agua Caliente in 1962 or63 with my dad and older brother. At that time rumor was that it had been abandoned in the early Fifties.
We lived on a big corporate farm about 25 miles northwest of there. That farm had 15 to 20 irrigation wells, two of those discharged water at about 110 degrees. In talking with other farmers between that place and the hot springs there were a few other wells which also pumped hot water. They all played roughly on a line pointing to Agua Caliente.
Not the whole aquifer, but an underground river of heated water got used up before it reached the resort.
Fascinating! Thank you for sharing this information! 😄👍
I made a brief stop at the cemetery a couple years ago, but didn't have time to explore the buildings much so it was great to finally see them. Sunday was pretty amazing, can't believe I'd never heard of it before.
Would LOVE to be able to peek into the old hotel but so long as the private property signs are around that isn't going to happen. We're still unsure if the group that was there were the current owners or not.
I love your videos! I used to live in Douglas, AZ. My parents are both from Yuma though, and my dad used to drive us all over southern AZ!
I love learning the history of Arizona. There is so much hidden in the desert! 🏜
Thank you! We couldn't agree more. The desert is an amazing place to explore! 😄
"Sundad junk vortex"....i love it! Just fascinating to speculate on what went on there. You guys are lucky to live where such mysteries abound, and we viewers are fortunate to have your channel! 🌟🌵✨
Oh, thank you! I like to imagine that there's interesting things everywhere, both hiding and in pain sight. Google Maps sometimes is a treasure trove of things labeled. 😄
I just stumbled upon your videos, wee hours this morning. Watching on my Ruko t.v. And this video is on now at, the 1936ish point and you make comment, to comment about, liking this kind of adventure. ( "surely some of you,just like to drive"...) - for 13 years, I passangered with my husband in a semi truck all over the US. . 9 months ago,he passed of cancer. I been spinning the wheels of my mind,going crazy missing our adventures. Now, this video, I am watching and watched two others, but this one + your history, I love history, has given me a little bit back of the adventure. Thank you. subscribed and bell is on. :)
Oh goodness! First off, I am sorry for the loss of your husband. I imagine in those 13 years you must have seen an amazing amount of awesome things and locations. We are happy that we can bring you along on our adventures each week though. Thanks for the comment. 😊
According to the great Wikipedia, Sunday was a copper and silver mine as well as a proposed sanatorium. No need for sadness in regard to the sanatorium. People WERE cured by the dry southwestern air. My grandfather came from Kentucky to Silver City, NM with tuberculosis and lived a long and prosperous life with ten kids.
There's a few websites here and there that have mentioned Sundad having mining history, but if it is there, it is well buried. There's really no telltale piles of tailings or anything so it is really curious. Compared to other towns, there's just such a lack of info about its past or present. 🤷♀️
@@CactusAtlas Supposedly, the copper mine’s land is located a bit further, at 33.1819, -113.23190 according to Wikipedia. It doesn’t seem to really have remnants remaining there on Google Maps.
How mysterious! The history of both places is s interesting and fun. I’m loving the drone work, especially the shots that track you. Those are really cool. And thank goodness for Slim: he can take us anywhere! Beautiful scenery as always. I’d bet some of those washes would be pretty scary during monsoon season.
Oh yeah, you hear a lot about roads getting torn up come monsoon time. One of the reasons we try to show a bit of the road so if anyone is looking for conditions they are at least documented at one point. And we're having a lot of fun exploring the functions of the drone. 😊
Love your videos. My wife and I love to explore areas like these. Keep up the good work!
Thank you! Will do! 😄
I used to explore, but age and health stopped it, so thanks for the cool videos!
Our pleasure! Thanks for watching. 😊
Hi Glenn and Amy, I always like to find your travels on my Arizona map. Sometimes they just aren't there but this time, I did find Agua Caliente and Sundad. Interesting Arizona history, maybe yet to be discovered. I'm into this because I lived in AZ for 31 years and never gave it a thought. Now that I'm retired, it means a lot to me since I'm moving back. Thanks so much.
We have a Google map in our links that we keep track of filmed locations if that helps any. (Just note, I'm sometimes pretty late in keeping up with it 😅). Glad to bring you new sites to visit though!
Great viceo! The pool for the springs is actually across the road from the large "hotel" building. Years ago I heard about some folks that went looking around out there and were chased off by people living out there so I've always been too afraid to stop. I might have to grab a braver soul to go with me and check it out. Haha.
Interesting! Was wondering where the pool was. Surprised we weren't shooed away and were glad to be able to take time to take in the building.
Fascinating ❤
Thank you!
This is a new place to me! You are learning so much about the history out there! Quite interesting!
Hopefully we don't ever run out of places to see. 😂🤣
I believe King Woolsey, a key name in the formation of Prescott, was a resident in Agua Caliente.
Indeed! He and a partner purchased the ranch. He had a home there whose ruins are in many of the older photographs.
So, when you were running down the list of ailments "treated" at the spa/resort at Agua Caliente it was giving me Road to Wellville vibes 😂. I would love to hear/see more about the history of that place.
They definitely were believers in a great many of things. Medicine sure has come a long way thankfully. 😄
Actually medicine has not come that far😢@@CactusAtlas
Sundad looks pretty wild with those stone shapes
Right? Can't help but wonder about them - when were they made? Who did it? So many questions!
Thank you for sharing, thank you for the historical background
with the black and white pictures! Many blessings to you and
your family from faraway Sweden, where the winter is not over
yet!
Thank you so much! 😄👍
REALLY COOL 😎 👍 ghost towns of Sundad & Agua Caliente, Arizona. Your program makes us want to learn more. Hoping others will have photos, stories or answers to your query. Thanks Glenn & Amy!
Thanks! We hope so too! 😄
The concrete-like material might be a lime plaster, used as a finish over the structural walls of a structure. Newer structures might have used concrete, but I'd imagine that, prior to the 20th century, a lime plaster, or another earth plaster, would be more likely.
Once upon a time (back in the 1980's), a good friend and I followed part of the Butterfield Trail in his Volkswagen Rabbit. The area around Sundad sure looks familiar! I've enjoyed your videos exploring Arizona. You keep makin' 'em, and we'll keep watchin' 'em!
😄
AH! Yeah, we figured that it was likely not concrete but aren't terribly knowledgeable about other materials common of the time (or heck, even what time period those buildings are from). Appreciate the info and thanks so much for watching! 😄
Just a thought ... perhaps the state archives would have info on Sundad. Also, at least in the east, some counties have archives too which can be helpful. Love the videos. Thanks for sharing. (I'm binge watching as you can tell.)
Very good idea, thank you! Glad you're enjoying our videos. 😄👍
It's interesting that there is a modern pole barn across the street
Very interesting 😊
Thank you! 😊
Thanks for the video , very cool .
Glad you liked it! Thank you too! 😊
Yeah we love traveling with you, thanks for taking us along 🕺
Our pleasure! 😊
@@CactusAtlas have you been to Castle Dome ? Kinda close to home for you and pretty quiet
Not yet. It's been on our list for a good while though.
Great video! Not too far from Agua Caliente is the Dateland Ranchhouse which might be worth a visit. Also the Dragoon Springs stage stop which was part of the Butterfield line is very cool.
Thank you so much! We still have a lot in the area to explore so hopefully we will be able to hit up those locations soon enough. 😄👍
@@CactusAtlas Cool! As an aside did you find anything interesting at Agua Fria? I ran into you at the old farm near Richinbar a few weeks back. All the best!
Oh hey! Glenn came back mentioning meeting up with someone on that trip! Hi Hello there!
That video is actually coming out this coming week. We shuffled videos around a bit so it wouldn't be too much of the same area back to back. But yeah, he found some petroglyphs and the old mine on top of the amazing views of the canyon. Sorry it's been a bit since filming. 😅
@@CactusAtlas There are lots of wonderful sites at Agua Fria. I absolutely love it out there! So many petroglyphs and evidence of the native peoples.
😎 💥🧡 Very Cool. Thanx!! 👍👍
Thank you too! 😄👍
Very cool! I have driven by a zillion times over the years and never knew the history.
I think we covered a lot of the arm chair history, but I feel there is still so much left unaccounted for concerning this place. Glad to share a little with you!
It is near Dateland, Arizona!
Just a thought, the rust stain on the concrete pad in Sundad...could it have been an old bed spring mattress that is now long gone?
Not a bad thought! I was wondering about the very same thing while editing. 😄👍
f you find square headed nails in the structures they are before 1910. After that the nails had round heads. Gramma Candy
I always have loved getting in the car with food and water and going who knows where! Gramma Candy
One of the best feelings. 😊👍
I understand AquaCaliente was dried up when the owners tried to increase flow... with dynamite. 😢
Very interesting. Is there still water there?
Most reports say that there is no more water. It is said that a lot of area agriculture sucked it dry.
I don't understand why you didn't go talk to the people that were there?
I had read somewhere that it was a nudists resort. I wish I could remember the details.
Yes, Agua Caliente is Hot Water. To help you out, the "g" in Agua is not pronounced. The word is pronounced as "Awa." Other than that, thank you for the historical research.
Thanks! 👍
I enjoy your videos having visited some of your locations years ago.
Not sure if it is true or not but back in the 80's I went by Agua Caliente and was told by some old timers that during WWII the army took over the resort to make a retreat for high ranking officers.
Then in an attempt to enlarge the pools they were dynamited. The result was all the water was lost and could not be recovered.
Also, I visited Sundad in the early 90's it looks a lot better now than then. Cleaner and the rock designs seem to have been restored.
Interesting! We hadn't heard that story but having heard stories and reports that there were soldiers in Sundad way back I suppose I wouldn't find the idea of the resort being used either. Thanks for sharing! 👍
Yes, it was an Army rec center during WWII for Camp Hyder located on the north side of the RR tracks.
Thank for the confirmation! @@janblake9468
Sundad old mining town
was there not gambling there in the 1930s or1940s?
It was a mining town
Sunday was a TB asylum place to cure
Nick swordson brother
You do a great job with your videos.
Thank you! We both really appreciate that! 😄