Charles Poston was the 'Father of Arizona.' Here's how you can hike to his grave
Renaissance man or oddball? It can be argued that Charles Debrille Poston (1825-1902) was a little of both.
The man who became known as the “Father of Arizona” lived a colorful life before being laid to rest (in a roundabout way) on a volcanic mound beside the railroad tracks outside of historic downtown Florence.
Poston was a Republican congressman, world traveler, explorer, writer, mineral entrepreneur, follower of Zoroastrianism (a monotheistic Persian religion founded in the sixth century B.C.) and register of the U.S. land office in Florence from 1877 to 1879.
During his tenure in Florence, he constructed a Zoroastrian temple on a prominent local hill that went by the names Primrose Hill and F Mountain before gaining its current moniker of Poston Butte.
Poston earned his “Father of Arizona” designation by successfully arguing for an Arizona Territory separate from the Territory of New Mexico and in 1864 he was elected the new territory’s first delegate to the U.S. House of Representatives. He spent his career moving in and out of Arizona before passing away, nearly penniless, in Phoenix.
Today, almost 200 years after Poston’s birth, a roadside monument in his honor is getting some renewed love.
Travelers and locals alike have long enjoyed the short hike up Poston Butte. Recognizing the site’s potential as a recreation hub and tourism draw, Florence recently designated it Poston Butte Preserve with plans to protect and enhance it with hiking trails and amenities.
While it undergoes improvements, the preserve is open to hikers from sunrise to sunset daily.
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A dirt pullout on Hunt Highway north of the Gila River serves as a trailhead. To reach the summit trail, walk under a wood railroad overpass and follow the well-worn but unsigned route.
At first glance, the preserve is kind of a desolate place. Anchored by a lone hill in a sprawling desert valley cut with dirt roads, railroad tracks and grazing cattle, the property becomes more interesting when viewed from the high slopes of the butte.
The inky black, ash-infused knobs of Poston Butte are barren save for a few scattered paloverde trees, some scraggly creosote and dry tufts of grass. Rough and upswept, the wide path makes a half-mile uphill plod. There’s a short segment where the trail gets steep but it’s nothing vertical enough to knock the wind out of you.
On the way up, vistas include a mix of flat desert valleys, farmlands, distant mountain ranges and a full-frame look at the Superstition Mountains ridgeline bolstered by the iconic Flatiron formation near Apache Junction.
Nearby, the footprints of the Arizona State Prison complex, mining operations and historic downtown Florence round out the sights.
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Situated among several geological survey markers and mounds of ragged basalt boulders, a stone masonry pyramid marks the summit. Beneath the artful structure lie the bones of Charles D. Poston.
Despite the 1907 date on the monument, Poston’s body was exhumed from a pauper's grave in Phoenix and reburied here in 1925, exactly 100 years after his birth.
It’s going to be fun watching this quirky Pinal County roadside attraction with a heavy Arizona territorial lilt evolve into a genuine hiking destination. Fittingly, Florence is planning 2025 observation of the 100-year anniversary of Poston’s postmortem return to one of his favorite Arizona destinations.
Hiking Poston Butte
Length: 1.2 miles to the top and back.
Rating: Moderate.
Elevation: 1,450-1,748 feet.
Getting there: Take Interstate 10 east from Phoenix. South of Sacaton, take Exit 185 for State Route 187/387. Go left at the bottom of the off ramp. Take SR 387 to SR 87, go right and continue (SR 87 turns into SR 287/Florence-Coolidge Highway) to the major intersection at Main Street in Florence. Veer right and then left to pick up Florence Heights Drive. Continue less than a mile to SR 79, turn left and go to Hunt Highway at mile marker 136. Turn left and continue to the trailhead on the right. There are no facilities at the trailhead.
Hours: Sunrise to sunset daily.
Details: http://www.florenceaz.gov/parks-and-recreation.
Read more of Mare Czinar's hikes at http://arizonahiking.blogspot.com.
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