Peterman's Station facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Peterman's Station
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Locale
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 Peterman's Station
Location in Arizona
Peterman's Station
Location in the United States
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| Country | United States |
| State | Arizona |
| County | Yuma |
| Elevation | 299 ft (91 m) |
| Time zone | UTC-7 (MST (no DST)) |
Peterman's Station was an important historical place in Arizona. It was a ranch and a stage station located along the Gila River. Imagine it as a rest stop for travelers and mail coaches way back in time! It was first set up in 1857 by a man named Peterman.
What Was Peterman's Station?
Peterman's Station was a key stop on a very old mail route called the San Antonio–San Diego Mail Line. Later, it became a station for another famous mail service, the Butterfield Overland Mail. These services helped deliver mail and people across the country before trains were common. The station was about 19 miles east of a place called Fillibuster Camp and 12 miles west of Griswell's Station.
Building a New Home
In November 1857, a man named Isaiah C. Woods visited Peterman's Station. He was in charge of the San Antonio–San Diego Mail. He wrote about what he saw:
We left Peterman's station, which was right on the bank of the Gila River. It had a log house and a great corral (an area for animals). Peterman told me he built this station to live there permanently and get business from the mail line. I bought a lot of mezquit beans (a type of food for animals) from him and also arranged to buy hay.
The soil here is excellent. This clever pioneer has already hired Mexicans to build a main irrigation ditch from the Gila River. This will help him grow crops on hundreds of acres of land. The Mexicans are working on it now. I helped him arrange to get barley for seeds from Fort Yuma. I also made a deal to buy all his crops if they grew well. He was sure he would have a good harvest. Peterman first came here from Fort Yuma to get a lot of mezquit beans. These were for companies that hauled ore (rock with metal inside) to Fort Yuma.
A New Name for the Station
By the time of the American Civil War, Peterman's Station was known by a different name. Union Army reports from that time called it Mohawk Station.
