William D. Bradshaw

William D. Bradshaw
Born
William David Bradshaw[1]

1826
Buncombe County, North Carolina, U.S.[2]
DiedDecember 2, 1864(1864-12-02) (aged 37–38)
La Paz County, Arizona, U.S.
Cause of deathThroat slashed
Burial placeMineral City, Arizona, U.S.
Other namesBig Bill Bradshaw,[3]
Bunk Bradshaw[2]

William D. "Bill" Bradshaw (1826–1864) was a United States western pioneer and prospector. He is best remembered for forging the Bradshaw Trail in 1862 from San Bernardino, California, to La Paz in the New Mexico Territory.[4] Initially this gave the populated areas of California's west coast a more direct route to the Colorado River Gold Rush fields, but more importantly the trail opened up the Southern California Colorado Desert region, and beyond, to settlement and development.[5]

As part of the trail, and in partnership with William Warringer, on June 16, 1862, Bradshaw set up a ferry service to cross the Colorado River. The ferry transported travelers across the river from a location called Providence Point in California, to La Paz in the New Mexico territory.[6]

Bradshaw died in Mineral City on December 2, 1864, after his throat was slashed with a drawknife.[1] Newspaper reports at the time stated Bradshaw had committed suicide.[7][8] Given the nature of his death, and lack of known witnesses, historians, such as Francis J. Johnston, think he was likely murdered.[9]

  1. ^ a b Block, Kathy. "The Bradshaw Brothers and the Bradshaw Trail". American Pioneer and Cemetery Project. APCRP. Retrieved 31 March 2020.
  2. ^ a b Bell, p. 306.
  3. ^ Brown, Renee (March 20, 2016). "Explorers Cross Paths with Tribe;". USA Today Network. The Desert Sun. pp. 33A, 37A.
  4. ^ La Paz became part of the Arizona Territory in 1863, and later the state of Arizona.
  5. ^ Johnston, pp. 7–8.
  6. ^ Gunther, p. 407.
  7. ^ "Private Letters from Arizona ...". Vol. X, no. 46. McNabb & Cassidy. December 29, 1864. p. 1.
  8. ^ "From Prescott Courier". Vol. 1, no. 5. January 9, 1896. p. 4.
  9. ^ Johnston, pp. 79–82.