Pinal Nugget
Georgianna “Georgie” Wood has lived in the Copper Corridor for many years. She grew up in Hayden and now lives in Kearny. A large part of her life was spent along Aravaipa Creek after she married Cliff Wood and became part of an Aravaipa ranching family. Georgie has always had an interest in history and if you have read her “Georgie Digs” articles in theCopper Basin News, you know she has a knack for writing and telling stories. Georgie has written a book, “A Creekside Story from Buckboard Days to Ecotourism,” which includes her interest in history and her memories and love of the Aravaipa Creek area.
The book is part history and part autobiographical. It includes stories about the area and the people that lived along the creek we know as Aravaipa. It also includes people and stories of Hayden, Mammoth, Oracle and the surrounding areas. Georgie has researched the history and gathered stories from her ranching family, the people she has known along the creek and her personal experiences. She also adds a touch of her humor throughout the book.
The Aravaipa history begins with the Apaches that lived in the area and the infamous Camp Grant massacre followed by the early settlers like Emil Kielberg and the Brandenburg brothers who farmed and ranched along the creek. It tells the stories of the farmers and ranchers along the creek and their struggles with floods, bad men, wildlife, environmentalists and government bureaucracy as they attempted to make a living. Learn about the hard times and good times of ranching along the Aravaipa, from the Angora goats to the Hualapai (Wallapai) tigers. Georgie brings the area to life and has interesting stories to tell about characters like cowboy Jo Flieger, author Elizabeth Lambert Woods, author and environmentalist Ed Abbey and even World War II hero and Hollywood actor Audie Murphy. It is a good quick read and educates as well as entertains.
Georgie’s book is available on Amazon at http://amzn.to/1AdYtco.