Texas Hill (Arizona)

Texas Hill
Texas Hill Location in Arizona
Highest point
Elevation	784 ft (239 m)  NAVD 88[1]
Prominence	428 ft (130 m) [2]
Coordinates	32°49′53″N 113°41′36″W / 32.831421364°N 113.693459406°WCoordinates: 32°49′53″N 113°41′36″W / 32.831421364°N 113.693459406°W [1]
Geography
Location	Yuma County, Arizona, U.S
Topo map	USGS Texas Hill

Texas Hill is a summit and landmark in the valley of the Gila River in Yuma County, Arizona. It rises to an elevation of 784 feet (239 m)^[1] from the 330-foot (100 m) level of the valley around it on the north side of the river.^[3] The mountain projects out into the valley, from the north side of the valley narrowing it considerably at that point and its dark color makes it stand out for long distances up and down the valley.

History

In 1849, during the beginning of the California Gold Rush, 49ers followed the Southern Immigrant Trail west to California along the Gila River Valley. Some of the main 49er routes from the eastern United States to the route through New Mexico Territory that passes Texas Hill, was through Texas and some of the earliest 49ers to reach California came from Texas. How the summit came by the name is not known, but it had acquired the name by the time it first appeared on maps.^[4]

Texas Hill Station, a later Butterfield Overland Mail stagecoach station, one of several built in 1859 to increase the number of water stops and team changes along the drier and hotter sections of the route, was located about 2 miles east of Texas Hill.^{[5] :150}

References

1. "Texas Hill". NGS data sheet. U.S. National Geodetic Survey. Retrieved 2016-08-23.
2. "Texas Hill AZ". ListsOfJohn.com. Retrieved 2016-08-23.
3. U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Texas Hill
4. Barnes, Will C., Arizona Place Names, University of Arizona Bulletin, Vol.IV, No.1, University of Arizona, Tucson, 1935, p.441.

   "Texas Hill, Yuma Co. Hinton Map, 1878; U. S. G. S., 1923.

   In T. 7 S., R. 14 W. Familiar stage station before railroad days; on Gila river near present railroad station of Stoval, or Crystoval, q.v. Of this place Poston writes: "Next Texas Hill looms on the plain." The writer ate dinner at this station in February, 1880. Shows as a mountain on north side of river on some early maps. But was always called Texas Hill."

5. Sanders, Kirby, Butterfield Overland Mail Route Through New Mexico and Arizona, Kirby Sanders and Amazon Createspace, 2013