Gillett, Arizona

Gillett, Arizona
Populated Place
Location where the town of Gillett once stood.
Gillett Location in the state of Arizona Show map of Arizona Gillett Gillett (the US) Show map of the US
Coordinates: 34°01′08″N 112°09′49″W / 34.01889°N 112.16361°W / 34.01889; -112.16361Coordinates: 34°01′08″N 112°09′49″W / 34.01889°N 112.16361°W / 34.01889; -112.16361
Country	United States
State	Arizona
County	Yavapai
Founded	1878
Abandoned	1880
Elevation	1,834 ft (559 m)
Population (2009)
• Total	0
Time zone	MST (no DST) (UTC-7)
FIPS code	04-27505
GNIS feature ID	24431
Post Office opened	October 15, 1878
Post Office closed	August 11, 1887

Gillett, Arizona, (the name is frequently misspelled as "Gillette" on maps and documents) .is a populated place situated in Maricopa County, Arizona. It has an estimated elevation of 1,362 feet (415 m) above sea level. Historically, it was a stagecoach station, and then a settlement formed around an ore mill serving the Tip Top Mine, on the Agua Fria River in Yavapai County in what was then Arizona Territory. It was named for the mining developer of the Tip Top Mine, Dan B. Gillett and is spelled incorrectly as Gillette on U. S. Topographic Maps and elsewhere.

Gillett was founded by the superintendent of the Tip Top Mine, where he located the mill to process the ore from Tip Top, nine miles away. Its post office opened October 15, 1878. At its height in 1878 Gillett, had six streets and aside from its mill and post office, a bank, assay office, hotel, real estate office, livery stable, lumberyard, meat market, truck farm, dairy, warehouse, two blacksmiths, two stagecoach stations, four stores and nine saloons/gambling houses.

Jack Swilling, the founder of Phoenix, and his wife Trinidad Swilling had various business interests in Gillett. The Swillings owned the "Gillett Real Estate" where they sold lots ranging from $100 to $250 depending on the location, a cattle and horse ranch and a vegetable farm in partnership with L.A. Stephens.

In the spring of 1878, word reached the Swilling's that Colonel Jacob Snively, a family friend, had been killed by the Apaches in the Wickenburg Mountains near the peak called White Picacho. Mrs. Swilling suggested that Mr, Swilling and two companions, which included Andrew Kirby and George Monroe, founder of Castle Hot Springs, go on a trip to recover and rebury the remains of their old friend.

On April 17, Mr. Swilling and his two companions went on their Snively exhumation trip. Mr. Swilling and his companions returned to Gillett after exhuming Col. Snively remains at White Picacho Mountains on April 23. He was seen walking the streets of Gillett with a bag or sack containing the remains of Col Snively. Mr. Swilling buried the bones of Col. Snively in his property next to his house.