GC2RGXD Madame Butterfly (Traditional Cache) in Arizona, United States created by DesertSageBrush

This cache has been archived.

GeoDesertTiger: No response from cache owner, I'm archiving it to keep it from continually showing up in search lists, and to prevent it from blocking other cache placements. We will be happy to un-archive this cache when it is replaced within 90 days and meets the guidelines.

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GC2RGXD ▼

A cache by DesertSageBrush Message this owner

Hidden : 4/3/2011

Difficulty:

Terrain:

Size: Size: micro (micro)

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Geocache Description:

- Madame Butterfly is a micro-cache, located within a public park that used to be the center of a bustling railway depot on the way to the Pacific Coast.

- Easy to park close by, terrain is flat and there shouldn't be any difficulty getting to the location.

- Altitude approximately 4,062'.

***I'm currently deployed to Afghanistan. This is a great cache and needs someone to adopt it and care for it being that I'll be gone. Please send me a message if you're interested.
(visit link)

All the Best!

~ Joseph.

- Madame Butterfly is a plastic tube with lid, approximately 6" long and 1" thick. It's spray painted with a rock textured green/beige paint.

- Please refer to attached images of cache & local surroundings...not enough to give it away, but enough to give you a clue.

- Good luck & please be discrete.

History of Patagonia, Arizona/From Thriving Mines to Eclectic Art in a Naturalist's Paradise:

Patagonia's founder was Rollin Rice Richardson, a Pennsylvanian who made his money in oil investments. Richardson purchased the San Rafael de la Zanja land grant in 1880 and three years later followed his friends into business with the San Rafael Cattle Company. Rollin founded Patagonia in 1896, and named it after himself. But in 1899 when residents petitioned the post master general for a post office, they decided to also change the town's name to Patagonia, after the mountain range that towers over the valley.

Mining was the mainstay of Patagonia residents, since rich ore and other minerals were discovered in the Patagonia and other surrounding mountain chains. While Patagonia became a bustling hub, other mining towns sprung up around its outskirts: Harshaw, Duquesne, Mowry, and Washington Camp were successful settlements located to the east and southeast.

With strong competition between railroads and a corporate imperative to reach the Pacific Coast, the New Mexico and Arizona Railroad built a railway straight through the heart of Patagonia, past the spot where the Town Hall (formerly the railroad depot) now stands. With the railroad in place, Patagonia was connected to the rest of America's train routes and became an important commercial center in Santa Cruz County. Hotels, boarding houses, an opera house, restaurants, and bars were built to serve the burgeoning population. The town was inhabited by Hispanic, Anglo, and Chinese residents. Patagonia had its own newspaper in 1912, and christened an elementary school on 1914.

But when the mines went south, so did the town's boom days. The last ore was shipped in 1960, and in 1962 the rail line was closed down. The rails were removed and the railroad right-of-way was dedicated as a park. The old depot became Town Hall. Walnut trees were planted in the park by Charles Mapes and a gazebo was built by Louis Valenzuela, son of a Patagonia pioneer family. Although the railroad and bustling mining town is just a memory, the hard lives of those who lived it will always be remembered.

The area's wide open grasslands are surrounded by a half dozen mountain ranges, and flanked by two protected ranches: the third generation, family-owned Babacomari and the Empire Cienega Ranch State Park Annual events center around horse shows, wine tastings, and events at the County Fairgrounds, located just south of the crossroads at Hwy 82 and Hwy 83. The Santa Cruz County Fair (last weekend in September), Sonoita Quarterhorse Show (the oldest in the nation), and the Sonoita Rodeo (Labor Day weekend) are just a few examples.

A must see & experience is the Velvet Elvis! We highly recommend that you take a break from Geocaching and enjoy this fabulous food. The Velvet Elvis is mentioned in national and international travel publications. They have been featured on TV, in Phoenix magazine and major newspapers. They are definitely worth the drive...from anywhere.

**Congrats to afudc for FTF!**

Additional Hints (Decrypt)

- Ybbx sbe gur tneqra...gung'f jurer ohggresyvrf yvxr gb or.

Decryption Key

A|B|C|D|E|F|G|H|I|J|K|L|M
-------------------------
N|O|P|Q|R|S|T|U|V|W|X|Y|Z

(letter above equals below, and vice versa)