ELOY Multi-Cache

Easy access off of paved roads. This is a 2-part multi. 1st stage is a micro ; final is a regular. The posted coords take you to the front of the Sunland Visitor Center. It's not always open, but when it is, there is a treasure of history and local info waiting inside.

History in this area has a lot to do with the railroad coming through Arizona around 1880-1900. Names of towns (that probably weren't towns yet) were railroad names. I just archived my Casa Grande railroad cache named Terminus, which was the original town name given by the railroad before being changed to Casa Grande. Eloy has similar origins. Credit for the following history of Eloy belongs to Dick Myers, President Santa Cruz Valley Historic Museum, 2004/2015, longtime Eloy area resident and an Arizona native.

Southern Pacific Railroad built the first railroad across Southern Arizona in 1878/1880. It was known as the East Line of Yuma. In 1902 they added a siding and section house six miles west of Picacho and named the siding Eloy, the acronym for the East line of Yuma. During construction of the railroad it was easier, and faster, to handprint E.L.O.Y. on construction drawings and maps, rather than writing out “East Line of Yuma”, each time the railroad made reference to, or revised a drawing.

Naming of sidings, section houses and train stations by the railroad was always done prior to construction, so as to know where to ship the necessary switches, rails, ties, spikes and equipment. Railroad sidings were also pre-named, mostly after railroad presidents, engineers, wives, girlfriends and/or geographical sites.

A 1903 Southern Pacific Timetable lists Eloy as a train stop and a 1909 SP railroad map is the earliest map found showing Eloy. A 1921 GLO roadmap is the earliest map found displaying Eloy.

John Alsdorf, W. L. Bernard and J.E. Meyer bought land in the area to raise cotton. They also subdivided a half a section of their land in 1918 and proposed to develop "Cotton City". The then un-named roads, or outer boundaries, are present day Alsdorf to Battaglia; Curiel to Sunshine. They also applied for a post office to be named "Cotton City", but the US Postal Service opted instead to use the name of the railroad section house, since that was where the mail would be dropped. Southern Pacific also would not accept the new name and carried all mail for “Cotton City” on through. After a year of heated discussions and some challenges, the small townsite became Eloy for good.

Standing with your back to the front gate, go 483 meters @ 4600 Mils True. There you will find a micro containing the coords for the final. When you are finished, I encourage you to return to where you started to enjoy the Visitor Center if it's open. Have FUN!