The Bloody Basin is a collecting site rich in history and mystery. Located in the Tonto National Forest -and once under the control of the Arizona Agate mine- this area has been hit very hard by shovel ready rock hounds over the years.
Once overly abundant in Plume and rare fortification agate, It can now take a determined collector a full day to find anything substantially more than a few agate chips and broken quartz in this area.
The name "Bloody Basin" apparently is up for debate among Arizona historians. The landmark which identifies the area indicates that the Bloody Basin was named after the indigenous red rocks that litter that specific spot.
The funny and most interesting part of this explanation - at least from my own observation- is that no such rock exists in the immediate area.
Another explanation -and more common story that has passed down through the generations of Arizona history is that of the skermishes between the United States Army and early Native American Indians in the area near Turret Peak.
The US Army -under orders of the government- hunted a marauding band of Indians who had attacked covered wagons heading west through the area. The US Government was quick to act passing resolutions to end what was perceived as unprovoked attacks on pioneers whose only crime was that they were passing through tribal land.
A series of battles occured, The final battle which brought the skermish to its conclusion was a late at night perfectly executed sneak attack which led to the slaughter of nearly all of the inhabiting Indians at nearby Turret Peak. The result of that battle -per historians- is what gave the Bloody Basin its name.
