Guns and Gold History of the Galiuro Wilderness

In October 1932, the Forest Service created the original Galiuro Primitive Area within the Crook National Forest. The Primitive Area became the Galiuro Wild Area in 1940, with administration shifting to Coronado National Forest in 1953. Under the 1964 Wilderness Act, the area was redesignated the Galiuro Wilderness in September 1964. A last addition in 1983 incorporated the parklike floor of Rattlesnake Valley, the so-called Galiuro Corridor, into the wilderness, which now totals 76,317 acres.

Most of the trails of the wilderness follow historic routes, but the most visible link with the past is Power's Cabin where the shoot-out took place. With its log walls of Arizona cypress, the shake roof, and rough-sawed door and window frames, the cabin stands little changed from its appearance at the time it was originally built around 1905 or 1906. It has recently been rehabilitated and should endure for many more years, as a focal point for all who value the history of the Galiuros.