OK, I'm exaggerating. They are only asking $975K for the
former Bumblebee schoolhouse, built in the mid-30s. Right now it's a modest-size private residence down in the lonesome desert west of I-17. But it does have commercial fixtures, such as a bar. On the other hand, it is one of only four buildings in greater Bumblebee, all pictured in this post. That's it below.
Unlike most vanishing Arizona, Bumblebee was never a mining town; instead, the hamlet was a stage stop on the Old Black Canyon route between Prescott and/or various mining settlements and Phoenix. Its post office was commissioned in the 1870s and still exists, in one of the four buildings. I presume it serves the odds and ends of settlements and ranches in the basin.
After a consultation with The Google, I located pictures of the
phony false front buildings erected as a tourist come-on at some point. The last time I visited Bumblebee was in the late 80s and at that time, those buildings were in pretty good shape. The pix show them as thoroughly ramshackle -- but I didn't see them at all yesterday. My hunch is that they finally fell down and were carted away.
Some years back, my boss' husband happened upon Bumblebee; the town's owner at the time tried to sell him the entire place. Perhaps there is some secret about the burg that makes the schoolhouse/residence worth all that money. After all, there is a
dudish ranch nearby. And maybe we're just seeing one more remnant of the recent Arizona real estate bubble.
OK, I'm exaggerating. They are only asking $975K for the former Bumblebee schoolhouse, built in the mid-30s. Right now it's a modest-size private residence down in the lonesome desert west of I-17. But it does have commercial fixtures, such as a bar. On the other hand, it is one of only four buildings in greater Bumblebee, all pictured in this post. That's it below.
Unlike most vanishing Arizona, Bumblebee was never a mining town; instead, the hamlet was a stage stop on the Old Black Canyon route between Prescott and/or various mining settlements and Phoenix. Its post office was commissioned in the 1870s and still exists, in one of the four buildings. I presume it serves the odds and ends of settlements and ranches in the basin.
After a consultation with The Google, I located pictures of the phony false front buildings erected as a tourist come-on at some point. The last time I visited Bumblebee was in the late 80s and at that time, those buildings were in pretty good shape. The pix show them as thoroughly ramshackle -- but I didn't see them at all yesterday. My hunch is that they finally fell down and were carted away.
Some years back, my boss' husband happened upon Bumblebee; the town's owner at the time tried to sell him the entire place. Perhaps there is some secret about the burg that makes the schoolhouse/residence worth all that money. After all, there is a dudish ranch nearby. And maybe we're just seeing one more remnant of the recent Arizona real estate bubble.
It's a very cute name for a place but I'm not sure it's worth that!
ReplyDeleteGlad you've been having fun with your family. The cat called Yoda was impressive!
It goes to show you what a paltry million dollars will buy nowadays! Those realtors are truly full of themseves Granny J!
ReplyDeleteI got a fairly accurate slant on the real estate market at prescottstyle today. Toodles.
Do you know how the water situation is down there? Probably not good. Still.. someone with too many millions may come along.
ReplyDeleteLucy-- Actually, I believe the place got that name well before cutesy-poo names were in vogue. And, yes, I'm having a grand time with the family!
ReplyDeletePaul-- you didn't leave your URL, so I'll put it in right here! Actually, if the realtors just churned the existing properties, that would be one thing. But it's the developers who are playing havoc with the countryside hereabouts.
And yes, Brain, someone who wants to own a piece of the past will probably show up with a checkbook in hand.