Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2004.
“The Ox Bow Inn and Saloon is an historic hotel in Payson, Arizona. The log inn was built as the Payson Hotel by William and Estlee Wade next to their restaurant, the Busy Bee.”
Wikipedia article Ox Bow Inn, CC BY-SA 4.0.
One of 43 National Register listings published here for Gila County · listed in 2004 · category: Building.
Sources: the Wikipedia article · the case file at the National Archives · the National Register database, National Park Service
Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 298 fires within 5 miles of Ox Bow Inn between 1992 and 2020, burning about 66 acres in total. 41 started naturally. 9 were recorded as arson. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a fire counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.
| Reported cause | Fires |
|---|---|
| Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 157 |
| Natural | 41 |
| Equipment and vehicle use | 38 |
| Recreation and ceremony | 32 |
| Misuse of fire by a minor | 9 |
| Arson/incendiarism | 9 |
| Smoking | 5 |
| Debris and open burning | 5 |
| Power generation/transmission/distribution | 1 |
| Fireworks | 1 |
The most recent of them, most recent first, with the day each was reported and the service that recorded it.
| Date | Cause | Size | Reported by | Name on the report |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 September 1995 | Recreation and ceremony | under an acre | Tonto National Forest | YERBA |
| 7 September 2020 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | under an acre | Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management - State Office | not named |
| 5 September 2017 | Natural | under an acre | Tonto National Forest | GUIDE |
| 4 September 2009 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | under an acre | Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management - State Office | not named |
| 29 September 2019 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | under an acre | Hellsgate Fire District | NOT NAMED |
| 29 September 2018 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | under an acre | Hellsgate Fire District | 341 |
| 28 September 2013 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | under an acre | Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management - State Office | AZ-131801 |
| 28 September 2010 | Debris and open burning | under an acre | Tonto National Forest | PALMER |
Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 44 workings within 5 miles of Ox Bow Inn: 25 past producers, 10 prospects, 4 unknowns, 3 occurrences. 2 still produce. What was taken out: Gold, Sand and Gravel, Construction, Copper, Copper, Gold. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a quarry counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.
| Where | Site | Commodity | Status | Recorded |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| American and Mexican Gulches | Gold, Silver, Kyanite | Prospect | ||
| Golden Wonder Mine | Copper, Silver, Gold | Past Producer | 1877 | |
| Iron Camp | Copper, Silver, Lead, Gold | Prospect | ||
| Ox Bow Mine | Copper, Gold, Silver, Molybdenum, Lead, Vanadium, Fluorine-Fluorite | Producer | 1875, 1916, 1936 | |
| Oxbow Mine | Gold, Copper, Lead, Molybdenum, Silver, Fluorine-Fluorite | Past Producer | 1876, 1916 | |
| Silver King | Silver, Gold, Lead, Copper | Past Producer | ||
| Silver King Mine | Copper, Silver, Gold, Lead, Molybdenum | Producer | 1933, 1934 | |
| Blue Goose | Gold, Silver, Copper | Past Producer | ||
| Grand Prize | Gold, Silver, Copper | Past Producer | ||
| Summit | Copper, Gold, Silver | Past Producer |
Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Payson, the town this property stands in, in 43 storm reports between 1994 and 2025: 13 hail, 8 flash flood, 6 heavy rain, 5 thunderstorm wind. The reports record 1 death and 7 injuries. Each account below is quoted exactly as the forecast office filed it, from the NOAA Storm Events Database, and each date opens the federal record of that event.
| When | Event | Place named | Harm | What the report says |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| August 2000 | Lightning | Payson | 1 killed, 2 hurt | Three hikers were hit by lightning 10 miles north of Payson. One died and the other two were injured. |
| August 1997 | Thunderstorm Wind | Payson | 3 hurt, $4,000 | A large tree was blown down by strong thunderstorm winds and fell down on a car in the community of Christopher Creek. Inside the car one person was seriously injured and 2 small children received minor injuries. |
| July 1999 | Flash Flood | Payson | 1 hurt | Flash flooding along the East Verde River in the Washington Park area produced a 5 foot wall of water that swept one woman 100 yards downstream. She was rescued with minor injuries. |
| September 1997 | Lightning | Payson | 1 hurt | One adult male was seriously injured when struck by lightning. |
| July 1999 | Lightning | Payson | $120,000 | Lightning started a house fire on East Flowing Springs Road. The home burned to the ground. |
| September 2019 | Thunderstorm Wind | Payson | $100,000 | The Payson ASOS reported a peak wind gust of 68 MPH at 335 PM. The Payson Police reported multiple trees and power poles down in the city. |
| August 1997 | Thunderstorm Wind | Payson | $1,000 | Strong thunderstorm winds knocked out phone service. |
| August 2025 | Heavy Rain | Payson | - | Law enforcement reported street flooding at the intersection of AZ Highway 260 and Quail Run Road. Radar estimated 2 to 3 inches of rain had fallen in a short amount of time in the area. |
| August 2023 | Hail | Payson | - | One to 1.5 inch diameter hail was reported in the Payson area between 330 and 345 PM MST. |
| November 2023 | Tornado (EF1) | Payson | - | Survey Summary: Showers developed across the central Mogollon Rim and|moved eastward this morning. Radar indicated that one particular cell|located west-southwest of Star Valley moved quickly to the east-|southeast just after 09:35 AM. NWS Flagstaff, in partnership with the|Hellsgate Fire Department, noted the first sign of damage associated|with the tornado just south of Arizona Route 260, roughly one mile|southwest of Star Valley.||This, in conjunction with radar imagery, provides strong evidence|that the tornado initially developed around 09:39 AM MST. The survey|revealed that the tornado tracked rapidly eastward, consistent with|radar imagery. There was noteworthy damage to a home, an outbuilding,|and additional damage to softwood and hardwood trees during the first|one-fourth to one-third mile portion of the damage path.||The tornado continued for a mile and churned eastward toward|Houston Creek where the damage to residential structures, largely|manufactured homes, was most concentrated. At least 20 structures were|impacted, with damage confined to windows and roofs. Some roofs were|partially removed. The concentration of damage diminished just under|one-half mile east of Houston Creek, suggesting that the tornado|dissipated. This is corroborated with radar imagery, and the estimated time|of dissipation is set at 09:49 AM MST. Based on damage indicators, the|tornado estimated peak wind speed was placed at 105 mph (EF1). |
| July 2017 | Heavy Rain | Payson | - | Thunderstorms produced 1.36 inches of rain in 30 minutes in Payson. |
| July 2017 | Hail | Payson | - | One inch diameter hail was reported in Payson via social media. Time was estimated using radar. |
| July 2017 | Thunderstorm Wind | Payson | - | Pine trees were bend over sideways. There was also damage to manzanita and scrub oak trees. |
| July 2017 | Heavy Rain | Payson | - | A thunderstorm began producing heavy rain in the Payson area by 419 PM MST. A spotter measured 1.10 inches of rain in 45 minutes. The street and neighbor's front yard flooded with no damage. |
| August 2016 | Hail | Payson | - | Half dollar sized (1.25 inch diameter) hail fell at the Rim Club Golf Course near Payson. |
| August 2013 | Flash Flood | Payson | - | Severe flooding was reported in Round Valley. One vehicle was stuck in a flooded wash and one of the roads into Middle Round Valley was impassable. |
| September 2013 | Heavy Rain | Payson | - | Heavy rain flooded some low water crossings in the Payson area. Radar estimated that 1.00 to 1.24 inches of rain fell between 145 and 230 PM MST. A weather spotter reported 1.75 inches of rain during the day. |
| October 2010 | Hail | Payson | - | Large hail fell near Payson. The majority of the hail was 1.25 inches in diameter with the largest stones were 2.25 inches in diameter. |
| July 2008 | Flash Flood | Payson | - | Heavy rain from a thunderstorm caused Houston Creek to overflow in Star Valley east of Payson. Water crossed two roads three feet deep in places. The roads were closed for about two and a half hours. |
| July 2008 | Hail | Payson | - | A thunderstorm produced dime to nickel sized (3/4 to 7/8 inch diameter) hail about one mile east-northeast of Payson. |
| August 2005 | Hail | Payson | - | One inch diameter hail was reported in Payson. One and a half inches of rain also fell during the same thunderstorm. |
| July 2005 | Hail | Payson | - | Dime sized (3/4 inch diameter) hail fell in Star Valley (6 miles east of Payson) for 10 minutes. |
| July 2004 | Flash Flood | Payson | - | American Gulch in the Willow Fire Burn area had 5 feet of water flowing in it. Fire crews were unable to cross because of the flowing water. |
| July 2004 | Flash Flood | Payson | - | Flash flooding was reported in the Willow Fire burn area. Three feet of water was reported flowing down City Creek. Debris flow was carried across East Verde Creek. Debris also flowed 3 miles down East Verde Creek. Baby Doll Road was washed over. |
| July 2004 | Thunderstorm Wind | Payson | - | Law enforcement reported a thunderstorm with damaging wind seven miles south of Payson. |
| July 2004 | Hail | Payson | - | Dime sized hail was falling along Highway 87 from five to ten miles south of Payson. People were pulling off the road. |
| February 2003 | Flash Flood | Payson | - | Snowmelt and runoff from rain resulted in considerable flows in the Tonto Creek, between Payson and Roosevelt Lake. Four roads, which cross the Tonto Creek, were closed by Gila County Public Works. The Tonto Basin area was affected the most by the flood. About 300 people in several subdivisions along the east side of Tonto Creek were isolated. Secondary Forest Service roads were inaccessible due to mud. Gila County Emergency Services assisted the Sheriff's Department and the Public Works Department in ferrying medical supplies and basic food staples across Tonto Creek. |
| August 2003 | Heavy Rain | Payson | - | 2.30 inches of rain fell in Payson in just an hour. |
| September 2002 | Flood | Payson | - | Several streets flooded in Payson. Highway 87 flooded at the East Verde River. |
| September 2002 | Heavy Rain | Payson | - | Heavy rain fell in Verde Glen between 5:10 PM and 5:45 PM MST. This caused the East Verde River to rise rapidly. The low water crossing at Cowan Ranch was impassable. |
| October 2001 | Hail | Payson | - | Three quarter inch hail was reported in Payson. |
| July 2000 | Wildfire | Payson | - | The Mogollon Fire was caused by lightning about 10 miles northeast of Payson on July 22. The fire burned about 190 acres before it was contained on July 29. About 50 people helped put out the fire at a cost of $65,000. |
| August 1999 | Flash Flood | Payson | - | Flash flooding occurred further downstream on Pine Creek at the Tonto Bridge State Park. Three hikers were trapped by flood waters that were estimated to by 25 feet above the normal stage. They were rescued without injury. A long time park official witnessed the event and called it " one of the fiercest flash floods I have ever seen." |
| July 1999 | Flash Flood | Payson | - | Heavy rainfall including a burst of one inch in 20 minutes produced rapid rises on the East Verde River near Washington Park. Weather spotters reported large trees floating down the river and several low water crossings were flooded. |
| September 1999 | Funnel Cloud | Payson | - | Numerous reports of a long lived funnel cloud south of Payson. A picture of the classic shaped funnel cloud made the front page of the local Payson paper. |
| April 1998 | Flood | Payson | - | Rain and fast snowmelt caused small stream flooding on Bear Creek near Kohl's Range. Several low water crossing were flooded with no injuries or damage reported. |
| August 1997 | Hail | Payson | - | Nickel size hail (0.88 in.) reported by a spotter near the community of Christopher Creek. |
| September 1997 | Flood | Payson | - | The runoff from several thunderstorms with heavy rain caused flooding on several streets in Payson. |
| July 2006 | Hail | Payson | - | no account filed |
| July 2002 | Flood | Payson | - | no account filed |
| August 2002 | Wildfire | Payson | - | no account filed |
| July 2001 | Hail | Payson | - | no account filed |
| July 1994 | Hail | Payson | - | no account filed |
No historic map-sheet match is published for this property yet. That does not mean no map exists. This record needs a coordinate-quality review before it can be joined to a sheet boundary. Browse the county's mapped places while that work is pending.
| National Archives record | The nomination case file for reference 04001073 in Record Group 79. |
| Wikipedia article | Community-written account of this property, licensed CC BY-SA. |
| Gila County | All 43 listed properties in this county. |
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