Kentucky Camp Timeline (beta) 
Faulting throughout the region creates the Santa Rita and Patagonia ranges we see today. Various intrusions also create noticable landmarks, like the granitic Elephant Rock on the western slope of the Santa Ritas. Another intrusion is Granite Mountain, about 1.5 miles from Greaterville. It is likely that gold imbedded in this granite eroded into the various local gulches to become placer gold - small particles of gold mixed in with gravel or small sands.
Discovery of placers by A. Smith sparks a minor gold rush and creation of the community of Greaterville, located in the Santa Rita Mountains, Arizona, about 2 miles from Kentucky Gulch.
By the early 1880s the richest gravels in and around Greaterville are depleted and the population of Greaterville declines.
A wealthy California businessman, George Bird McAneny, hires James Burgess Stetson, a hydraulic mining engineer, to create a report of the Greaterville placers for possible placer mining activity
On October 3, 1902 the Santa Rita Water and Mining Company (SRWMCo) was incorporated in the Territory of Arizona with headquarters in Tucson.
James Stetson marries Ida B Kane in Tucson. Witnesses to the wedding were Mr/Mrs Samuel L. Kingan. Kingan was a good friend of Stetson, and a vice-president of the SRWMCo. He was also a mining attorney, and represented the SRWMCo.
The SRWMCo builds 5-1/2 miles of ditch, more than 2-1/2 miles of pipeline, two tunnels totaling about 1,400 feet, and one dam. This to bring water from Bear Spring (el: 5600') in the Santa Rita Mts. to the company's operation in Boston Gulch and Kentucky Gulch (el: 5000').
In Kentucky Gulch the company built 5 structures: 2 homes, a barn/blacksmith shop, an administration building and an assay building. All buildings were connected with telephone lines. The administration building had running water and a bathroom with tub, lavatory and flush toilet. A second phone system connected the headquarters with the nearest town, Sonoita, which had a railroad depot. Much of the material used to build Kentucky Camp was brought in via this RR, then transported to Kentucky and Boston gulches. (lumber, windows, doors, pipe for the pipeline, etc)
The first test of the hydraulic system. The Arizona Daily Star reports the water cannon in Boston Gulch results in "...tearing up the ground with splendid results."
James Stetson dies, falls from a 3rd story window at the Santa Rita Hotel in Tucson the day before a Board of Director's meeting.
After Stetson's death, the financial situation of the Company deteriorated. McAneny had spent as much as $175,000 on the developments and was continuing to spend about $1,000 per month. As holder of a promissory note and a mortgage from the company, he foreclosed in an apparent attempt to become sole owner. In February, 1906, the Santa Rita Water and Mining Company operation was sold at a sheriff's sale. McAneny was able to purchase the property at the foreclosure sale but was unable to continue development.
George McAneny and wife, Mabel, divorce.
George McAneny dies.
Major operations from the entire Greaterville area from 1875 to the early 1900's is estimated to be some 30,000 oz. of gold, or more, with about 6,000 oz. of silver.
Louis Hummel, an attorney, receives the placer mining property as payment for settling the McAneny's estate. Kentucky Camp becomes a cattle ranch operation. Flossie Hummel (Louis's daughter) and husband Wick Fenter live at and run cattle on the Santa Rita Ranch (Kentucky Camp).
The Fenter's only child, Jake, along with his wife, Mary Ann, and their infant daughter, Lori, crash in their small plane and perish. They were traveling from the ranch at Kentucky Camp to Douglas, AZ.
The Fenters sell the Santa Rita Ranch property to the ANAMAX Mining Company. After this, no one lives at Kentucky Camp. The buildings fall into various states disrepair over the next 24 years.
A land exchange moves the ANAMAX property to National Forest Service property.
The Coronado National Forest Heritage Society and Friends of Kentucky Camp become official non-profit organizations.
The Kentucky Camp Historic District is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Cabin C on the Kentucky Camp property becomes a rental thru the National Forest's Rooms With a View program.
Kentucky Camp celebrates its 100th year with a gala party at the site.
Thank you to the following who helped contribute to this timeline:
William Gillespie
Lew Orrell
Mary Farrell
Mark Doumas
Linda Hummel Roslund
T Johnson