The Jail Tree — Attraction in Wickenburg

As we were on a travel for oddities this was on the radar to check out. The tree itself has attracted so much tourism since the 1930's. Back in the day the attraction was just the tree and a safe along with the sign.

Jail trees were commonly used to incarcerate a person by chaining that said person to a tree. These trees were used in the Arizona Territory and on the American Frontier in the 19th and 20th centuries. Jail trees were also used in Australia. Some of the trees are still around.

In Wickenburg during the years 1863- 1890 the town didnt have a jail. So when offenders would commit crimes, they would be locked to this tree until an official from Phoenix would come and place them in custody. I am thinking Sheriff Joe used some history re: his outdoor tent camps. Just my opinion.

An artist names Seward Johnson did a sculpture of a lifesize human on the platform. Complete with prison clothes and tattered socks. This was created in 2009. There is a speaker that is supposed to tell the tale if you press the button. On my day of visit the button didnt work.

The grounds are in very good condition. There is a bench for you to sit should you decide. This tree is a 200 year old mesquite.

Would def recommend - especially if you are into roadside attractions or even obscure history. Some say this tree was not used for this and this attraction was created for just that " Tourism Purposes" However from all of the research I have done, this is one of the oldest trees in Wickenburg, they didnt have a real jail, and the officials would come from Phoenix to collect offenders, and jail trees were notoriously used in Arizona. So I will leave this for...

If you love random history stuff or adding off stuff to your roadtrip it’s worth pulling over for a few minutes to check out. Please don’t pull over in the street. Space is limited and roadway small. There is a parking lot behind the jail tree and walkway right to it. This tree (yes it’s real) sits right behind a circle k. There’s a statue of a man in a jail uniform chained to the tree. Beck when Wickenburg was first established there was no jail. So what’s the next best possible thing for those who chose to break the law? Chain you to a tree in the blazing sun and winter desert temps depending on time of year. This mesquite still stands to tell our future generations about the past and to remind you how much better conditions...

We took a ghost tour of the vulture gold mine near wickenburg. They claimed that about eight people were hung from this tree even though it seems to be a little short for a hanging tree. Apparently anybody that stole gold from the mine would be dealt with quite severely. In other words they were hung. It is claimed that they're a lot of ghosts in the area although we didn't hear or see any the day we were there. It's a little pricey to go through but your money is helping to restore the old buildings. And the folks are doing a great job of doing so. So we were happy to donate...