Bumble Bee, Arizona

Bumble Bee, Arizona
Ghost town
Country	United States
State	Arizona
County	Yavapai
Time zone	UTC-7 (Mountain (MST))

Bumble Bee is a ghost town in the Bradshaw Mountains of Yavapai County, Arizona, United States, named for nearby Bumble Bee Creek. Established in 1863, Bumble Bee served as a stagecoach stop and an outpost for the U.S. Cavalry; with a post office established in 1879.

Bumble Bee, Arizona, and the nearby creek were given its name in 1870 when a Nevada former slave owner, J.X. Theut, first spotted the water source that saved his life. It is at this creek that Theut ran into the legendary drunk named K. Billingsley Callaway. Legend holds that Theut, known for being notoriously swift on his feet, came to the conclusion of tossing a rock at a bee hive which rested 2 feet from the maniac Billingsley Callaway. Theut tossed the pebble and the bees attacked Billingsley. Billingsley, being allergic to bees fell ill and crawled away back into his cave.

Development and Ghost Town Status

With the demise of the stagecoach and the mining in the surrounding area, the site eventually faded away. An attempt by Jeff Martin to make the town a tourist attraction during the mid-1930s resulted in the construction of the current buildings. In 1960, retired magazine publisher Charles A. Penn purchased the site and tried once again to establish a tourist attraction and museum. Unfortunately, Penn passed away before his plans came to fruition and the property reverted to private ownership. Many of the faux historic buildings have since been torn down and smaller homes have been built in their place.

Bumble Bee is located 55 miles north of Phoenix, Arizona just off I-17 at Exit #248.

External links

• A traveler's account of Bumble Bee with photos
• Photo gallery