<br />There was considerable difficulty with locomotive boilers caused
<br />by brackish water obtained from the shallow wells along the right-of-
<br />way, To get better quality water, several deep wells were drilled at
<br />one location, and this location became known as Well Town, hence
<br />Well ton, Apparently, this water was not of too good a quality as the
<br />S,P, later pumped water from the Gila River to a tank on the northwest
<br />shoulder of Antelope Hill from whence it flowed by gravity to a tank
<br />at Tacna (now a siding called Noah by the S,P,) at Avenue 36,
<br />\ '
<br />One source says that "the station of Adonde was moved to the
<br />present site of Wellton. On October 18, 1899 the name was changed
<br />to Wellton, Robert Gael was placed in charge of the pump, , ." This
<br />statement has not been confirmed,
<br />
<br />There was a disastrous flood on February 12, 1931 when a c\oud-
<br />burst south of Wellton caused Coyote Wash to overflow its banks, Water
<br />was four feet deep in part of the business district (Arizona Avenue),
<br />Two lives were lost and property damage was extensive, A section of
<br />the railroad was washed out and trains were delayed for two days, Such
<br />a flood could not take place today due to the protective dike constructed,
<br />as a part of this irrigation project, on the south side of Mohawk canaL
<br />Runoff from a similar rain would be diverted westerly to Ligurta Wash,
<br />
<br />V,S. Highway 80, originally and for many years, was routed through
<br />Well ton on Arizona Avenue, The alignment was changed to its present
<br />location in 1953. Curb and gutter and other general improvements were
<br />added in 1965, Interstate 8, which bypasses Well ton on the south, was
<br />opened to traffic on the 32-mile stretch between Mohawk Pass and
<br />Ligurta on February 25, 1971. In 1976, Arizona Department of Transpor-
<br />tation abandoned the designation "V,S, 80" in Yuma and Maricopa
<br />Counties,
<br />
<br />A post office was established at Wellton on August 4, 1904, The
<br />First National Bank of Arizona opened its Wellton Branch in December,
<br />1953, Prior to 1967, there were four small domestic water companies
<br />that delivered domestic water to Well ton users, On July 26 of that
<br />year a treatment plant and town-wide distribution system were dedicat-
<br />ed, the water being obtained from Well ton Canal under contract by
<br />this District. The Town of Wellton was incorporated January 19, 1970
<br />with old timer, L, C, "Zeak" Hibbard, as its first mayor, In 197:3, a
<br />nine-hole golf course opened in Yuma County's Butterfield Park. The
<br />course is maintained by the Town of Wellton,
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