During the 1920s, this winding dirt road was essential to settlement in the region, serving as a vital link between the fertile farmlands of the Safford Valley and the mineral wealth of the mountains around Clifton and Morenci. It was also used by cattlemen working their ranches. People relied on the land for survival, and Arizonians used these riches from the earth to make their living, a connection to the land that still exists today.