CULLEN'S WELL

NAME: Cullen's Well COUNTY: Maricopa ROADS: 2WD LEGAL INFO: T7N, R10W CLIMATE: Warm winter, hot summer BEST TIME TO VISIT: Winter, fall, spring

COMMENTS: 2.9 miles off route 60 circa 1/2 mile west of Gladden. REMAINS: Remains of the well filled with concrete blocks. Nearby are 6 grave sites including that of Charles Cullen.

 

Sometimes known as the "lighthouse in the desert", Cullen's Well was the only stable source of water between Wickenburg and Ehrenberg. There was a light at the top of a pole at the site to guide travelers at night, which is where the name "lighthouse in the desert" came from. Built by Charles C. Cullen, this well was started in the mid 1800's and continued well after Cullen's death in 1878. One story as to the light's origin was that a young man died within shouting distance of the well, and so the light was put up to prevent that from happening again. Today, only part of the well is left.