Samuel C. Miller
History of Arizona, Vol II, Thomas E. Farish, 1915, pg 257

Samuel C. Miller was one of the Walker Party, the first to 
discover gold in Northern Arizona.  He was the youngest 
member of this exploring band and was in many respects a 
very remarkable man.  He was born in Peoria Illinois 
November 4, 1840.  At the age of 15 he crossed the plains 
to the Pacific Coast with his parents, making the entire 
journey on foot.  He joined the Walker Party at the age 
of 22 to explore the wilderness of Arizona.

This account is taken from the Journal Miner of 
October 13, 1909:
In the early days Mr. Miller took passengers along 
with merchandise Pullman accommodations abarred.  He 
left Hardyville on the Colorado River on one trip 
loaded to the brim on the main deck and in the trail 
wagon there were three families.  George Banghart was 
among the passengers and with his wife, and four young 
ladies.  Mr. Miller says he was "skeered" up somewhat 
as the route of his journey lay through the Wallapai 
country.  The trip was uneventful until Beale Springs 
was reached and the many wagons were parked for the 
night.  As the sun was setting the horizon seemed to 
be alive with Indians and it seemed to Mr. Miller that 
the entire tribe was in action.  Suddenly, the head 
man of the tribe, Wauba Yuba, rode up and demanded a 
treaty saying that the horses and mules and the flour 
was all that was needed.  The argument was brief.  Mr. 
Miller reached for his Hawkins rifle and sent a bullet 
crashing through the lungs of the Indian, tearing a 
hole in his body as big as his hand.  Immediately there 
were preparations made to resist an attack.  However, 
the entire band disappeared and from that time on there 
was no sign of Indians.  The rifle that did the 
"business" is still in possession of Mr. Miller and 
may be seen at his home in Prescott.  There is one 
woman residing in Prescott today who was present that 
critical evening: Mrs. E.W. Wells, a daughter of the 
late Mr. and Mrs. Banghart.  She is the wife of Judge 
E.W. Wells and in the 1860's shortly after the memorable 
event she was married.

Just before the advent of the railroads into the territory, 
Mr. Miller disposed of his freighting interests and engaged 
in mining and ranching.  He located a ranch in the early 
days about a mile and a half from Prescott in what is 
known as Miller's Valley, where he lived for many years 
until his death on October 12, 1909.  He is survived by 
four sons and a daughter.

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