▁enc ro achment ▁on ▁Moh ave ▁lands . ▁I rat aba ▁was ▁A ha ▁mac ave ▁y alt an ack ▁of ▁the ▁Moh ave ▁from ▁ 1 8 6 1 ▁to ▁ 1 8 6 6 , ▁but ▁from ▁ 1 8 6 7 ▁to ▁ 1 8 6 9 ▁opinions ▁differ , ▁and ▁by ▁ 1 8 7 0 ▁US ▁government ▁correspond ence ▁suggests ▁that ▁Hom ose h ▁qu ah ote ▁had ▁succeeded ▁him ▁as ▁leader ▁of ▁the ▁Fort ▁Moh ave ▁group . ▁ ▁M ining ▁vent ures ▁Probably ▁first ▁to ▁bring ▁national ▁attention ▁to ▁the ▁potential ▁gold ▁in ▁the ▁region ▁was ▁F . ▁X . ▁A ub ry , ▁who ▁in ▁ 1 8 5 3 ▁reported ▁finding ▁gold ▁at ▁a ▁crossing ▁of ▁the ▁Colorado ▁and ▁that ▁he ▁trad ed ▁for ▁legend ary ▁gold ▁bul lets ▁further ▁east ▁with ▁T onto ▁Apache . ▁ ▁New sp apers ▁across ▁the ▁country ▁copied ▁the ▁gold ▁strike ▁story . ▁ ▁Over ▁the ▁next ▁de cade ▁min ing ▁discover ies ▁up ▁and ▁down ▁the ▁lower ▁Colorado ▁River ▁valley ▁brought ▁min ers ▁into ▁newly ▁formed ▁min ing ▁districts . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁spring ▁of ▁ 1 8 6 1 , ▁Moh ave , ▁possibly ▁including ▁I rat aba , ▁a ided ▁a ▁group ▁of ▁prospect ors ▁discover ▁gold ▁in ▁E ld or ado ▁C any on ▁north ▁east ▁of ▁F t . ▁Moh ave , ▁site ▁of ▁first ▁min ing ▁r ush ▁to ▁the ▁immediate ▁area . ▁▁ ▁This ▁was ▁followed ▁by ▁the ▁discovery ▁of ▁the