tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32383549118546174282024-03-05T13:57:33.907-08:00Tom Kollenborn ChroniclesBy Tom Kollenborn © 2022
Courtesy of the Apache Junction News and Apache Junction Public LibraryApache Junction Public Libraryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06825522419724799626noreply@blogger.comBlogger873125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3238354911854617428.post-30409771216996975472022-09-10T09:50:00.007-07:002022-09-10T09:50:48.737-07:00New Articles from 1997<div>Articles from 1997 have been uploaded using archive copies provided by Robin Barker. This is the total of all of Tom Kollenborn's articles for the <i>Apache Junction News</i>, 1997-2018.</div><div><br /></div><div>New articles in 1997 were:</div><div><br /></div><div><b>November 4, 1997: </b><a href="http://superstitionmountaintomkollenborn.blogspot.com/1997/11/canyon-lake-jewel-in-desert.html">Canyon Lake: A Jewel in the Desert</a></div><div><b>November 25, 1997: </b><a href="http://superstitionmountaintomkollenborn.blogspot.com/1997/11/circlestone.html">Circlestone</a></div><div><b>December 2, 1997: </b><a href="http://superstitionmountaintomkollenborn.blogspot.com/1997/12/john-churning.html">John Churning</a></div><div><b>December 9, 1997: </b><a href="http://superstitionmountaintomkollenborn.blogspot.com/1997/12/fools-canyon-gold.html">Fool's Canyon Gold</a></div><div><b>December 16, 1997: </b><a href="http://superstitionmountaintomkollenborn.blogspot.com/1997/12/af-banta-lost-mine-chronicler.html">A.F. Banta: Lost Mine Chronicler</a></div><div><b>December 23, 1997: </b><a href="http://superstitionmountaintomkollenborn.blogspot.com/1997/12/stone-writing-on-black-top-mesa.html">Stone Writing on Black Top Mesa</a></div><div><b>December 30, 1997: </b><a href="http://superstitionmountaintomkollenborn.blogspot.com/1997/12/bluff-springs-mountain.html">Bluff Springs Mountain</a></div><div><br /></div>Apache Junction Public Libraryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06825522419724799626noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3238354911854617428.post-18648327423368504152022-09-01T18:35:00.000-07:002022-09-01T18:35:09.409-07:00New Articles from 1998<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Molengo; font-size: 15.4px;">Articles from 1998 have been uploaded using archive copies provided by Robin Barker.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Molengo; font-size: 15.4px;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Molengo; font-size: 15.4px;">New articles in 1998 were:</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Molengo; font-size: 15.4px;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Molengo; font-size: 15.4px;"><b>January 13, 1998: </b><a href="http://superstitionmountaintomkollenborn.blogspot.com/1998/01/the-paint-mine.html">The Paint Mine</a></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Molengo; font-size: 15.4px;"><b>January 20, 1998: </b><a href="http://superstitionmountaintomkollenborn.blogspot.com/1998/01/weavers-needle.html">Weaver's Needle</a></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Molengo; font-size: 15.4px;"><b>March 17, 1998: </b><a href="http://superstitionmountaintomkollenborn.blogspot.com/1998/03/the-bark-ranch.html">The Bark Ranch</a></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Molengo; font-size: 15.4px;"><b>March 24, 1998: </b><a href="http://superstitionmountaintomkollenborn.blogspot.com/1998/03/searching-for-gold.html">Searching for Gold</a></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Molengo; font-size: 15.4px;"><b>March 31, 1998: </b><a href="http://superstitionmountaintomkollenborn.blogspot.com/1998/03/a-tv-explores-superstitions.html">A&E TV Explores the Superstitions</a></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Molengo; font-size: 15.4px;"><b>April 21, 1998: </b><a href="http://superstitionmountaintomkollenborn.blogspot.com/1998/04/wiggins-gold.html">Wiggins' Gold</a></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Molengo; font-size: 15.4px;"><b>April 28, 1998: </b><a href="http://superstitionmountaintomkollenborn.blogspot.com/1998/04/the-secret-of-bluff-springs.html">The Secret of Bluff Springs</a></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Molengo; font-size: 15.4px;"><b>May 19, 1998: </b><a href="http://superstitionmountaintomkollenborn.blogspot.com/1998/05/a-place-called-paradise.html">A Place Called Paradise</a></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Molengo; font-size: 15.4px;"><b>June 9, 1998: </b><a href="http://superstitionmountaintomkollenborn.blogspot.com/1998/06/goodbye-mr-arizona.html">Goodbye, Mr. Arizona</a></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Molengo; font-size: 15.4px;"><b>July 7, 1998: </b><a href="http://superstitionmountaintomkollenborn.blogspot.com/1998/06/the-ortiz-map.html">The Ortiz Map</a></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Molengo; font-size: 15.4px;"><b>August 18, 1998: </b><a href="http://superstitionmountaintomkollenborn.blogspot.com/1998/08/the-secret-of-haunted-canyon.html">The Secret of Haunted Canyon</a></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Molengo; font-size: 15.4px;"><b>September 22, 1998: </b><a href="http://superstitionmountaintomkollenborn.blogspot.com/1998/09/the-reavis-valley.html">The Reavis Valley</a></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Molengo; font-size: 15.4px;"><b>October 20, 1998: </b><a href="http://superstitionmountaintomkollenborn.blogspot.com/1998/10/the-spirit-of-cowboy.html">The Spirit of a Cowboy</a></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Molengo; font-size: 15.4px;"><b>December 29, 1998: </b><a href="http://superstitionmountaintomkollenborn.blogspot.com/1999/01/tortilla-flat-part-ii.html">Tortilla Flat</a></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Molengo; font-size: 15.4px;"><br /></div>Apache Junction Public Libraryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06825522419724799626noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3238354911854617428.post-90332935069251462672022-08-20T09:05:00.001-07:002022-08-20T09:05:21.453-07:00New Articles From 1999<div>Articles from 1999 have been uploaded using archive copies provided by Robin Barker.</div><div><br /></div><div>New articles in 1999 were:</div><div><br /></div><div><b>January 19, 1999: </b><a href="http://superstitionmountaintomkollenborn.blogspot.com/1999/01/the-golden-three.html">The Golden Three</a></div><div><b>February 16, 1999: </b><a href="http://superstitionmountaintomkollenborn.blogspot.com/1999/02/lost-dutchman-days-1999.html">Lost Dutchman Days 1999</a></div><div><b>March 23, 1999: </b><a href="http://superstitionmountaintomkollenborn.blogspot.com/1999/03/a-prospectors-life.html">A Prospector's Life</a></div><div><b>June 8, 1999: </b><a href="http://superstitionmountaintomkollenborn.blogspot.com/1999/06/wayne-ellsworth-barnard-storyteller.html">Wayne Ellsworth Barnard: Storyteller</a></div><div><b>June 22, 1999: </b><a href="http://superstitionmountaintomkollenborn.blogspot.com/1999/06/the-black-nuggets-of-pinals.html">The Black Nuggets of the Pinals</a></div><div><b>July 6, 1999: </b><a href="http://superstitionmountaintomkollenborn.blogspot.com/1999/07/the-log-trough-canyon-bear.html">The Log Trough Canyon Bear</a></div><div><b>July 13, 1999: </b><a href="http://superstitionmountaintomkollenborn.blogspot.com/1999/07/the-great-bicycle-race.html">The Great Bicycle Race</a></div><div><b>August 17, 1999: </b><a href="http://superstitionmountaintomkollenborn.blogspot.com/1999/08/youngsberg-junction-or-apache-junction.html">Youngsberg Junction or Apache Junction?</a></div><div><b>September 7, 1999: </b><a href="http://superstitionmountaintomkollenborn.blogspot.com/1999/09/redwood-trough.html">Redwood Trough</a></div>Apache Junction Public Libraryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06825522419724799626noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3238354911854617428.post-89882600331179780122022-08-13T09:47:00.008-07:002022-08-20T09:06:26.783-07:00New Articles From 2000<div>Articles from 2000 have been uploaded using archive copies provided by Robin Barker.</div><div><br /></div><div>New articles in 2000 were:</div><div><br /></div><div><b>February 29, 2000: </b><a href="http://superstitionmountaintomkollenborn.blogspot.com/2000/02/a-miner-with-claim.html">A Miner With a Claim</a></div><div><b>April 11, 2000: </b><a href="http://superstitionmountaintomkollenborn.blogspot.com/2000/04/from-gold-to-conservation.html">From Gold to Conservation</a></div><div><b>May 9, 2000: </b><a href="http://superstitionmountaintomkollenborn.blogspot.com/2000/05/lost-gold-found.html">Lost Gold Found?</a></div><div><b>October 10, 2000: </b><a href="http://superstitionmountaintomkollenborn.blogspot.com/2000/10/the-old-cow-tank-at-bluff-springs.html">The Old Cow Tank at Bluff Springs</a></div>Apache Junction Public Libraryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06825522419724799626noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3238354911854617428.post-81475882140267012572022-08-11T18:02:00.005-07:002022-08-20T09:05:57.456-07:00New Articles From 2001Articles from 2001 have been uploaded using archive copies provided by Robin Barker.<div><br /></div><div>New articles in 2001 were:</div><div><br /></div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b>February 6, 2001: </b><a href="https://superstitionmountaintomkollenborn.blogspot.com/2001/02/raptor-down.html">Raptor Down</a></li><li><b>April 23, 2001: </b><a href="https://superstitionmountaintomkollenborn.blogspot.com/2001/04/senners-gold.html">Senner's Gold</a></li><li><b>September 17, 2001: </b><a href="https://superstitionmountaintomkollenborn.blogspot.com/2001/09/september-11-2001.html">September 11, 2001</a></li><li><b>November 5, 2001: </b><a href="https://superstitionmountaintomkollenborn.blogspot.com/2001/11/cattle-history-of-superstitions.html">Cattle History of the Superstitions</a></li><li><b>November 19, 2001: </b><a href="https://superstitionmountaintomkollenborn.blogspot.com/2001/11/superstition-mountain.html">Superstition Mountain</a></li></ul></div>Apache Junction Public Libraryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06825522419724799626noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3238354911854617428.post-16218739043529786472022-08-09T17:15:00.008-07:002022-08-20T09:06:09.824-07:00New Articles From 2006Articles from 2006 have been uploaded using archive copies provided by Robin Barker. <div><br /></div><div>New articles in 2006 were:</div><div><br /></div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b>February 20, 2006: </b><a href="http://superstitionmountaintomkollenborn.blogspot.com/2006/02/burro-race-in-apache-junction.html">Burro Race in Apache Junction</a></li><li><b>April 10, 2006: </b><a href="http://superstitionmountaintomkollenborn.blogspot.com/2006/04/the-legend-of-billy-clark-crader.html">The Legend of Billy Clark Crader</a></li><li><b>April 24, 2006: </b><a href="http://superstitionmountaintomkollenborn.blogspot.com/2006/04/little-joe-roider.html">Little Joe Roider</a></li><li><b>May 1, 2006: </b><a href="http://superstitionmountaintomkollenborn.blogspot.com/2006/05/garden-valley.html">Garden Valley</a></li><li><b>June 26, 2006: </b><a href="http://superstitionmountaintomkollenborn.blogspot.com/2006/06/red-terror-on-apache-trail.html">Red Terror on Apache Trail</a></li><li><b>July 3, 2006: </b><a href="http://superstitionmountaintomkollenborn.blogspot.com/2006/07/circlestone-another-stonehinge-sic.html">Circlestone: Another Stonehinge?</a> (sic)</li><li><b>September 4, 2006: </b><a href="http://superstitionmountaintomkollenborn.blogspot.com/2006/09/diary-of-lost-mine-hunter-1907.html">Diary of a Lost Mine Hunter, 1907</a></li><li><b>September 11, 2006: </b><a href="http://superstitionmountaintomkollenborn.blogspot.com/2006/09/tall-tales-of-superstitions.html">Tall Tales of the Superstitions</a></li></ul></div>Apache Junction Public Libraryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06825522419724799626noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3238354911854617428.post-80961663819618808142022-07-05T17:11:00.009-07:002022-07-26T17:37:57.490-07:00UpdatesArticles from 2002, 2003, 2004, and 2005 have now been added using library archive copies of the <i>Apache Junction News.</i><div><br /></div><div>Articles from 2008, many of which had been missing, have now been updated with the correct text.</div>Apache Junction Public Libraryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06825522419724799626noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3238354911854617428.post-3797340222594133672019-01-01T00:00:00.000-08:002019-01-29T09:36:48.752-08:00October - December ArticlesOctober 13, 2018: <a href="https://superstitionmountaintomkollenborn.blogspot.com/2016/10/murder-conspiracy-at-u-ranch.html">Murder Conspiracy at the U Ranch</a><br />
October 20, 2018: <a href="https://superstitionmountaintomkollenborn.blogspot.com/2016/10/civil-war-in-superstitions.html">Civil War in the Superstitions</a><br />
October 27, 2018: <a href="https://superstitionmountaintomkollenborn.blogspot.com/2016/11/aerial-tram-on-superstition-mountain.html">Aerial Tram on Superstition Mountain</a><br />
November 5, 2018: <a href="https://superstitionmountaintomkollenborn.blogspot.com/2012/08/the-wings-of-santa-maria.html">The Wings of Santa Maria</a><br />
November 10, 2018: <a href="https://superstitionmountaintomkollenborn.blogspot.com/2014/05/fire-in-sky.html">Fire In the Sky</a><br />
November 24, 2018: <a href="https://superstitionmountaintomkollenborn.blogspot.com/2015/08/arizonas-first-zoo.html">Arizona's First Zoo</a><br />
December 1, 2018: <a href="https://superstitionmountaintomkollenborn.blogspot.com/2016/01/dr-ralph-fleetwood-palmer.html">Dr. Ralph Fleetwood Palmer</a><br />
December 8, 2018: <a href="https://superstitionmountaintomkollenborn.blogspot.com/2015/04/the-real-gold-of-superstitions.html">The Real Gold of the Superstitions</a><br />
December 15, 2018: <a href="https://superstitionmountaintomkollenborn.blogspot.com/2014/01/canyon-lakes-nautical-history.html">Canyon Lake's Nautical History</a> (with added photo)<br />
December 21, 2018: <a href="https://superstitionmountaintomkollenborn.blogspot.com/2015/12/christmas-eve-at-reavis-ranch.html">Christmas Eve at Reavis Ranch</a><br />
<br />Apache Junction Public Libraryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06825522419724799626noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3238354911854617428.post-22749769916209277072018-09-24T00:00:00.000-07:002019-01-29T09:19:46.664-08:00August and September ArticlesAugust 20, 2018: <a href="https://superstitionmountaintomkollenborn.blogspot.com/2015/06/arizonas-monsoon.html">Summer Storms</a><br />
August 27, 2018: <a href="https://superstitionmountaintomkollenborn.blogspot.com/2012/04/school-memories.html">School Memories</a><br />
September 1, 2018: <a href="https://superstitionmountaintomkollenborn.blogspot.com/2014/01/apache-junction-history.html">Apache Junction: A History</a><br />
September 10, 2018: <a href="https://superstitionmountaintomkollenborn.blogspot.com/2012/09/somewhat-stranger-than-fiction.html">Somewhat Stranger Than Fiction</a><br />
September 15, 2018: <a href="https://superstitionmountaintomkollenborn.blogspot.com/2016/09/secrets-of-missing.html">Secrets of the Missing</a><br />
September 22, 2018: <a href="https://superstitionmountaintomkollenborn.blogspot.com/2007/09/dismal-valley.html">Dismal Valley</a>Apache Junction Public Libraryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06825522419724799626noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3238354911854617428.post-36557358277806887732018-08-20T01:00:00.000-07:002018-09-28T13:22:03.553-07:00A Man and His Dream<b>August 13, 2018 © Thomas J. Kollenborn. All Rights Reserved.</b><br />
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Don Shade was an old timer when it came to Dutch hunting. He began his search with men like Barry Storm in the early 1950’s. Don considered Barry Storm a good friend. Don told me about how Barry moved the “Two Soldiers” story from the Mount Ord area to the Weaver’s Needle area.<br />
<br />
I recall one time sitting on the porch of the Bluebird talking to Barry Storm and Don Shade. Don made a couple of trips with Barry to Arizona when he was selling books. I don’t recall what year these trips occurred, but I am guessing it was in the early 1960’s.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh-5wfDS0qKRf-sdMynp6X57XXRGPeAC5ikfA9oYkguojAPDBVI4K5ooJqs5tfaIpzOAemp-RrOpxdDpeipkHsxW4yCtFMVJhDIsr_IPFqF4JslKK2JPT2o2aa1ETy1YACUGG9zWlxzSgj/s1600/DonShade2a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="630" data-original-width="680" height="185" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh-5wfDS0qKRf-sdMynp6X57XXRGPeAC5ikfA9oYkguojAPDBVI4K5ooJqs5tfaIpzOAemp-RrOpxdDpeipkHsxW4yCtFMVJhDIsr_IPFqF4JslKK2JPT2o2aa1ETy1YACUGG9zWlxzSgj/s200/DonShade2a.jpg" width="200" /></a>Don Shade was a dedicated and systematic Dutch hunter. He was reluctant to share his information with anyone. The last several years of his life were spent at the O.K. Corral in Apache Junction. Don became a close friend of Ron and Jayne Feldman, and he often helped out around the corral. When Don and I re-established our friendship, <br />
Don talked about some of the more bizarre possibilities associated with the Superstition Mountains and lost treasure. He tried to solve the mysterious content of several maps, especially those with cryptic symbolism.<br />
<br />
It was toward the end of 1980, Don Shade came across a cryptic map allegedly given to somebody by Marie Jones, the infamous adversary of Ed Piper, near Weaver’s Needle. It was the same map Charles Kenworthy had analyzed by several different universities, including UCLA, Harvard, MIT and Hebrew University in Israel, because he believed the map was in some form of Hebrew. The origin of the map was and still remains unknown; however, there were stories about its source. One story claims the map was originally found on a flat sheet of native copper. This sheet of copper had been rolled up and found buried in the Superstition Mountains at some undisclosed location. Kenworthy had worked on deciphering this map for several years.<br />
<br />
Don Shade found the map extremely interesting. The origin of the map was never established, but Shade eventually pronounced the map authentic and placed it in his book, Esperanza on page 104. Don claimed to have located a worked out mine from the information he gathered from this map.<br />
<br />
The site of the mine was in a rugged tributary of Old West Boulder Canyon. Several years ago, in late May, I rode into the canyon and packed Don Shade and his camp out of this area. On this particular occasion, Shade was really pleased to see me in his camp. It was getting hot, he was low on water and he needed to get out of the mountains. Don always kept sufficient supplies in camp. He always had lots of water hidden about his camp; however, this had been a dry year. As I was packing his gear, he said he could have lasted most of the summer if nobody had showed up to pack him out. He was seventy-six years old that spring.<br />
<br />
Don Shade had some unusual methods that helped him to interpolate his ideas with other original information. It was this type of research that led Don to the site near Old West Boulder Canyon twenty-five years ago.<br />
<br />
Don Shade never gave up his search for the Dutchman’s Mine. He did eventually publish his book, <i>The World Famous Lost Dutchman Mine: Esperanza* </i>in 1994. Don Shade was an intelligent and interesting individual. You might find a copy of his book in the City of Apache Junction’s Library. He was a kind and honest person dedicated to history and legends of Superstition Mountain.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn84N57nlFiF5H0tgNaPKokY0bIR89Rn8UeKMZ_2dqF2cdbJ6oyl1aPiALUXpIPk_N2nUQzI18g_wvhvzKDn1DiJQQkLsSV5Y2LPwZXMQb9LPs-Zubu6X7jBhOh8x-zJl7Gellxq5haqcP/s1600/DonShade1a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1449" data-original-width="1600" height="362" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn84N57nlFiF5H0tgNaPKokY0bIR89Rn8UeKMZ_2dqF2cdbJ6oyl1aPiALUXpIPk_N2nUQzI18g_wvhvzKDn1DiJQQkLsSV5Y2LPwZXMQb9LPs-Zubu6X7jBhOh8x-zJl7Gellxq5haqcP/s400/DonShade1a.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Don Shade in camp somewhere around West Boulder Canyon. I packed him out of the mountains on his last trip to West Boulder Canyon many years ago.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Donald Maurice Shade was born on August 28, 1915 in Hubbard, Iowa. Don was an outstanding athlete in high school. He was a four-year letterman in basketball and earned all-state honors as a shooting guard. Don attended college between 1935-1938 majoring in business law. Don Shade enlisted in the United States Army in 1940 and was discharged in 1946 as a Sergeant Major. Don fought in many of the major battles from Omaha Beach to Berlin in Europe during World War II. Don Shade was such a gentle soul to be such a brave warrior during a very violent time in our history.<br />
<br />
Shade became fascinated with the Superstition Mountains and its many stories in early 1950’s. For more than thirty-five years Don Shade researched libraries and prospected the Superstition Mountains. Don passed away on November 3, 1996, ending an almost four decade quest for the Dutchman’s Lost Mine. Let’s not forget such heroes of “the Greatest Generation.”<br />
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*<i>A note from the Apache Junction Public Library: A copy of Don Shade's book is available for checkout; there is also one in our Arizona History reserve collection. Please see library staff for assistance locating either copy.</i>Apache Junction Public Libraryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06825522419724799626noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3238354911854617428.post-69601181816687450102018-08-13T06:00:00.000-07:002018-08-13T06:00:10.798-07:00The Cowboy<b>August 6, 2018 © Thomas J. Kollenborn. All Rights Reserved.</b><br />
<br />
<a href="https://superstitionmountaintomkollenborn.blogspot.com/2014/08/the-cowboy.html">Read this week's article here.</a>Apache Junction Public Libraryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06825522419724799626noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3238354911854617428.post-88288237428816268862018-08-06T08:21:00.000-07:002018-08-10T08:21:52.490-07:00Hanging Starr Daley<b>July 30, 2018 © Thomas J. Kollenborn. All Rights Reserved.</b><br />
<br />
The first time I ever heard the story about the lynching of Starr Daley, it was from George “Brownie” Holmes. Holmes was a pioneer Arizonian. His father was born at Fort Whipple and his grandfather traveled along the Gila Trail in the late 1840’s. “Brownie” Holmes was a good friend of Nancy McCollough and Clay Worst. I am sure both of them heard the “Brownie’s” version of the hanging of Starr Daley along the old Roosevelt Road.<br />
<br />
I was talking to “Brownie” one day. He mentioned that he was an eyewitness to the hanging of Starr Daley at 4 a.m. on Sunday, May 6, 1917. The hanging occurred along the old Roosevelt Road, just off the old Florence-Goldfield Road and four miles north of Dan Kleeman’s ranch in Pinal County.<br />
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“Brownie” went on to explain that Starr Daley, alias Van Ashmore, was 26 years old at the time he was lynched by a large group of citizen vigilantes. The story was interesting, so I continued to research it for several years.<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7jVN5OVLn9hekFU_6iDxT5pQjbtukm85rzwug20NpVU6Q6Dtr2ttZr5T4wmayAVBa3jXYyxeOT4d-xgVkQLRLdoUtF3mfwi1hA2Zb7kHWPQTu90xvBKSUzjBUjL2ODlj1DrZwZeCIG8gL/s1600/073018.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="367" data-original-width="340" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7jVN5OVLn9hekFU_6iDxT5pQjbtukm85rzwug20NpVU6Q6Dtr2ttZr5T4wmayAVBa3jXYyxeOT4d-xgVkQLRLdoUtF3mfwi1hA2Zb7kHWPQTu90xvBKSUzjBUjL2ODlj1DrZwZeCIG8gL/s320/073018.jpg" width="296" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Starr Daley hanging from a telephone pole along <br />the Roosevelt Road north of the Kleinman Ranch. <br />The court ruled the hanging as a “justifiable homicide.”</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
I pieced together the following information from “Brownie’s” account, the New York Times article of May 6, 1917, and other information I was able to acquire:<br />
<br />
James Roy and Florence Gibson were returning to Tucson on May 3, 1917, after visiting family in Globe. They were driving along the Apache Trail about 23 miles east of Mesa when they decided to camp for the night. They pulled onto the old Superior highway and drove for a few more miles before stopping.<br />
<br />
Florence Gibson set about preparing supper, while James set up camp. Just at dark, a stranger rode in on a lathered-up horse. He was tired, and James Gibson offered him water. In return for this hospitality, Starr Daley shot James Roy Gibson in the back three or four times with a rifle. He then ordered Florence Gibson to disrobe, and if she didn’t obey, he would kill her also.<br />
<br />
Starr Daley assaulted Florence repeatedly throughout the night. On Friday morning, May 4, Daley ordered Florence to feed him and load the car. Florence refused to load the car unless Daley would take her husband’s body to the funeral home for burial. Daley grudgingly agreed.<br />
<br />
While driving toward Mesa, the car ran out of gas. Daley decided to walk to the nearest gas station, leaving Florence in the car with her dead husband. Florence flagged down the first person she saw and told them what had happened. The man she told was named Phelps. He reported the incident to Mesa’s Town Marshal Peyton. Peyton arrested Daley before he returned to the stalled car. Daley offered no resistance and was booked into jail on an open charge of murder and rape.<br />
<br />
Friday evening, Daley wanted to talk. He told how he had acquired a rifle and murdered Roy James Gibson and raped his wife repeatedly. Six jurors had earlier found Daley responsible for Roy Gibson’s death. Florence Gibson was spared testifying about Daley’s assault on her. After the hearing, Maricopa County Sheriff Wilkey returned Daley to his cell.<br />
<br />
Saturday, May 5, an angry crowd had formed in front of the Maricopa County Jail. By 10 p.m., the mob had grown to several hundred citizens. Sheriff Wilkey decided to transfer his prisoner to another jail. The sheriff loaded Daley into a car and started for Florence. The mob chased the Sheriff until they were able to overtake him. They were able to trap the sheriff near a bridge and take his prisoner at about 2 a.m. Sunday. They hauled Daley back to the scene of his crime, and there he would pay for his evil deed.<br />
<br />
Starr Daley swung into oblivion from the back of a car at 6 a.m., May 6, 1917. At daybreak, his body still hung from the telephone pole of justice in the desert, just west of Superstition Mountain, along the old Roosevelt Road. A coroner’s jury from Florence held an inquest and ruled Daley’s death as “justifiable homicide, by hanging, at the hands of unknown parties.”<br />
<br />
“Brownie” George Holmes later told me he drove one of Wes Hill’s stage line vehicles out to the lynching of Starr Daley. Was “Brownie” one of the actual participants of this hanging? I don’t know; he never said. But knowing “Brownie,” I doubt he would have physically participated in such a violent affair. This was officially the last lynching recorded in annals of Arizona history.<br />
<br />
Caption: Starr Daley hanging from a telephone pole along the Roosevelt Road north of the Kleinman Ranch. The court ruled the hanging as a “justifiable homicide.”Apache Junction Public Libraryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06825522419724799626noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3238354911854617428.post-65093104530150772872018-07-30T08:16:00.000-07:002018-08-10T08:18:28.383-07:00Are We All Americans?<b>July 23, 2018 © Thomas J. Kollenborn. All Rights Reserved.</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj53VkIf8uUy5V_oP9dAokNLvSIxc2IHUdUA2XAlsjydBdo5bFneXMDADUVctKSTLyiatS-0LBAFDP7sJjI5Os98VqSARZokmBIk4TEpbTS2FwvjcbckUTVkFZcfZ2rtbwTxdFzAkosljKq/s1600/072318.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1071" data-original-width="1600" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj53VkIf8uUy5V_oP9dAokNLvSIxc2IHUdUA2XAlsjydBdo5bFneXMDADUVctKSTLyiatS-0LBAFDP7sJjI5Os98VqSARZokmBIk4TEpbTS2FwvjcbckUTVkFZcfZ2rtbwTxdFzAkosljKq/s400/072318.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A special flag that had been draped over the coffin of a World War II veteran buried at Arlington National Cemetery was flown atop Superstition Mountain each Memorial Day from 1982 to 1992.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
The recent headlines that illustrated the danger of being a correspondent, columnist or employee of a newspaper were really a reminder and struck home for me.<br />
<br />
I have never really considered myself a correspondent, but maybe a storyteller of history and legend. When I read the news about the massacre at The Capital in Annapolis, Maryland, I couldn’t help but have part of my heart and soul torn from my body.<br />
<br />
During the past fifty years, I have worked with many news correspondents from all over these United States and the World talking about Superstition Mountain, its history and legend. Now I wonder what has happened to America after this tragedy. We, as a nation, must wake up. We are not conservatives, independents or liberals—we are Americans first. We all bled the same color on many battlefields, no matter our race, religion or politics.<br />
<br />
We are all Americans who believe in the Bill of Rights and the first ten amendments of the United States Constitution, which protects those rights.<br />
<br />
Each and every one of us should know them by heart. Today, the First Amendment protects our religion from government persecution, gives us the freedom of speech, freedom to peacefully assemble, freedom of the press and separates the government from any control or form of religion.<br />
<br />
First of all, and most important, we are all Americans. Americans have the right to disagree; but to take our disagreements to a violent level—we do not have that right. Too often these disagreements lead to violent altercations that end in death.<br />
<br />
What has changed in America during the past fifty years? Have we become so dangerous in our interactions with others today that we are all at risk?<br />
<br />
Freedom of Press is one of the most important parts of a free and open society. Reporters try to report the news by interviews and research. Most newspeople do their very best to report the news accurately with interviews and photographs.<br />
<br />
Anytime a government tries to censor the freedom of the press, they are moving toward a dictatorship or an authoritarian type of government where the Bill of Rights is no longer part of that government.<br />
<br />
If you don’t remember the Bill of Rights, you should take the time to review it on your phone or computer, or go to the library and read it.<br />
<br />
Today, many people talk about the Second Amendment as the only amendment of the Bill of Rights. I am also a strong adv<br />
ocate of the 2nd Amendment, but some people should not have firearms in our society today.<br />
<br />
They claim that without arms, we would have no rights. Of course that depends on who has the arms. There are many dictatorships in Central and South American controlled by those who have the guns. There are many people in our country today that would suspend the Bill of Rights if they could.<br />
<br />
One of the most important rights is the Freedom of the Press. This is the right to know what is going on, from the White House to down the street. Transparency is important in government, so Americans know what is going on in their country. This information is supplied by those who work for the various news agencies, and these are the eyes and ears of America, not social media as many people think. More phony news comes from social media than anywhere else. Yes, some news sources are biased, but we as Americans have a choice and selection of our source of news. This country is being torn apart by extremist and phony politicians. Somebody needs to stand up and say, “We are all Americans.” It is most important that we are Americans and believe in the “Constitution” of the United States of America. “United we stand, divided we fall.”<br />
<br />
With all my heart and soul, I want to believe those staff members of The Capital did not die in vain for doing their jobs of reporting the news.Apache Junction Public Libraryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06825522419724799626noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3238354911854617428.post-40646605034861186612018-07-23T08:15:00.000-07:002018-08-10T08:15:35.016-07:00William A. Barkley: Cowman<b>July 16, 2018 © Thomas J. Kollenborn. All Rights Reserved.</b><br />
<br />
<a href="https://superstitionmountaintomkollenborn.blogspot.com/2010/04/william-barkley-cowman.html">Read this week's article here.</a>Apache Junction Public Libraryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06825522419724799626noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3238354911854617428.post-83805361704863946342018-07-16T08:14:00.000-07:002018-08-10T08:14:42.036-07:00A Point of Reference<b>July 9, 2018 © Thomas J. Kollenborn. All Rights Reserved.</b><br />
<br />
I have spent nearly seventy years in the Superstition Mountain area. I first arrived hear with my dad in 1946-47. My dad was always fascinated about the area, because of his best friend Bill Cage. Cage worked at the Christmas Copper Company as a blacksmith. He’d been a blacksmith all his life, and he loved to tell stories about his experiences looking for gold in the Superstition Mountains, as they were called in those days. Today we call the area the Superstition Wilderness Area. When I first worked in the area, they called it the Superstition Primitive Area. This designation was first established in 1939. The Tonto National Forest knew this region as a multi-use for many years.<br />
<br />
I was born in 1938, on the eve of this area being designated as such. Also, in April of 1938, the Phoenix Don’s Club dedicated the “Dutchman’s Monument” in Apache Junction at the “Y” intersection for the Apache Trail and then U.S. Highway 60. Highway 60 today is known as the “Old West Highway” and “Superstition Freeway.” How things have changed in the last fifty years or so.<br />
<br />
Not too many years ago, I remember George “Brownie” Holmes, talking about the past seventy years of his life and legendary search of the Washington D.C. Dr. Adolph Ruth in the early 1930’s. Well, I can talk like that now. I can remember so many different interesting historical events that occurred in these mountains. The word “history” is defined as a “chronological record of significant events, often with an explanation of their causes.” The word historia is French, but of Greek origin. Most of my writings are very chronological and pay attention to dates.<br />
<br />
Yes, George “Brownie” Holmes’ life was a chronological history of the Superstition Primitive Area, the land of “Multi-use”. As I recalled, “Brownie” drove a stage over the Apache Trail, he worked for William Augustus Barkley on the Quarter Circle U for many years, and he searched the Superstition Primitive Area for the Dutchman’s Lost Mine believing until he died in 1980, the mine existed.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcsSYIBXcA9APx1JRI7I0cq6wWeMB1bmRfqZ2l1fF0BkaJ-0h6tk591XpsYnrLFA-P254t77Ybv1vSpBeTlJevhyphenhyphen-tzlBeuBfQIBUqT-f_UqNXoB8Su0BjMXl6zXxYjz90A0ctXpu8jEVN/s1600/070918.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1075" data-original-width="1600" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcsSYIBXcA9APx1JRI7I0cq6wWeMB1bmRfqZ2l1fF0BkaJ-0h6tk591XpsYnrLFA-P254t77Ybv1vSpBeTlJevhyphenhyphen-tzlBeuBfQIBUqT-f_UqNXoB8Su0BjMXl6zXxYjz90A0ctXpu8jEVN/s400/070918.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The discovery of Ruth’s skull in December 1931 placed “Brownie” Holmes’ photo in almost every major newspaper in America.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
You might say “Brownie’s” life was an epoch on the history of the region. I was most fortunate to interview “Brownie” and talked to him on the phone on many occasions about the mountain, the people associated with it and the infamous Dutchman’s Lost Mine. Holmes’s chronological history of the infamous Ruth case and events associated with it are of historical significance today. “Brownie” Holmes led the Phoenix Archaeological Expedition that discovered the body of Dr. Adolph Ruth on December 10, 1931, and ended one of the longest searches in Superstition Mountain history.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyHapFtxhwmBhdTcDFfUyqOXGVjbjfz7zVRQzysrDssbYD0yJFRAgZOPe1j_aKZ0a9gC5_vEqrNK5Cy-HTCiJeCzYVwLVujESyBtE4neHnmK3-7mrSamp9A5fP-iFnaDQkfiPRwrBqREPR/s1600/070918_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1150" data-original-width="1600" height="286" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyHapFtxhwmBhdTcDFfUyqOXGVjbjfz7zVRQzysrDssbYD0yJFRAgZOPe1j_aKZ0a9gC5_vEqrNK5Cy-HTCiJeCzYVwLVujESyBtE4neHnmK3-7mrSamp9A5fP-iFnaDQkfiPRwrBqREPR/s400/070918_2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I continued my father’s interest, but enjoyed recording the history of the people who lived in this rugged land. Today, July 9, 2018, I will celebrate my 80th birthday.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Yes, George “Brownie” Holmes was very friendly with me, and we often talked in his later years. He always displayed equivocal comments when it came to clues about the Dutchman’s Lost Mine in the Superstition Mountains. This was certainly the type of behavior you would expect from individuals who believed they might know where this rich mine was located.<br />
<br />
Like “Brownie” Holmes, Clayton Worst and others, the secrets of this legendary mine have been kept for more than a century. Bob Corbin gave up his search and now believes the mine was in the Bradshaw Mountains near Prescott. Clay continues to believe it is still out there in the “Wilderness.” Ironically, because of my father and Bill Cage, I have never believed this rich gold mine existed deep in the Superstition Mountains. Yes, lots of gold was mined in the Goldfield area and along the eastern fringe of the Superstition Wilderness Area. Even old Bob Garman found placer gold along Hewitt Canyon, but not enough to make a living on. Bob took me out to Hewitt Canyon and showed me there was placer gold in the area.<br />
<br />
I will never find a lost gold mine, because I just don’t believe in them. My real gold is gathering and recording history, and I hope some day it will be valuable to others. I have made my contribution in books I have written, journals I have kept and letters I have collected from all over the world. All of this proves to be a worthwhile “point of reference” to the history of this region.<br />
<br />
Yes, I make mistakes, and I hope you research it and find the correct answers. That is what history is all about. I have certainly found my gold of Superstition Mountain.<br />
<br />
<br />Apache Junction Public Libraryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06825522419724799626noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3238354911854617428.post-58975754912131661622018-07-09T08:09:00.000-07:002018-08-10T08:10:40.966-07:00Bull Riding Comes to AJ<b>July 2, 2018 © Thomas J. Kollenborn. All Rights Reserved.</b><br />
<br />
Wow, I would have never believed it, but bull riding has come to Apache Junction. Not a bull riding machine, but professional rodeo bulls and bull riding cowboys on a weekly basis. This Apache Junction event occurs every Saturday evening at 8:00 p.m. at the Hitching Post on the Apache Trail and Lost Dutchman Blvd.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaqZWqqTAHEruhe5ooXx510TJa16GRTH-fCAMuSeekqOM7dqPE5c1VUUiTmkiVh8pYjIWeNCbo3CUV1CHLWZTJLcJr9QnVnGFhQbKk6VfEZ0boRjHU2SVzeNtppVSUTtKlTAx15KUA0x4a/s1600/070218.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="960" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaqZWqqTAHEruhe5ooXx510TJa16GRTH-fCAMuSeekqOM7dqPE5c1VUUiTmkiVh8pYjIWeNCbo3CUV1CHLWZTJLcJr9QnVnGFhQbKk6VfEZ0boRjHU2SVzeNtppVSUTtKlTAx15KUA0x4a/s400/070218.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">8 seconds on one of these bad boys is what it takes to qualify for a score. Photo taken at 2018 Lost Dutchman Days by Krista Paffrath.</td></tr>
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You might ask: “What does bull riding have to do with the history of the Superstition Mountains?” Well my friends, this is a gathering of people who are interested in cowboys, cowgirls, bull riding, trail riding, horses in our area, and even some storytellers who like to talk about the old Lost Dutchman Mine.<br />
<br />
The professional bull riding idea emerged almost three years ago when the owner of the Hitching Post, Mehmood Mohiuddin decided he needed something to help preserve the cowboy tradition and attract business. He thought, why not professional bull riding? Eventually, he made contact with a young man who had a professional bull riding circuit in the Salt River Valley. He had small bull riding arenas around the valley, with one located in Cave Creek, and now the prospect of one in Apache Junction. He brought in real certified PRCA bucking bulls and riders for Saturday night programs. Also, they sponsored calf and sheep riding on Thursday nights for the younger ones and some amateur riders that are new bull riders. Many members of the Apache Junction cowboy community loved the idea and bought into it. Mo, being an entrepreneur, liked the idea and invested. However, local homeowners disagreed with this activity along the Apache Trail, because it included all kinds of cowboys, including singing cowboys and concerts. Now here is the other side of the story.<br />
<br />
The Apache Trail—from Apache Junction to the old site of the Fish Creek Lodge—has been a commercial avenue since 1909.<br />
<br />
Today, we have Tortilla Flat, Canyon Lake, Dolly Steamboat, O.K. Corral Stables, Lost Dutchman State Park, Bluebird Mine, Goldfield Ghost Town Tours, Superstition Mountain Museum, Hitching Post, Filly’s, Cowboys Up and others who cater to the flavor of the old “Cowboy West.” <br />
<br />
Residents that move here should recognize the fact the “Apache Trail” is now a very commercial avenue with between six and nine thousand cars using the Apache Trail (SR88) on a daily basis during the winter months. Alt<br />
hough there is always room for compromise, commercial ventures should not be over-regulated because of residential demands.<br />
<br />
In 1986, I was involved with a committee to designate the Apache Trail as a historic highway and to preserve it as it was for the future. Few people stood up in support of this designation back then. Residential homes should not be constructed near a commercial avenue such as the Apache Trail and most land planners know this. Traffic, noise, dust and pollution are associated with the increased volume of traffic and visitors to the area by means of the Apache Trail.<br />
<br />
Some years ago, the city of Apache Junction decided not to use the symbol of the iconic burro and prospector for their focal point. It was decided that the cowboy would be far more fitting. The funding was found and the “Cowboy” became the center of the Focal Point and Apache Junction.<br />
<br />
The old prospector and burro retired and the cowboy image replaced them symbolically.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvyN2IkH-bTUgFQzd0neRi7MFIF8ds4XnNxvnvQc4TUf1WYijTFq99vUAXctvP8Ys42y8ODbtr6jT6lpyFvuD0GDiwkaNngtPklDsAIv0BogLpdHUxvJNpjAjRDX-lgwN6Qvxfr8YDrIZq/s1600/070218_2.tif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="997" data-original-width="1600" height="248" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvyN2IkH-bTUgFQzd0neRi7MFIF8ds4XnNxvnvQc4TUf1WYijTFq99vUAXctvP8Ys42y8ODbtr6jT6lpyFvuD0GDiwkaNngtPklDsAIv0BogLpdHUxvJNpjAjRDX-lgwN6Qvxfr8YDrIZq/s400/070218_2.tif" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The cowboy image at the focal point was adopted by the city in favor of the traditional prospector.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
My friends, the Hitching Post has become as cowboy as you can get in Apache Junction. You can slow progress down, but you can’t stop it.Apache Junction Public Libraryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06825522419724799626noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3238354911854617428.post-79324389984459764892018-07-02T08:05:00.000-07:002018-08-10T08:06:42.248-07:00Legacy of Jack Flint<b>June 25, 2018 © Thomas J. Kollenborn. All Rights Reserved.</b><br />
<br />
<a href="https://superstitionmountaintomkollenborn.blogspot.com/2015/07/legacy-of-jack-flint.html">Read this week's article here.</a>Apache Junction Public Libraryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06825522419724799626noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3238354911854617428.post-7661708036721825632018-06-25T08:01:00.000-07:002018-08-10T08:04:26.079-07:00AJ High School Year Books: A History<b>June 18, 2018 © Thomas J. Kollenborn. All Rights Reserved.</b><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDCDx4KA28KzR2vMRPk6YVtkbLk89StcuNsCesEcoCt7TGikg1D3V6uCOV6UKlbRRAzbraj1bymC2Qz8l1thv1ipVlfqTyAO7MTQuJCXF7umg5T1nkleK3l8v2Sq7fzZim8fRT1BTsD8nY/s1600/061818.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="582" data-original-width="1600" height="145" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDCDx4KA28KzR2vMRPk6YVtkbLk89StcuNsCesEcoCt7TGikg1D3V6uCOV6UKlbRRAzbraj1bymC2Qz8l1thv1ipVlfqTyAO7MTQuJCXF7umg5T1nkleK3l8v2Sq7fzZim8fRT1BTsD8nY/s400/061818.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">These are the AJHS yearbooks at the Apache Junction High School Library.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I am writing this article because of my belief in preserving history. All the students of Apache Junction Unified School District are a part of our community’s history, and the annual yearbooks for the high school are a significant part of this history.<br />
<br />
It is important to to our community to preserve these books as a record of our students who spent time in our school district. It is especially important to students who attended high school here and now live all over the United States of America and the world.<br />
<br />
The Apache Junction High School had a collection of these yearbooks available for review, but they cannot be removed from the library.<br />
<br />
The late Carol Sheppard, under the direction of District Superintendent Barry Sutter, gathered up these yearbooks for a repository at the Apache Junction High School Library.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMjbvyXL8WssEijyUOWJPTRwi3AsCjaXCD7s0gAmbLi5B035Cr8u84s_T1qXLMwNL4bPTzk6R_NsSlGllb11JZibRkZegUegaGomG-wIs52T7KbLAfR8xG49VwOvgwOV2Fxl4BJg0fy0Qk/s1600/061818_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="960" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMjbvyXL8WssEijyUOWJPTRwi3AsCjaXCD7s0gAmbLi5B035Cr8u84s_T1qXLMwNL4bPTzk6R_NsSlGllb11JZibRkZegUegaGomG-wIs52T7KbLAfR8xG49VwOvgwOV2Fxl4BJg0fy0Qk/s320/061818_2.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The AJHS student body is known as the Prospectors. <br />I took this photo of the Prospector’s (Dutchman’s)<br /> Monument in 1948.</td></tr>
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As I recall, the ALS/PES committee provided a grant for this repository at the Apache Junction High School Library.<br />
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Today, security is a top priority in American schools, and that has made it very difficult to access the yearbooks in the center of the high school campus. Special permission is required to access the campus for any reason.<br />
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The history of our school district is well preserved in the many annual yearbooks. There are approximately forty-five year books in the Apache Junction High School Library.<br />
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I have several Jr. High School yearbooks in my personal collection, but there are no Jr. High School yearbooks in the High School’s repository. These records are significant and very important to preserve for future generations.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8hwMSwflISdu37rkwMNWA1mzvag4cFvO4AoV5bQY0uvZLQgeJvzt_zK5Kl32uLUSi4swfu-8ZfDaCm14OQtY7O9IX-hW0NmChcSa8QGrKZ42CBH_VlclWrKvgi-ThwdJRXRwGx3GQP3vr/s1600/061818_3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="960" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8hwMSwflISdu37rkwMNWA1mzvag4cFvO4AoV5bQY0uvZLQgeJvzt_zK5Kl32uLUSi4swfu-8ZfDaCm14OQtY7O9IX-hW0NmChcSa8QGrKZ42CBH_VlclWrKvgi-ThwdJRXRwGx3GQP3vr/s400/061818_3.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> A view of the high school’s mall.</td></tr>
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Presently, a 55-year Apache Junction High School reunion is being planned by a group of AJHS students. The chairman of the committee is Luanne Adair Brummond. They are meeting regularly to coordinate this 55-year Reunion for Saturday, October 6, 2018, from 5:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. at Prospector Park on north Idaho Road in Apache Junction, Arizona.<br />
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Tom Olmstead and Chris Beaty are scheduled to be guest speakers. There will also be a mixer at Apache Junction Elk’s Club on the Apache Trail and Lost Dutchman Blvd. in Apache Junction from 6:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. on Friday, October 5, 2018.<br />
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From what I understand, 2,700 to 3,000 Prospectors from the classes of 1963 to 2018 have responded so far to posted information.<br />
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The Apache Junction City Library is also trying to build a complete collection of Apache Junction High School yearbooks and Jr. High School yearbooks. Many of us recommend that a duplicate collection of these yearbooks be set up in the Apache Junction Public Library.<br />
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Our students have spread their wings and soared. Apache Junction Unified School District can be proud of these students who have gone forth to meet the challenges in this modern world of business, arts and professional fields.<br />
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We will see you at the 55-year Reunion of the Apache Junction High School in Apache Junction, Arizona.<br />
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For those who want to register for the Reunion, you can email: AJHSReunion@Yahoo.comApache Junction Public Libraryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06825522419724799626noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3238354911854617428.post-546282087529815622018-06-18T07:59:00.000-07:002018-08-10T07:59:43.332-07:00Flash Flood<b>June 11, 2018 © Thomas J. Kollenborn. All Rights Reserved.</b><br />
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<a href="https://superstitionmountaintomkollenborn.blogspot.com/2015/06/desert-flash-floods.html">Read this week's article here.</a>Apache Junction Public Libraryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06825522419724799626noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3238354911854617428.post-64759751941776742352018-06-11T07:58:00.000-07:002018-08-10T07:58:47.932-07:00A Deadly Vision<b>June 4, 2018 © Thomas J. Kollenborn. All Rights Reserved.</b><br />
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<a href="https://superstitionmountaintomkollenborn.blogspot.com/2014/07/a-deadly-vision.html">Read this week's article here.</a>Apache Junction Public Libraryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06825522419724799626noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3238354911854617428.post-20342924700149762852018-06-04T07:57:00.000-07:002018-08-10T07:57:59.887-07:00Arizona's Summer Storms<b>May 28, 2018 © Thomas J. Kollenborn. All Rights Reserved.</b><br />
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<a href="https://superstitionmountaintomkollenborn.blogspot.com/2016/06/arizonas-summer-storms.html">Read this article here.</a>Apache Junction Public Libraryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06825522419724799626noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3238354911854617428.post-471592496483659702018-05-28T07:57:00.000-07:002018-08-10T07:57:10.847-07:00Memorial Day on Superstition Mountain<b>May 21, 2018 © Thomas J. Kollenborn. All Rights Reserved.</b><br />
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<a href="https://superstitionmountaintomkollenborn.blogspot.com/2016/06/memorial-day-on-superstition-mountain.html">Read this article here.</a>Apache Junction Public Libraryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06825522419724799626noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3238354911854617428.post-16197923671977953162018-05-14T00:00:00.000-07:002018-05-14T00:00:03.928-07:00Guide Books of the Superstitions<b>May 7, 2018 © Thomas J. Kollenborn. All Rights Reserved.</b><br />
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<a href="https://superstitionmountaintomkollenborn.blogspot.com/2011/08/guide-books-of-superstitions.html">Click here to read this article.</a>Apache Junction Public Libraryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06825522419724799626noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3238354911854617428.post-24953705547796836682018-05-07T00:00:00.000-07:002018-05-07T00:00:05.621-07:00Dust Storms or Haboobs<b>April 30, 2018 © Thomas J. Kollenborn. All Rights Reserved.</b><br />
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<a href="https://superstitionmountaintomkollenborn.blogspot.com/2017/07/dust-storms-or-haboobs.html">Click here to read this article.</a>Apache Junction Public Libraryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06825522419724799626noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3238354911854617428.post-47059994550477705152018-04-30T00:00:00.000-07:002018-05-05T16:23:26.916-07:00Our Desert Lands<b>April 23, 2018 © Thomas J. Kollenborn. All Rights Reserved.</b><br />
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<a href="https://superstitionmountaintomkollenborn.blogspot.com/2007/10/our-desert-lands.html">Click here to read this article.</a>Apache Junction Public Libraryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06825522419724799626noreply@blogger.com