Bob Ward: A Walk With the Past

June 28, 2010 © Thomas J. Kollenborn. All Rights Reserved.

Those of you who knew of Robert Lee Ward believed him to be a mountain man extraordinary. This is something no one could really deny him.

For some 30 years, Bob Ward hiked the trails of the Superstition Wilderness Area. He loved the mountains, the desert and stories that lingered there. I doubt I will ever meet anyone else who was so enthralled about the "wild" American West. The first time I met Bob he had his entire family over at Apache Land watching a western gunfight show.

Bob was here one day then gone the next. It happened so suddenly, even though I had known him for 30 years. He called me friend, I suppose because I loved the mountain and its history also. I called him friend because he was an undeniable part of these mountains. I did not like the mountains with the intensity he did, but I was totally absorbed with gathering the history and stories associated with them. When you listened to Bob he sounded like "lord of his domain," the Superstition Mountains. Treasure hunters came from around the country to talk to Bob Ward about his theories associated with the Peralta Stone Maps.

Bob's theory associated with hidden treasure in the Superstition Mountains centered on the Peralta Stone Maps. Ward believed in these stone maps with a very strong conviction that they were totally authentic. Bob was totally convinced he had deciphered the lines, marks and numbers on the stones. He made a presentation to me on a full moonlight night almost 30 years ago and even then I couldn't accept his theory. However, I didn't discourage his belief in the gold or the so-called Peralta Stone Maps of the Superstition Mountains.

Bob Ward at his cabin on Peralta Road c. 1984

I recall how excited Bob was when George Johnston and Clay Worst agreed to go on an expedition to see how he interpreted the Peralta Stone Maps. Bob guided the two men along the trail he believed to be the stone map trail. The trail Bob believed would eventually lead to the treasure of Superstition Mountain.

The 1970s passed, then the 1980s and by the 1990s I could see Bob's health was rapidly failing. I tried to encourage him to give up the cigarettes and the booze, but he couldn't do it. The cigarettes were slowly, killing him. The last 15 years of Bob Ward's life was spent living in or in close proximity of Superstition Mountain. Bob lived anywhere he could pitch a tent or build a lean-to. In 1984, Bob moved into an old cabin on a mining claim near the old Burn's Ranch on Peralta Road. He spent the next six years living in the cabin while Don Hensley tried to patent the claims the cabin was setting on. Bob made any place his home, whether it was a tent, old cabin or lean-to. He was a very clever and intelligent man. Bob was an excellent writer and a very good artist. He had a very good sense of humor that went a long way.

Ward in his final years tried to convince anyone who would listen that his theory about the stone maps was correct. I denied these attempts because I totally disagreed with the authenticity of the so-called Peralta Stone Maps. Ward believed these maps to be authentic and I believed them to be a hoax. Even though I disagreed with him, we still remained friends over the years. We both loved the same mountain, its history, legend and lore.

Bob's final days were spent trying to assemble his version of the lost gold of Superstition Mountain into a believable history for the people in the Apache Junction area. He had tried this with his Superstition Territory newsletter he printed off and on. I do believe Bob Ward accomplished this task when John Denmark published his book, The Ripples of Lost Echos. Bob was proud of his book and talked about it with me on several occasions.

The Last Great Search for the Lost Dutchman Mine

June 14, 2010 © Thomas J. Kollenborn. All Rights Reserved.

Read this post here.

Linesba's Lost Dutchman Mine

May 31, 2010 © Thomas J. Kollenborn. All Rights Reserved.

William W. Linesba, a mine operator from the Prescott area, became very interested in the Superstition Mountain area in late 1937. From November 1939 through April 1940 Linesba employed several miners from Superior, Arizona in a mining operation on the southwestern corner of Bluff Springs Mountain in the Superstition Primitive Area, later called the Superstition Wilderness Area and a part of the Tonto National Forest. This mine became known as the Lost Dutchman Mine No. I. Actually these were old diggings when Linesba's crew reopened them.

Linesba and his crew of miners staked out almost a square mile of mining claims in the area. Within this square mile Linesba believed the Lost Dutchman Mine was located. He was convinced these old diggings near the southwestern edge of Bluff Springs Mountain were Mexican in origin. Linesba had heard stories about Mexican prospectors in the area from old timers around Florence. He searched for the old diggings and located them. His development of these old diggings resulted in a small permanent camp a short distance from the shaft. The camp was located below Bluff Springs Mountain in a saddle between Bark Draw and Bluff Spring's Mountain Canyon.

When I was a young man my father took me by this old camp on several occasions. The first time I visited the camp I recalled seeing the wooden floors used for the tent cabins. I am not sure exactly what year this was, but it was in the late 1940s. There were four or five tent houses in the William's Camp. I was told the camp was named after Linesba's first name. Other sources have said the camp was named after a man that worked for Linesba named Charley Williams. Williams supposedly found a cache of gold bullion in the 1930s. As late as 1973 you could still find large pieces of the lumber used for these old tent house floors.

At the old prospect site there is still as very deep vertical shaft. The shaft is reported to exceed 120 feet in depth. Linesba had an excellent head frame and hoist system set up at the shaft. The waste dump exhibits considerable excavation while revealing no indication of minerals or profitable ore. This site certainly was not the Lost Dutchman Mine. These diggings left nothing but a scar on the natural beauty of the region. The shaft is not filled in to this day and is an extremely danger place to wander around.

William W. Linesba eventually built a small stone cabin at the entrance of Peralta (Willow) Canyon near a good source of water in 1939. After his death Linesba's wife lived in the cabin for several years.

I don't recall exactly the year the old Linesba Cabin was torn down, but I know it was still standing in 1959, the last year I worked for the Quarter Circle U Ranch.

Linesba didn't find the Dutchman's Lost Mine and like many others, he was very disappointed about his investment in the mine and the money other people had lost.

William W. Linesba died of natural causes in the Hotel La Posada in Holbrook, Arizona on Monday, June 10, 1941. According to the obituary, Linesba was a mining man from Prescott, but was well known around Holbrook because he spent time shipping Manganese ore from a mine in Long Valley near Prescott. His wife and daughter of Florence Junction survived him. Florence Junction is where his wife picked up her mail.

Linesba left his mark on the history of the Superstition Wilderness Area. His legacy will be remembered by all of those who recalled his Lost Dutchman Mine No. 1. This operation marked his legacy in the area near the base of Bluff Springs Mountain.

'Sunset' Gardner

June 7, 2010 © Thomas J. Kollenborn. All Rights Reserved.

Each Saturday morning back in the mid-'70s, I listened to the "Sunset" Gardner Show on KSTM Radio in Apache Junction. How many of you remember the "Sunset" Gardner Show on KSTM Radio?

Sunset Gardner is standing on the left in this photo of Ed Piper's
Camp c. 1959. Piper is the third from the right. Piper had
quite a camp near the base of Weaver's Needle
 as you can see by the large military tent in the background.

I had been teaching at the Apache Junction Jr. High School for about three years at the time. I listened to the show because Gardner often featured students from the Apache Junction Jr. High School on his show that had some speaking or singing talent. Our students would do weather forecast, sing songs, recite poetry and announce school events and news. Gardner worked hard to make his Saturday morning show a success. The show was very popular among parents and grand parents in Apache Junction. In fact, parents, teachers, community leaders often tuned to KSTM to hear the "Sunset" Gardner Show to express encouragement to students who participated.

I was involved with "Sunset" Gardner in a variety of community projects over the years. He was always willing to volunteer his time for community projects. There was the radio show on KSTM Radio with Ron Harkins, a variety show at Superstition Mountain Elementary School's auditorium, the talent show each year at SMES, the Apache Junction Public Events Series, and Senior Citizens Day. "Sunset" helped me on many occasions with my Prospecting the Superstitions Class I taught through Central Arizona College at night. He often rode along as a chaperone for my Jr. High School horseback field trip into the Superstition Mountains, adding a special dimension of knowledge to these trips. He was a very strong community minded individual and constantly worked to improve the community. I fondly remember "Sunset" Gardner and his ancient Gibson guitar as he played many our favorite old western tunes.

There was another, adventurous side to "Sunset" Gardner that I wasn't aware of at the time. He was an adamant searcher of the Lost Dutchman Mine. He had roamed the Superstition Wilderness Area since the early 1950s looking for the old "Dutchman" gold. To my amazement neither my father nor I had met him before. When Gardner lost his life in a tragic motorcycle accident on September 17, 1983, in Mesa, I learned a lot about his background. A close family friend gave me some photographs of "Sunset" when he was looking for the Dutchman's Mine around Weaver's Needle. These photographs included images of Edgar Piper, and his entire crew. The images linked "Sunset" with an interesting era of Superstition Mountain history. "Sunset" tried to convince both sides that bloodshed wasn't the answer to their problems. However both sides talked about killing the other side. That was the feud between Maria Jones and Edgar Piper 1956 through 1963.

I will never forget the time I was on the south end of Black Top Mesa with a couple of friends. We were inspecting and photographing the old tunnel dug by Hank and Henry Harnish and others in the early 1960s. I found a rock with a freshly carved map on it. The map was called the "Lost Donkey Mine Map," and shortly after I found the map we heard some rocks and debris tumbling down the slope of from the top of Black Top Mesa. We soon saw "Sunset" and one his friends approaching the entrance of the overhang we were standing under. This was an unusual meeting in the mountains between individuals so interested in the history and legend of the region. "Sunset" admitted he carved the "Donkey Map" and I admitted I found it. I still have the old stone "Donkey Map" "Sunset" carved that day while eating lunch on the side of Black Top Mesa.

"Sunset" Garner's life has a special niche in the history of Apache Junction and Superstition Mountain. His stories, laughter, and music will always be a part of this community's history. Many of us will never forget his desire to help children and his community. When he died, I was asked to deliver his ashes to their final resting-place, which I am not at liberty to reveal.

I only hope my final resting-place will equal the beauty, solitude and tranquility of "Sunset." Vaya con dios mi amiga.