White Stallion of the Superstitions

September 1, 2014 © Thomas J. Kollenborn. All Rights Reserved.

I must confess I had never observed the white stallion of Superstition Mountain, but I had seen signs of him.

Several years ago an old friend, Dan Hopper, told me a story about a white stallion he and his father often observed in the Superstition Mountains during the 1960s. Dan talked about one particular trip he and his father had made down into Second Water Canyon.

As they hiked through Black Gap at the northeast end of Garden Valley they saw a beautiful white stallion on the skyline to the south.  Dan’s father took a picture of the stallion as it stood cautiously and watched them pass by. 

Dan quizzed me as to the origin of this beautiful stallion. I found his story extremely difficult to believe for several reasons. However, I knew Dan did not just make up stories. I respected his opinion and story about the white stallion in the Superstition Wilderness Area.

I decided to investigate the story by talking to several people I knew who had spent a lot of time in the Superstition Mountains between 1965-1995, a period of thirty years. On a cool December morning I rode into Needle Canyon to visit with Edwin Buckwitz. I asked Edwin if he had ever observed a white horse in the Superstition Mountains. He looked at me in an inquisitive manner and said, “Of course I have seen that great white stallion.”

Edwin had searched for the Peralta gold off and on since 1965. He was a very honest individual and never really lied to me about anything over the years. If he said he saw the white stallion, I could believe him. I continued to pursue the story of the white stallion. 

I worked for the Barkley Cattle Company in the late 1950s and I knew Barkley would have never allowed wild horses on his range. Any livestock other than the units allotted on his grazing permit cost him money. Barkley may have allowed a few of his own horses on his range, but never a stallion. Most of the horses owned by Barkley were geldings and I don’t recall him owning a mare. Gelding’s are less problems on a cattle ranch.

Another possible source of the white stallion was the Indian Reservation across the Salt River. Indian horses were known to cross the Salt River near the confluence of the Verde and then make their way up the Salt then into the Goldfield Mountains and across the Apache Trail into the Superstition Wilderness Area. The Indians had a lot of broomtail stallions on the reservation, and this could explain a white stallion in the Superstition Wilderness Area.

As I continued to search for possible answers, Dan finally produced the picture his father had taken of the white stallion standing on a ridge near Garden Valley. There was no question the horse was a stallion. I had not doubted Dan’s story, but I did want to corroborate it. I talked to another old friend—Chuck Aylor. He had also observed the stallion in the Second Water-Garden Valley area. Al Reser, an old timer prospector, also told me about seeing the stallion on several occasions. I was now convinced the white stallion existed.

I worked for the Barkley Cattle Company until June of 1959, and did not know of any horses that had been turned out on to the Barkley range. When William Thomas Barkley was no longer capable of managing the ranch because of health problems, I wondered if he might have turned his old horse out on the ranch. “Champ” wasn’t a true white, but a gray. Monte Edwards, a prospector and airline pilot, told me he saw the horse several times the winter of 1966-67. I must confess I had never observed the white stallion of Superstition Mountain, but I had seen signs of him. 

Several years ago I found out the truth about the White stallion near Second Water.  This beautiful animal had belonged to an old cowboy who lived in the eastern part of the Salt River Valley. He was diagnosed with a terminal disease and decided to release his horse in the wild. I just can’t imagine an old cowboy releasing a horse in the Superstition Wilderness Area knowing the rules and regulations the forest service has pertaining to unassigned livestock on Taylor graze. Secondly, it is difficult to believe the horse survived for almost two decades and evaded capture. The man who told me this story would not reveal the name of the man who released the horse.

From what I have been told the horse roamed the Superstition Wilderness Area for almost two decades. The white stallion had been observed from one end of the wilderness to the other. I was told the horse died of natural causes near Tortilla Ranch in 1984. This wild, white stallion could be the source of the name Whispering Horse Canyon near the Apache Trail about three miles east of Tortilla Flat.

The spirit of that white stallion still roams the rugged Superstition Wilderness Area in the minds of those who love to wander this endless and pristine region thinking about its’ legend and lore.

The Sage of the Superstitions

August 25, 2014 © Thomas J. Kollenborn. All Rights Reserved.

Doc Rosecrans when he first arrived to build his cabin along the Apache Trail and search for the Lost Dutchman mine.

There are not to many of us around anymore who recalled the old “Sage of Superstition Mountain” who lived along the Apache Trail northeast of Apache Junction. Many of us referred to him as “Doc” Rosecrans.

I first met Ludwig Grath Rosenkrantz in the spring of 1949. Father had stopped by to purchase Doc’s new book on the Superstition Mountains and the Lost Dutchman Mine. Our visit was short and interesting as “Doc” told stories about the Lost Dutchman Mine. At this time in his life Doc expressed a real interest in finding the Dutchman’s lost mine.  Rosecrans’ cabin was located along the Apache Trail northeast of Apache Junction about seven miles. One of his notable quotes when talking about the Lost Dutchman Mine was, “the only mine is in the mind of the believer.”

Rosecrans moved to the Superstition Mountain area in 1946, settling on a claim belonging to Mrs. Sina Lewis, an old woman he befriended. Doc had spent a couple of years around Amboy Crater in California searching for the Lost Peg Leg Mine. He made a trip over to Apache Junction and met Sina Lewis in the fall of 1945. He decided he liked the area and remained. It was at Sina Lewis’ suggestion Rosecrans built a cabin and filed on the Lazy Doc claim. He liked the geology of the claim and believed it had potential.

Rosecrans made several trips into the Superstition Mountains over the next forty years. He spent time around Black Top Mesa, Lewis Ridge, and East Boulder Canyon. People arrived at his doorstep from all over the world seeking information about the Lost Dutchman Mine. Rosecrans was more than happy to oblige them, but would always caution them about the mountains. “As for the mine,” he would say, “a lot of interest, but no substance.” His experience, information and philosophy led to his being called the “Sage of Superstition Mountain.” He became a legend within his own lifetime.

Who was Doc Rosecrans? Ludwig G. Rosenkrantz (his birth name) was born in Latah, Washington, on July 9, 1914. His father was a Veteran’s Administration doctor and was constantly on the move from one place to another. Rosecrans remembered as a child living on the Hoopa Indian Reservation. Growing up, he also lived at Fort McHenry in Baltimore, Maryland, then in Chicago, and finally in Memphis. Rosecrans attended Southwestern College in Memphis, but soon gave up a college education and moved to California in 1935.

When Doc arrived in California he planned on striking it rich. He even tried Hollywood for a while, playing the part of a Burgundy soldier in the film If I Were King. The film starred Ronald Coleman and Claire Trevor and was released in 1938. Doc always said, “I didn’t hit Hollywood by storm, as a matter of fact Hollywood hit me by storm. I was in, and then I was out.”

In California Doc became acquainted with billiards. His only means of support was hustling pool, primarily at a pool hall located at 6th and Union Streets in Los Angeles. His pool shooting expertise soon earned him the name of “Sixth and Union Street Doc.” He actually played exhibition games against the great “tuxedo players” such as Harry Oswald.

“It was a romantic way of life,” Rosecrans would often say. “You were always looking for a big sucker, the one hundred thousand dollar hustle. Of course those games never came. It was much like looking for the Lost Dutchman Mine or Lost Peg Leg Mine, but somewhat less vigorous.”

Doc remembered December 7, 1941. He recalled leaving for the pool hall that morning, wondering where the money to pay for breakfast was going to come from. He passed some workers on the street who informed him of the events surrounding the “day that would live in infamy.”

Doc was drafted into the United States Army Air Corps on March 5, 1942. He had basic training at Shepherd Field, Texas, and then was sent to radio school at Barksdale Field, Louisiana. He was assigned to the 17th Bomber Group, General Jimmy Doolittle’s group, as a radioman. A short while later Doc was reassigned as a writer to the Army Public Relations Department. He wrote for the Stars and Stripes.

While in the military during World War Two, Doc became a public relations writer. In this position he sent many interviews of enlisted men and officers to hometown newspapers across our country for printing. As a public information writer he toured the Austrian concentration camps of Gusen and Mauthausen. He told the stories of Hitler’s Nazi Party atrocities against humanity. His vivid descriptions of these horrible death camps were printed in newspapers in Memphis and other communities across America. Doc carried this horror with him for the rest of his life. What he saw at Gusen and Mauthausen had soured him on the human race.

Rosecrans was discharged from the United States Army in 1945 at Camp Atterbury, Indiana. After a brief visit with his family he returned to California, but he had lost his interest in pool halls and billiards. He decided to search for gold.

Prior to his move to Arizona in 1947, he searched for gold in northern California. He then moved his search to the Mohave Desert near Barstow. Doc was convinced he could locate the Lost Peg Leg mine if he had a dirigible. A dirigible captain suggested he give up his “wild idea” of searching for gold with a dirigible and move to Arizona and search for the Lost Dutchman Mine. This was always the story Doc told about how he decided to move to Arizona.

Lost gold mine hunting was certainly a solo way of life and he needed the isolation. He read John D. Mitchell’s book, Lost Mines Of The Great Southwest. It fired his imagination and eventually led to his decision to search for the Lost Dutchman Mine in Arizona.

Once settled in his cabin along the Apache Trail he turned to prospecting and writing. His first small book was titled Spanish Gold and the Lost Dutchman Mine.  The first edition was published in 1949 and the second was published in 1953. His book so enraged a pious contemporary expert on the Lost Dutchman Mine that Doc was sued for copyright infringement. This lawsuit was frivolous and never mounted too much, however it discouraged Doc from publishing any other books.

Not all of Doc’s writing was serious. His notebooks were filled with quips of witticism, and satirical statements. His final manuscript was written about life itself and what eventually happens to the soul. Rosecrans penned a manuscript titled The Kingdom of Reality. This manuscript was a very complicated and analytical look at life based on reality as understood by Rosecrans. The manuscript attempts to explain the unknown about life itself and it also projects the philosophical being of the author and the impact his war year experiences.

Another interesting aspect of Doc Rosecrans’ life was his attempt to make a claim to the James Kidd estate. This estate belonged to a very eccentric old prospector who disappeared on the eastern edge of the Superstition Mountains in the late 1940’s. Kidd left a handwritten will which basely stated, anyone who could prove the existence of a soul would be the sole heir to his estate. His estate was worth over five hundred thousand dollars. This just goes to prove Doc tried every avenue to accomplish his life goal of getting rich without much effort, but he even failed at this endeavor. See The Great Soul Trial by John G. Fuller, 1969 for more information about Rosecrans.

Visitors and friends from all walks of life visited with Doc and exchanged their ideas and life experiences. These people carried his stories and wit about life across America and around the world. Doc was a sounding board to many people who needed just to talk. They came to sit in his “old shack” to talk about the Lost Dutchman mine, Superstition Mountain, politics, religion, and life in general. The “old shack” had a certain amount of nostalgia and magnetism that attracted people and Doc always had the welcome mat out. Visitors included movie stars, Olympians, politicians, musicians, schoolteachers, police officers and members of the worldwide press. Doc had an amazing talent for wit that often dazzled his friends and visitors.

Ludwig G. “Doc” Rosecrans is gone. He passed away on April 7, 1986, in the Phoenix Veteran’s Hospital. He was buried with full military honors. He had a little bit of everything in his life and certainly he was a small part of history. Doc deserved the title of “Sage of Superstition Mountain.”

A Crowded Wilderness

August 11, 2014 © Thomas J. Kollenborn. All Rights Reserved.

Looking down on Apache Junction from high in the Superstition Wilderness Area.

Since the creation of the Superstition Wilderness Area in 1939, Americans have enjoyed the beauty and solitude of this special portion of the Sonoran Desert. This wilderness is a land of great diversity in both fauna and flora. The animals range from the delicate hummingbird to the large black bear. The flora exhibits a wide range of species from the giant saguaro cactus to the stately ponderosa pine.

This wilderness was created to preserve a portion of the Sonoran Desert, in its natural state, for future generations of Americans to enjoy.  Those who conceived the idea of this wilderness wanted to preserve the region because they visualized the future growth of the Salt River Valley. This growth has had a dynamic impact on the Superstition Wilderness Area over the past four decades. Forest Service Managers have not been able to solve all problems associated with uncontrolled urban sprawl. 

When the U.S. Department of Agriculture set aside 124,120 acres as a wilderness area in 1939 there was quite an outcry. The area was first reclassified as primitive area permitting cattle raising, recreation and mining. This classification became the backbone of the multi-use or purpose concept. The cattle industry had the loudest voice because the mining interests realized there was little potential within the boundaries of the wilderness except for prospectors and treasure hunters with a lot of dreams. The region was eventually closed to mineral entry on December 31, 1983. The wilderness was increased in 1984 by approximately 35,640 acres preserving the region around Haunted Canyon. 

The original designation of the area as “road-less” had little impact on people because driving in such an area was very limited anyway. The managers of the wilderness allowed access corridors within the wilderness. One was the nine- mile Reavis Ranch Corridor and the other was the three and a half-mile Tortilla Ranch Corridor.

From 1939 through 1962, there was little opposition or concern by the public of the Superstition Primitive Area. Between 1960-1965 there was considerable growth in the use of off-road vehicles and outdoor recreation. This public interest in the outdoors and the increased population in the valley created management problems for those who managed public lands.

Outdoor recreation groups organized and began to provide input as to what public lands should be used for. This resulted in a better-defined multi-purpose plan for public lands, however it did not address primitive public lands such as the Superstition Primitive Area.

The United States Congress passed the National Wilderness Act in 1964. The purpose of the bill was to set aside and protect certain scenic and unique areas in the United States for future generations.  Since the passage of this act, the demand on the Superstition Wilderness Area by hikers, backpackers, outfitters, and horsemen for economic and recreational purposes has far exceeded any original planning.  The problems of overuse became immediately apparent. Trail erosion, fire rings, pollution, decrease in wildlife, plant damage and mining all had an impact on future plans. The original management plan was soon obsolete. The impact of people on the wilderness has been reduced by a constant revision of plans and regulations.  The Superstition Wilderness Area, because of its close proximity to a rapidly expanding metropolitan area, has in reality become an urban wilderness for weekenders. During the week this region is quiet and peaceful, but look out on the weekends.   

Contrary to the philosophy of some, the wilderness has become an outdoor museum to history and legend, as well as a scenic wonderland of gigantic cliffs, towering spires, and deep canyons.  To preserve this unique character and solitude some very tough decisions will have to be made in the near future to control access. 

The Department of Agriculture has implemented a parking fee system at both First Water and Peralta Trailheads. The fee of four dollars a day is one way of controlling or reducing use. For this fee structure to succeed, limited parking will have to be enforced which will eventually lead to reservations similar to the Grand Canyon’s restrictions. We all know too many people loving a place to death, eventually leads to the strictest of regulations and control. Eventually the trailhead parking fees were lifted by the Department of Agriculture.

As a young man working on the Quarter Circle U Ranch just a little southeast of the Peralta Trailhead I recall a true and desolate desert frontier.  Huge herds of Javelina roamed the desert. I saw herds that numbered between thirty and forty.  Mule deer were so numerous they visited our windmill site daily.  There were even a few prospectors living in the hills. Hikers were virtually unknown in the 1950s. There were a few horses and riders, but they were few and far between. It was a different time, cattle roamed the range and we just about had the place to ourselves. 

Future planners must recognize the desperate need there is for open space, parks and green belts as they continue to cover the desert with houses.  The City of Apache Junction and Pinal County supervisors have an obligation to their citizens to preserve some of this desert for future generations. If the building of communities continue in this desert at a fast pace we will soon run out of water and probably decent infrastructure for the citizens of this county. The future of such places as the Superstition Wilderness Area lies in our hands.