The Building of a Dream

February 9, 2009 © Thomas J. Kollenborn. All Rights Reserved.

Robert F. ‘Bob’ Schoose was born in River Grove, Illinois on August 23, 1947. Bob and his family moved to California when he was four years old. Bob grew up in and around Southern California and has been fascinated with prospecting and mining since childhood. After reading books like Treasure Island, Coronado’s Children, and Yaqui Gold he pursued his dreams. Much of his young adult life was spent around the Mohave Desert looking through old ghost towns, looking for lost treasure and mining gold, silver and tungsten.

Bob made his first trip to the Superstition Mountains in 1966 with his friend Art Dunbar. He fell in love with the mountains and the surrounding desert and planned to return someday. Bob did just that in 1970 when he moved to Mesa, Arizona. Using his own horses he packed supplies into Squaw Box Canyon for the notorious “Crazy” Jake between 1973 and 1974. This was an era when prospectors carried pistols and rifles protecting themselves from others. It was a period of uncertainty in the mountains. One man died of gunshot wounds while Bob packed for Robert Simpson Jacob (Crazy Jake). This and other things convinced Bob there were better things in life. One of those wonderful things was when he married Lou Ann in 1975. Together they have raised two fine sons and a wonderful daughter. They both had a dream to build a ghost town.

Early in the 1970s Bob had dreamed of someday owning his own Ghost Town in the desert. Schoose met “Doc” Rosencrans at his cabin on the Apache Trail one day. Doc mentioned Goldfield; then suggested Bob build a ghost town.

Bob took Rosecran’s comment seriously. He remembered stories about an old ghost town that use to stand near Superstition Mountain. When he finally found his way out to the site one day all that remained was a few concrete foundations, a rickety water tower, a rambling old shack used for a living quarters, and a small metal building. Bob found out Hub McErachan owned an old five-acre mill site that most of the territorial camp of Goldfield was located on in the mid-1890s.

Early in 1984 Bob and Lou Ann purchased the Goldfield mill site from Hub McErachan and started to build their dream, a living ghost town.

Hub McErachan owned and operated the Feed Bag Restaurant and the Long Horn Saloon in Apache Junction. Hub and Bob got together one day at the Feed Bag Restaurant and made the deal. When Bob told people what he had planned for the site, some said he was just a dreamer and his dream would never happen. If you know Bob Schoose, you soon found out he is a very determined man. Once he makes up his mind to do something he usually doesn’t change it.

His first construction project on his newly acquired acreage was the building of a mine tunnel from scratch. He started the project in 1985. He did not go underground with his tunnel because of insurance restraints. His entire tunnel and mine were actually created above the ground, but made to appear below ground; an illusion if you like. His reconstructed mine cage, tunnel, and stope appeared as real as reality itself.

While constructing the miner’s cage, tunnel and stope he also worked on his first snack bar. The mine tunnel and knack bar opened for business in December of 1988. Then construction soon began on the photo shop, Blue Nugget, General Store, Mammoth Saloon and the Goldfield Museum. The Blue Nugget and the Mammoth Saloon and Steak House opened in 1990, the general store in 1991.

The first major event held at the Mammoth Saloon and Steak House was a D.A.R.E. Charity Night. Officer Steve Greb and members of the Apache Junction Chamber of Commerce worked with Bob Schoose to make this event a big success.

Bob Schoose has always been community minded even in the beginning. One of Apache Junction’s most honored citizen’s lived on his property until his death. Bob provided a place for his trailer and helped Grady Haskins on many, many occasions. Grady was Apache Junction’s first constable and a combat veteran of World War II. Most old old timers will remember Grady for his kilts and the bagpipes he generously played for community events and funerals of fallen comrades.

Bob and Lou Ann continued to help their adopted community. Such charity organizations as the Goldfield Ghost Riders are based out of Goldfield. Their Ben Johnson Poker Ride for charity is a legend. The Schooses have long been a proud sponsor and supporter of this organization.

There is another story about Bob and Lou Ann that needs to be told. I suppose I am the best one to tell.

Early in 1980 the Superstition Mountain Historical Society was incorporated. Between 1980-1984 the society worked at trying to organize a strong and effective board of directors. I was a member of the museum. I contacted Bob Schoose and ask him about a site for our museum at Goldfield. When he first explained the deal we were convinced we could not accept his offer. Under Bob’s terms we had to build our own building. The historical society had no funds at the time and could not undertake such a task.

Early in 1989 Schoose started construction of the Goldfield Museum building as planned. Larry Hedrick and I went back and talked to Schoose about the museum. Finally a deal was hammered out between Schoose and the Museum board. Schoose decided to go ahead and build the building from Kollenborn, A-4 for the historical society. The museum would be required to complete the interior and maintain the building. Our rent would be a percentage of the admission tickets we sold. It was a wonderful deal for our fledging new museum. It amounted to almost a donation of the building to the museum’s board of directors. We finally had a building thanks to Bob and Lou Ann Schoose. This again revealed the generosity and community spirit the Schoose’s had. It also revealed their love for the history and legend of Superstition Mountain, Goldfield, the Lost Dutchman Mine, and Arizona. Their interest in preserving historical mining equipment and the way life was one- hundred and thirty years ago in old mining towns.

Bob Schoose accomplished the publishing of a pictorial history book on the history of Goldfield in 2008. This excellent book is available at the Goldfield Museum in Goldfield.

Goldfield Ghost Town has certainly led the way in preserving the history of mining and ghost towns in Southwest, Arizona and the Superstition Mountains. The efforts and cost the Schooses’ have made to haul mining equipment and machinery from all over the Arizona and the Southwest to Goldfield to help preserve the history of mining for future generations of Americans to enjoy is certainly meritorious. Bob says, “The building of Goldfield Ghost Town has been a family project since the beginning.”

Bob Schoose was recently named the Heritage Award recipient for 2009 on January 22nd at the Lost Dutchman Days Kick-Off Dinner. Schoose’s contributions and involvement in community affairs certainly merited this award. Gary Mulholland, chairman of the Lost Dutchman Days Rodeo Committee made the presentation.

Adolph Ruth: A Sad Tragedy

February 2, 2009 © Thomas J. Kollenborn. All Rights Reserved.

Read this article here.

Herman Mountain

January 26, 2009 © Thomas J. Kollenborn. All Rights Reserved.

The Superstition Wilderness Area contains many uniquely named landmarks. East of La Barge Canyon and north of the Upper Box in La Barge Canyon is a mountain known as Herman Mountain. Down in La Barge Canyon below the “box” just above the confluence with Whiskey Springs Canyon is located a small cave known to many as Herman’s Cave or Petrasch’s Cave.

When I often hiked these mountains during the winter months of the 1960s I spent several nights in Herman’s old camp in La Barge Canyon.

Herman Mountain was named after an old Arizona prospecting pioneer name Hermann Petrasch. He arrived in Arizona Territory in the early 1890s. He worked as a young man for Emil and Julia Thomas in Phoenix. Julia Thomas was a caregiver for Jacob Waltz in his final years. Waltz, some said, had a rich gold mine in the Superstition Mountains east of Phoenix. Waltz died in the home of Julia Thomas on October 25, 1891. Rhinehart Petrasch was with Julia when Waltz died. Many old timers believed Waltz gave clues to Julia and Rhinehart before his death. Soon after Waltz’s death Julia Thomas and Rhinehart planned a trip into the Superstition Mountains to search for the mine. Rhinehart convinced Julia that his brother Hermann would be a lot of help on such a prospecting expedition. Julia Thomas and the

Petrasch brothers, Hermann and Rhinehart, made a trip into the Superstition Mountains in August of 1892 believing they could find Waltz’s rich gold mine. It was a futile search under the worst of conditions. Temperatures were well above 105 degrees and the humidity was bad. And to make things even less tolerable was the problem of black gnats and insects. This was the Petrasches first trip into the Superstition Mountain range. The two young brothers would spend the rest of their lives probing the canyons and mountains of the Superstition range in search of the old Dutchman’s bonanza.

Rhinehart Petrasch, Hermann’s brother committed suicide in Globe, Arizona in 1943 ending his search for the Dutchman gold. Hermann continued his search for another decade eventually passing away at his cabin on Queen Creek near the Martin Ranch in November of 1953. Hermann loved to play the fiddle and was very good at it. Helen Martin, Billy Martin’s wife, said old Hermann use to go with them to the dances in Superior and played his fiddle. Prospectors, miners, adventurers, storytellers, authors and many other stopped by Hermann’s cabin on Queen Creek. Hermann always had a good story to tell, but he never shared those clues he believed were keys to the location of the old Dutchman’s gold. My father stopped and visited with Hermann many times between 1939 and 1952. We often made trips from Christmas, Arizona through Superior to Glendale, Arizona to visit my mother’s sister. My mother would occasionally bake Hermann an Apple pie. My dad would deliver it while we sat in the car. Of course he would visit with Hermann for a half-hour or so and then we would be on our way.

Prior to 1940s old Hermann spent many days prospecting the Superstition Mountains. He often worked for the Cleman’s Cattle Company repairing water holes. He was also good carpenter and worked on the old Reavis Ranch house in 1936. Hermann would work for the cattlemen around the area then spend a few weeks prospecting the mountains. Sometime around 1939, Bill Martin Sr. helped Hermann establish his American citizenship so he would become eligible for Social Security. Hermann eventually received a very small check from Social Security and was able to survive in his small cabin along Queen Creek.

The Petrasch name has always been a significant part of the Dutchman’s Lost Mine story. What the Petrasch brothers actually knew has always been controversial. Did Waltz reveal any information about his alleged mine to Julia and Rhinehart is still a big question today. The “great schism” in the Lost Dutchman story lies with the split between the Petrasch families and the Holmes families that dated back to the time of Waltz’s death in 1891. Shortly after Waltz’s death the Petrasches believed Dick Holmes stole Waltz’s gold ore that the old man kept under his bed in a candle box. Holmes always claimed old Jacob Waltz gave him the gold ore. This resulted in a strong separation between the two families even to this day. Interesting enough there are landmarks in the Superstition Wilderness Area named after both the Petrasches and Holmes. And again maybe the mountain was named after old Herman Petrasch. It could have been named after some cattle drover named Herman. However, I am willing to bet it was named after Herman Petrasch because of the 1956 USGS Topographic Survey in area and the collecting of names from local ranchers.