This cross proudly stands atop the hills overlooking the small Arizona town of Superior. Around the time of its creation, much of the town’s residents were devout Catholics. So, on May 3rd, 1936, a group of miners set out to construct this monument overlooking their homes and workplaces, to be blessed by a town priest, …
The Superstition Wilderness is rich in history and legend. It seems you could spend a lifetime searching every canyon, turning every corner, and climbing every mountain, and still not see it all.ย While there is much to see, these dwellingsโbuilt around six-hundred years ago, and once called home by the Saladoโis perhaps the most interesting …
Read more “Ancient Salado Cave Dwellings In The Superstition Wilderness”
What youโre looking at, right here, is an ancient irrigation canal just north of downtown Tempe, Arizona. Thatโs right! And, itโs far from the only one in the Salt River Valley. It is believed that the Hohokam entered the region sometime around 300 B.C. They went on to build an extensive network of over five-hundred …
Read more “Prehistoric Hohokam Irrigation Canals, Phoenix Metro”
This historic graveyard, in Southern Arizona, is all that remains of the ghost town of Silverbell. Before Arizona became a state, and the west was still wild, mining activity, according to Arizona State University, began in the area during the 1870s with Charles Brown, a Tuscon resident. His work lasted only a few years before …
Read more “The Ghost Town Of Silverbell, And Historic Silverbell Cemetery”
The Homestead Act, enacted during the time of the Civil War, allowed for any U.S. citizen, or would-be citizen, to claim 160 acres of government land, provided they worked to improve the land through cultivation and other means, among other caveats. In the early 1890s, Charles Ludwig Veit, a german immigrant, claimed his 160 acres …
Read more “Historic Cabin And Springhouses Of Northern Arizona”
When you look at this, what do you see? The most obvious answer is a shell, but it is more than thatโit is ancient jewelry! It is likely this once belonged to a member of the Hohokam culture. Skilled craftsmen, the Hohokam were known for their many material accomplishments, including their shell ornaments. Trade is …
Having been up and down the Great 48, I can tell you, Arizona is one of the most diverse, interesting places, you can hope to live or visit. Even a number of dinosaur species, large and small, once called Arizona home. There are a number of prints that can be found across the state, some …
These small obsidian stones and volcanic glass are what’s known as “Apache Tears.” The story goes… In the 1870s, the military ambushed several scores of the Apache tribe on a cliff overlooking what is now known as Superior, Arizona. Many Apache were killed on the spot, and those that remained chose suicide as they ran …
Check out this beautiful Trough Metate! The accompanying grinding stoneโknown as a Manoโwould have been a perfect fit for this specific Metate, and not a good fit for any other, thus, not interchangeable. While the Basin-type Metates I have shared previously (visit link below) were intended for single-hand use and grinding in a circular motion, …
The scariest thing happened to me back in August 2020. And, because I love my mother and I know she will eventually read this, I will now retell it here. A friend and I were searching for ancient ruins in Northern Arizona. We knew where we were goingโhowever we had no trail to follow, at …