Wiccan Road To Ghosts -

Algert- Some of the school building and walls of the trading post remain from what began as the Blue Canyon Trading Post opened by Johnathan Williams in 1882. he gave up prospecting and became a trader. In 1889, it was taken over by the Federal Government Indian Service which started an agency and school in 1900. It did have a post office in 1900 that closed in 1903.

Anita- The Anita Mines are six miles West of this small station were named b y their owner Ferd Nellis after a member of his family. The mines opened about 1898. Stages from Bass Camp met tourists here. the post office came in 1914 and discontinued 1918.

Antelope Springs- Four or five miles East of where Flagstaff (the railroad station and later the town would be. The railroad came through in 1883, a tree was chosen and denuted and used as a flagpost. and as businesses moved nearer to a new station the area became known as the old down. It is now inside Flagstaff.

Apex - Section House used by railroad workers - shot from the cab of the Grand Canyon Railway Locomotive Heading North - Building is on the west side of the tracks

Apex- At milepost 52 on the old Grand Canyon Railroad with just scrapes and trash remaining. Originally the old, Grznd Cayyon Raiload company town for their construction crews. It lasted from 1928 to 1936 complete with a school and all other amenities of a town but never secured itself a post office.

Bellemont/Volunteer- Take I-40 West and exit at 185. Numerous buildings to explore from this 1942 Navajo Ordnance Depot, close to the little community of Bellemont and very close to the Santa Fe Railroad.

First called Volunteer, this small lumbering community on the A.T. & S.F RR was changed to Bellemont in 1882. Since early trritorial days there was a stage and relay station on the Northern Arizona route. The ruins of two inns were still standing in 1930.

Here the military stored ammunition and explosive, packed it and shipped it off. Most of the workers were from the Navajo Indian Reservation. To try and make the Indians feel like they were at "home" in this new landscape, the military build a Navajo "town" with traditional "hogans" (Navajo houses) and a Trading Post. Here worked more then 2.000 native Americans during the Second World War. A little staff of Arizona National Guard runs today, all facilities.

Canyon Diablo- Located off I-40 across from the old Route 66 stop of Two Guns, within the Navajo reservation. Update: The Navajo Reservation, where the ruins are located, is planning to rebuild this town as a tourist attraction including one large stone building and part of another. Post office came in 1886 and discontinued 1918. Wells Fargo came in 1885.

Clarkville- Post office estblished in 1898 and discontinued ? and named for the Postmaster.

Doney Park/Deadman Flat- Originally called Deadman Flat. the post office came in 19222 and discontinued 1924.

Garland Prairie/Snyder's Hole.- Post office established in 1881 as Snyder's Hole and discontinued in 1881.

Greenhaw- Post office for a mining mill camp , two or three miles East of Flagstaff. Post office came in 1903 and left 1904.

Jacob Lake- A small settlement with a post office established in 2933 till 1955.

Lee's Ferry- A tiny settlement next to the Colorado River at the end of a side road 6 miles from ALT US 89. Take SR 89 north, thereafter take SR 89A. The village is named after John D. Lee, a Mormon settler with 17 wives who established a ferry there in 1871 while in exile following his role in the massacre of 70 emigrants near St. George, Utah. The ferry provided the only crossing of the river for nearly 60 years until a bridge was built a few miles downstream, where the present day route 89 crosses now.

The only thing that remains is the peaceful Colorado River. This was the only place where it was possible to cross the Colorado River after Marble Canyon in the 1900's. A wagon road named Honeymoon Trail, followed Vermillion Cliffs from Utah to the East, crossed the Colorado River by Lees Ferry, and continued to the South along Echo Cliffs. The name Honeymoon Trail came from just married Mormons who traveled this way in closed prairie wagons from Central and East Arizona to bless their marriage in the temple at St. George, Utah, and then back to Arizona.

Millville- Near Mormon Lake but what may be there is unknown, unlikely much. The Mormon church which persuaded the USPS to establish a post office from 1879 to 1882 that established Millville as a mill site.

Red Lake- A small settlement as the railroad to Grand Canyon was being constructed. Post office established in June , 1888 and discontinued in September, 1888.

Riordan- Small lumbering camp with a post office 1917 and discontinued in 1925.

Ryan/ Coconino - Located in the Coconino National Forest southwest of Jacob Lake are found many ruins of buildings, mining operations; two standing structures. Ryan was a mining town; its original name was Coconino, but was changed to Ryan after the main owner From the extensive ruins, the mine was quite productive, but only for a short time. It had a post office, but it was in operation for less than six months (in 1902), an indication that the copper available for extraction was probably not as large as originally thought.

Tolchico-There are two stone-walled ruins, one of a substantial building, and the foundations of the community's well are still visible. Located on the banks of the Little Colorado River, it was the site of a relatively important ford of the river; it was first opened by Hermann Wolf, who also established a trading post some two miles north along the Little Colorado. PO established in 1903 and discontinued in 1922.

Two Guns- Waiting for you on I-40 about 30 miles east of Flagstaff with its own exit. There are extensive ruins of 20th century commercial enterprises, 19th century old national highway and some Indian ruins.

Two Guns was, in the past, the site of a major confrontation between the Navajos and the Apaches in the 19th century. The town's modern history begins when folks recognized it as an easy place to cross Canyon Diablo--first, by wagon, and then later by motorcars. It was originally called "Canyon Lodge" when the National Trail Highway moved westward; when the Trail was re-named Route 66, the site's name was changed to Two Guns, because the proprietor of the facilities located there was one Henry E. Miller, who called himself "Two Gun Miller"(for reasons unknown). During the heyday of Route 66, Two Guns became one of the numerous tourist traps along the way, with a gas station, overnight accommodations, a food emporium, etc., as well as the zoo (signs of which are still visible from the Interstate)

Two Guns went into decline with the building of Interstate 40; although numerous resuscitations have been attempted (including by the owner of The Main Event, in Quartzsite), it is today fenced off and not accessible to the general public. There is a caretaker who is quite vociferous about keeping people away in order to make certain that what is left is not vandalized or stolen. The old bridge across Canyon Diablo which was a part of the National Trail and Route 66 is still standing; there are also numerous ruins associated with the zoo, as well as the remnants of buildings associated with various eras of Two Guns's past. There are also the abandoned (modern) gas station and the campgrounds buildings, both visible from the Interstate.

Dear Irene, I was happy to get a letter from you and that you and Mildred are ok and doing fine. Irene, I tried to draw you a diagram, maybe it will give you some sort of an idea of the lay of the land around Uncle Bill's old horse camp. As Cap showed me the place Cap worked for Uncle Bill for quite some time I think. He had a lot of funny tails to tell me about he and Uncle Bill. Now this old house is a rock house part of it has fell down there was the front room still standing when we were there.

Cap pointed out to me where the trail leads out to for them to get a bucket of water. They had to go clear down to the bottom of Canyon Diablo to get a bucket of water you will see the little draw or canyon like leading down near the cabin to the north east. Now this was only the old horse ranch. The main ranch was somewhere over on the Little Colorado River. I wouldn’t have any idea where it was only Cap said it was about 50 miles from the ranch to Holbrook. It would be west of Holbrook.

Now all that country around the old horse ranch and around the old meter crater country and on south to the rim of the Monolog Mountains was uncle Bill's cow range. And of course north to the Little Colorado River. He sure had a large range. Uncle Bill told me that the country around there used to be the best grass country in the world for cattle. Grammer and Buffalo grass. Cattle was always fat. Now the main ranch over on the Little Colorado River was where Grandpa Roden lived and raised up his children there and when Grandpa Roden died he left the ranch and horses to Uncle Bill and the cattle was to be devided up between the girls so Uncle Bill established the range around where his old horse camp was as his own range and he branded his cattle and horses pitchfork and the girls all had a brand of their own.

My mother's cattle was branded APL I don't know what the other girls branded theirs. When my dad and mother were married they sold the APL cattle to my Uncle Charlie Chapman and my dad and mom went to Oklahoma for a while took up a claim and bought some more cattle that was branded (cross ell) We later drove them west as you all know. Drove them to Santa Rosa New Mexico then later on to Arizona. Well that is about all there is to it Irene except when my mom saw that she had some cattle to look after she decided she needed a cowboy.

So my dad was a young gay cowboy and he was the boss of the West End range for the Hash Knife Cattle Co. Headquarters Ranch at Holbrook. So one night at a dance in Holbrook my mom spied that gay young caballero boss of the Hash Knife Cattle Co. range so she set her cap for him and he fell like a ton of brick. That was my lucky day or else I wouldn't be here now. Well Irene I will have to go now. I will say bye for now give my love to Mildred and I sincerely do wish for you and Mildred the very best of good health and many good blessings With Love, Uncle Perry.

Back in 1978, there was a campground there. The owner at the time was kind enough to tell some stories about the place. He told a story about a group of Calvary soldiers attacked by Indians there. They were out numbered and with nowhere to run they holdup in a small cave there. They had to shoot their horses and stack them in front of the cave for protection. They held off the attack for three days until help arrived to rescue them. He told us to look for evidence of the battle and he was right. I found the cave and looked around the area. I found 6 or 7 arrowheads, a few Indian beads, a few brass Calvary uniform buttons, and numerous bullets.

He also told me about an old trading post a few miles east of there witch I found the next day and picked up a few more arrow heads. It was a great time. In 1999 my wife and I went back to find the place all fenced off. Not well known, but Canyon Diablo is suppose to have been even wilder and more wicked than Tombstone. Originating as a railroad town in 1880 when construction of the railroad halted until they could build a bridge over the canyon. There was a delay due to finances. It was not until 1890 that the rail bridge was completed. No law existed here since the nearest law enforcement was over 100 miles away and the robbers and cutthroats had their way. Drifters either moved on or ended up in the cemetery. The saloons, gambling houses and brothels ran 24 hours a day and never closed. Once building of the bridge was completed, the town soon died.

A trading post replaced the town when the original town disappeared. It was a shack town. Two lines of buildings faced each other across the rocky road on the north line of the right-of-way. They extended east one mile from the yellow-painted depot. It was the railhead for Flagstaff, Prescott, and other towns west and south...a regular stage line also operated between Flagstaff and Canyon Diablo." "Along Hell Street stood fourteen saloons, ten gambling dens (or poker flats), four houses of ill-repute and two dance pavilions which were hardly more than houses of ill-repute themselves. None of the shacks were substantial buildings, being green lumber frames covered with tin, tarpaper, and canvas. Wedged between these places were eating counters, and a grocery and dry goods store. Few had a name lettered on their drab, unpainted false fronts.

The houses of prostitution were untitled. The favorites were owned by Clabberfoot Annie and B.S. Mary (the initials stand for what you think they do)...their competitive places faced each other across the dusty, stony road.

The boot hill cemetery where 35 graves were once seen, their wooden markers & fences now gone, and the few that were covered with stone now indiscernible. The only grave left is of Herman Wolf, a trader who passed away in 1899 - and the only person buried there to have died peacefully. The majority of the graves, unmarked and mass, are North and South of the tracks, as well as along the Eastern edge of the canyon. Of the six peace officers that served there, not one of them lived longer than a month in the position. One man put on his badge at 3 p.m. and was laid out for burial by 8 p.m. The army took over law enforcement, but before they arrived, they completed the bridge and the town dried up, with nothing left of the 2,000 people in he old town. The town was bigger than Flagstaff at the time.

Today, only the trading post, the grave of Herman Wolf, and the spot where the station once stood. Four outlaws robbed a Sante Fe train in 1889, 43 miles East of Flagstaff. The loot was taken up Canyon Diablo to the cedar thicket where the spend able loot was divided and the diamond jewelry, rifles and watches were buried on the rim. Herman Wolf operated a trading post for thirty years of the Little Colorado River between 1869 and 1899. He made tens of thousand in gold and silver coinage. He never banked a penny. His thirty- year accumulation is estimated around $250,000 and remains buried somewhere near his old store on the Little Colorado river just off of the California-Sante Fe Trail near Canyon Diablo. Some small caches were found near his old store over the years but the "big one" eludes hunters.

East of Canyon Diablo trading post on the other side of Highway 40, near the Meteor Crater is Diablo Canyon which stretches about fifty miles North and South and ends in the San Francisco Wash. In the Northeastern area of Diablo Canyon about seven miles South of Two Guns in the late 1920s, an Apache Indian told about an old Indian ambush of white miners near Meteor Crater that were killed. No gold nuggets were found and some believe the cache is buried somewhere nearby. The Indians mentioned an old stone corral and stone structure, some sort of cabin.

Winona/ Walnut- A tourist camp established in 1920 on the old Santa Fe trail. When the highway was moved the community dies. A post office came in 1924 and discontinued in 1943.

Ashurst Run - William Ashurst owned a ranch near a good spring, now known as Ashurst Run, 25 miles Southeast of Flagstaff. He buried several cans full of gold coins somewhere on his property that were not recovered.

Clark Valley, "Little Valley" had oulaws bury a large sum of silver bard in an old 40-foot deep mine shaft on the side of a slope and covr it over. It is beloved to be within one mile of the Lower end of Lake Mary on the rim of the Little Valley n the San Francisco Mountains.

Grand Canyon-In 1903, Jake Johnson and his brother saved an Indian's wife and as a reward taken to a treasure cave by a Paiute Indian. The cave contained vast quantities of Aztec gold and silver from the South rim of the Grand Canyon. They were blindfolded, one day ride South of the Pipe Spring and rode another four days. At the base of the Grand Canyon, they entered a cavern. They searched for years but were never able to find the cave again. "Long Tom Watson" found some old papers in 1910 of some buried loot, namely a cache of gold nuggets which age hidden behind a waterfall that exists only in the spring of the year in the vicinity of Havasaupai Village in the Grand Canyon. The site is West of the old Tanner Trail in the Grand Canyon, approximately four miles North of Highway 64. Watson was on his way out of the canyon to the Arizona strip via the old Horse thief Trail from Morgan Point when he saw a falls. Behind it was a cave and inside a bushel of gold nuggets. As he was leaving, he fell and broke his leg. He made it back to the Buggelin Ranch but left the treasure behind. He never did find it again and committed suicide.

Flagstaff- Roy Gardner, train robber and gunrunner concealed $15,000 in gold coins in the cone of an extinct volcano near Flagstaff around 1906. another tale tells of the owner of an Indian trading post, north of the peaks from Flagstaff that in the 1800s buried the profits from his store in jars and cans around the fences on his property. The caches number in the hundreds. Just west of this trading post is an outlaw cave, holding a cache of gold coins.

Lukeville- The Germ Nazi regime cached millions of dollars in treasure in an area between Yuma and Lakeville.

Mexican Pocket- In the 1880s, twelve bandits buried their loot in various caches in Mexican Pocket, South of Flagstaff. Several caches turned up but many more are still lost out there, suspected to be in excess of $80,000.

Painted Desert- Curly Walker buried $100,000 in outlaw loot near his stone, fort-like headquarters in the North end of the Painted Desert. The ruins are visible and somewhere nearby, the loot waits.

Roger's Lake- Outlaws Henry Corey and Ralph Gaines stole 8 gold bars and held up a stagecoach in Flagstaff. The loot, said to lowered in wooden kegs through the ice to the bottom of the lake

San Francisco Mountains - Bars of gold in hiding in the San Francisco Mountans. If stamped with the markings of territorial assayers, they would have significant numismatic value.

Sycamore Canyon-Outlaws and cattle rustlers used sycamore Canyon- for fifty years during the 1800s, as a hideout. Large caches of treasures are hidden throughout the area.