Hello Everyone,

As we continue through our session of haunted places in Arizona this one is a little different from the others. It is not a building or a cemetery but a place within the Earth. The haunted place is Vulture Mine in Wickenburg, AZ. The Gold mine to be more specific.

Wickenburg:

Named after Henry Wickenburg who was also the founder of the Vulture Mine, the town first started being established in 1863. Although some buildings and settlers with gold in their eyes already lived in the area that town did not take off until then. Much of the surrounding area is named after the first prospectors who ventured to the area as well.

The town is primarily in Maricopa County but a good portion of it lies within Yavapai Country also. With a bloody history from the start the town did help pave the way for grounding other settlements in Arizona such as Phoenix itself.

Vulture Mine:

The Vulture Mine came with the town, or more correctly stated the town came with the mine. Founded in 1863 it was the most productive gold mine in Arizona until 1942. Nearly 30 million in gold. Now even though the town of Wickenburg came with the mine there was an even smaller town called Vulture City.

Vulture City was the mining town that encompassed the mine itself giving home to the many folk who worked there plus supporting businesses. When the mine closed the town was simply abandoned.

Tours are offered today after the mine officially closed down just after re-opening a few years after 1942. It was initially shut down because all efforts went to focusing on the war. So now it sits and slowly decays away in the unforgiving Arizona sun. Waiting eerily in the dark dusty nights of the lone desert.

Haunted:

One tree stands out to be a very haunted place indeed. Near the old mining town it still stands with a hardy reputation for being the final resting place, or I should say hanging place, of 15-20 people. These people were caught stealing gold, silver or other valuables from the mine. In early days in the west there was more vigilante justice than anything. If you were caught stealing you were hanged. Either a lot of people didn’t get caught or in the almost 80 years of operation the message got across quickly. Don’t steal.

What I find interesting is that so many building remain standing and in good condition considering the harsh climate. What has made them stand so long? It adds such an eerie appeal to the landscape when you see the building out there alone in the desert. Check them out, you will be surprised.

However, the most interesting “haunted” thing I like about the Vulture Mine is the accounts of people hearing someone whispering in German to them. This is interesting because this was Henry Wickenburg’s original dialect. He migrated from Germany before opening the mine.

Cases from previous workers there and even in modern times (preservation society members) state that they hear someone say something and then realize they don’t understand it. Not that its ghost language but it’s in German.

Maybe they should brush up on their German in case the voice are trying to warn people to get out. Maybe they are just trapped ghost there but they are trying to warn you about another more evil spirit that they disturbed within the earth so long ago.

Thanks for Reading,

Joshua Crane Dowidat