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American Pioneer &
Cemetery Research Project
Internet Presentation
Version 111207A
PINAL CEMETERY
Table of Contents
Click hyperlinks in BLUE to go directly to subject
PINAL CITY CEMETERY RESEARCH. 6
Map to Pinal and Silver
King Cemeteries. 9
PINAL CITY CEMETERY. 10
SUPERIOR, ARIZONA. 11
Link to Richard Pierce’s excellent website
reviewing this outing at:
http://www.dickpierce.com/Silver/
Figure 1
Photograph Courtesy:
Jim Blaugh
It is great that the Arizona Pioneer & Cemetery Research
Project is interested in these cemeteries, since there are maybe a hundred buried
at Pinal City
Cemetery and 25 at the Silver King
Cemetery.
Figure 2
Pinal Cemetery
Photo Courtesy:
Richard Pierce
Figure 3
Picketpost Mountain - Ceilia Anne Earp Grave
Photo Courtesy: Jim Blaugh
Figure 4
Annie Marie Weston’s Grave – Pinal
Cemetery
Photo Courtesy: Jim Blaugh
Such notables as Charles Mallet Dobbie,
killed by the Apache Kid at 13 years, John Middleton progenitor
of that family, and perhaps his grandson-in-law and the ever famous
Celia Ann Blaylock, aka Mattie Earp, (Figure 1) Wyatt's
middle wife is in the Pinal cemetery.
Figure
5
Photo Courtesy: Jim Blaugh
It would be a great place to dowse since only about 10 or 12
graves are marked in the Pinal Cemetery and 3 - 4 are marked in the Silver King
Cemetery. One in the
Silver King has a great tombstone, I will attach if
I can find it...
Figure 6
Photo Courtesy: Jim Blaugh
Pinal
City according to some
had as many as 2,000 inhabitants at one point as it was the smelter for the Silver
King mine 6 miles away. The Silver King road, between Pinal City
and the mine is still there in places. It runs near the
Pinal Cemetery, too. There are places in the
caliches where you can see the wagon ruts made by the ore wagons coming from
the mine to the smelter... neat place, but much neater when cooler.
Figure 7
Photo Courtesy: Richard Pierce
Nan-tio-tish raided off
the Ft. Apache reservation, right on the heels
of the Cibique battle, one stop was made at the
Middleton Ranch 8 miles SE of Young where they killed two young men and wounded
another in 1881. As Hattie Middleton latter wrote "Two young friends from
Globe, W. F. Henry Moody and George Turner, were on a
visit." Both were killed and some say buried at the ranch. Later in 1887
during the Graham/Tewksbury feud, 6 men
rode up to the same ranch and a shooting started, 2 dead 2 wounded and 2 escaped clean. The next day
a party from Young buried the dead again at the Middleton ranch... So 4 buried
and the graves are not known yet by modern folks... that would be a trip all by
itself, they have a motel of sorts in Young, nice place to stay
PS - Pinal City was once known as Picketpost
since General Stoneman had an extended camp there
during the early Apache Wars.
Jack San Felice is an acquaintance, and he wrote "When Silver was King" about the
Silver King Mine and on page 123 he has a bunch of info on who is buried in the
Silver King Cemetery.
American Pioneer &
Cemetery Research Project
Internet Presentation
Version 111207A
A.K.A. PINAL CITY BURIAL GROUNDS
November 10, 2007
By: Neal Du Shane
Figure 8
Pinal
City Cemetery
is one of the historic Pioneer Cemeteries that is being reclaimed by Mother Nature.
The term “In a state of arrested decay” doesn’t apply to this cemetery. Brush,
cacti, weeds are all reclaiming these graves.
Figure 9
Photo by: Neal Du
Shane
This Historic
Pioneer Cemetery
is unprotected by any type of fence enclosure. Cattle and wild life roam the
cemetery and are strewing evidence of graves. This would be an excellent
project for a FFA, 4-H or church group – in fact any interested group to
restore this cemetery or at least halt the decay process. APCRP would be happy
to assist any restoration project by identifying all the graves. Do you know
any group that would like to ADOPT this cemetery as a worthy project? Let’s
talk this up and see if we can’t get some interest to restore and maintain this
beautiful cemetery.
One of the first and most obvious graves when you pull up to
the Pinal City Cemetery
is that of Celia Blaylock Earp. Shana Cardenas indicated there was a rumor that
the marker was only a memorial and that her remains were actually buried
somewhere else. Thus was the starting point for our research. After researching
this grave with four different methods it was determined it is our belief that
all indications are that she is buried at this marker. Interesting to note that
there is a child buried within two feet of the foot of her grave. Laying in a
NW direction at the base of Celia Blaylock Earp’s grave. APCRP is not implying
this has anything to do with anything other than a child’s grave.
At the request of Dick Pierce we were able to find the
graves of John Middleton and William Henry Willy. Currently both are
unidentified and lay under a growth of cactus.
Kevin Hart took a rod, we branched out and we walked the
general area in all directions. It was found there are graves in a 500’ area
from the main graves of Celia Blaylock Earp. Brush and cactus are the main
obstacles in identifying these Pioneer’s Graves.
Without placing markers on each unidentified grave we are estimating there
would be from 100 to 200 graves here.
Figure 10
Many of the graves are clustered indicating possible family
graves. Some groups of graves numbering from two or three in a group, to eight
to twelve in a group.
Children and female graves account for approximately one
half the graves we found. Adult male graves account for the remainder.
Some graves are identified with headstones or some type of
marker. Others are identified with rocks outlining the grave with no
identification as to the name of the person buried there. Others are barely
identified with a group of one or two rocks. Many are identified by a bush or
cactus - a few have imploded with only a depression in the earth. Basically
stating there are far more graves at this cemetery than previously indicated.
Figure 11
Figure 12
American Pioneer &
Cemetery Research Project
Internet Presentation
Version 111207A
PINAL CITY CEMETERY
A.K.A. PINAL CITY BURIAL GROUNDS
November 10, 2007
By: Neal Du Shane
Pinal
City Cemetery
is one of the historic Pioneer Cemeteries that is being reclaimed by Mother
Nature. The term “In a state of arrested decay” doesn’t apply to this cemetery.
Brush, cacti, weeds are all reclaiming these graves.
This Historic
Pioneer Cemetery
is unprotected by any type of fence enclosure. Cattle and wild life roam the cemetery
and are strewing evidence of graves. This would be an excellent project for a
FFA, 4-H or church group – in fact any interested group to restore this
cemetery or at least halt the decay process. APCRP would be happy to assist any
restoration project by identifying all the graves. Do you know any group that
would like to ADOPT this cemetery as a worthy project? Let’s talk this up and
see if we can’t get some interest to restore and maintain this beautiful
cemetery.
One of the first and most obvious graves when you pull up to
the Pinal City Cemetery
is that of Celia Blaylock Earp. Shana Cardenas indicated there was a rumor that
the marker was only a memorial and that her remains were actually buried
somewhere else. Thus was the starting point for our research. After researching
this grave with four different methods it was determined it is our belief that
all indications are that she is buried at this marker. Interesting to note that
there is a child buried within two feet of the foot of her grave. Laying in a
NW direction at the base of Celia Blaylock Earp’s grave. APCRP is not implying
this has anything to do with anything other than a child’s grave.
At the request of Dick Pierce we were able to find the
graves of John Middleton and William Henry Willy. Currently both are
unidentified and lay under a growth of cactus.
Kevin Hart grabbed a rod and we walked the general area in
all directions. It was found there are graves in a 500’ area from the main
graves of Celia Blaylock Earp. Brush and cactus are the main obstacles in
identifying these Pioneer’s Graves. Without
placing markers on each unidentified grave we are estimating there would be
from 100 to 200 graves here.
Many of the graves are clustered indicating possible family
graves. Some groups of graves numbering from two or three in a group, to eight
to twelve in a group.
Children and female graves account for approximately one
half the graves we found. Adult male graves account for the remainder.
Some graves are identified with headstones or some type of
marker. Others are identified with rocks outlining the grave with no
identification as to the name of the person buried there. Others are barely
identified with a group of one or two rocks. Many are identified by a bush or
cactus - a few have imploded with only a depression in the earth. Basically
stating there are far more graves at this cemetery than previously indicated.
SUPERIOR, ARIZONA
Prior to visiting the Pinal cemetery, I arrived early in Superior, Arizona
just before sunrise. Being an historian and a former market evaluation
professional for a national hardware wholesaler, my old training kicked in.
Driving off the current beaten path to downtown Superior was a voyage into
history. The downtown area is abandoned with the exception of approximately
three businesses. As I stood in the middle of the street to take a picture you
would hear the hustle and bustle of years gone by. Laughter, conversation of
current events, hustle and bustle of everyday activity, and I’m sure a gun shot
or two echoed down the street in the early morning. I could only imagine the
activity this downtown community once generated when this was an active and
prosperous mining community.
Figure 13
Downtown Superior, AZ
11/10/07 Photo by: Neal Du Shane
Driving off the current beaten path to downtown Superior was a voyage
into history. The downtown area is abandoned with the exception of
approximately three businesses. As I stood in the middle of the street to take
a picture you would hear the hustle and bustle of years gone by. Laughter,
conversation of current events, hustle and bustle of everyday activity, and I’m
sure a gun shot or two echoed down the street in the early morning. I could
only imagine the activity this downtown community once generated when this was
an active and prosperous mining community.
Figure 14
Downtown Superior, Arizona
11/10/2007 Photo by: Neal Du Shane
American Pioneer &
Cemetery Research Project
Internet Presentation
Version 111207A
WebMaster:
Neal Du Shane
n.j.dushane@apcrp.org
Link to Richard Pierce’s excellent website detailing this
outing at:
http://www.dickpierce.com/Silver/
Copyright ©2003-2007 Neal Du Shane
All rights reserved.
Information contained within this website may be used
for personal family history purposes, but not for financial profit of any
kind.
All contents of this website are willed to the American Pioneer &
Cemetery Research Project (APCRP).
HOME | BOOSTER | CEMETERIES | EDUCATION
| GHOST TOWNS
| HEADSTONE
MINOTTO
| PICTURES
| ROADS
| JACK SWILLING
| TEN DAY TRAMPS