Had there
been such a thing in the 1800’s a couple of extremely lucky prospectors would
have shared a triumphant high-five having struck a rich vein of gold quartz at
the bottom of a creek in Bronco canyon. The area being only four miles east of
a flourishing stage stop called Bumblebee (I
should tell you that the town was named that for observations by early
travelers that Apaches were “thick as bumblebees”…), they may have
had good reason to want to keep the discovery to themselves.
Legend has
it that the two prospectors mined over two hundred pounds of gold from the
creek and buried most of it somewhere near the mine site; planning to take only
some of it with them when they went home for the winter.
However as
chilly winds began to blow, (Yes,
it does cool off in parts of Arizona!) a
marauding band of Apaches happened by the two-man camp and attacked the
unsuspecting prospectors; killing one while the other managed to escape and
vowed to return one day when the Apaches were subdued. But alas, he was up in years and ailing by
the time that ever happened and ended up telling his story of buried gold from
his deathbed.
Though a
good many fortune-seekers have indeed searched the area, all that was ever
found were the remains of a crude circular mill used in the mining
process. But somehow the story remains. Perhaps
due in part, to the perseverance of nearby Bumblebee; dubbed “The town that
just never made it”. (I believe the current residents would beg to
differ!)
No longer a
stage stop, Bumblebee is all but entirely privately owned these days, including
a 180 acre Guest Ranch with
more than a few attractions and an old schoolhouse which is the only original
building that remains in the town.
Treasure or
not, it truly is one of those places that exudes the quiet countenance of
nature with a hint of spiritual connectivity. It brings to mind a quote by Shakespeare:
“One touch of nature makes the whole world kin.”
Does nature ever make you feel that you’re only a wisp away
from a different place in time?
What a sad story. When you asked about feeling like you're from a different place in time, I immediately thought about the time travel in the movie Terminator ( I watched it the other night for the first time in many years ). I also have to say that this particular place doesn't seem as frightening as some of the other places you've featured recently (but I still ain't going, lol).
ReplyDeleteHi Quanie! Just back from camping in the woods, playing catch-up! Do you not have any ghosts or haunts in your area? I can't imagine it but perhaps it's the diverse and varied cultures out here that keep those things alive (so to speak!) So glad you stopped by!
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