Haynes Arizona Ghost Mining Town….

…more cowboy adventures!

The Gold King Mine Ghost Town is located on the site of the old mining town of Haynes, Arizona.  It turns out that the man who created this ghost town loved old work vehicles.  Through the decades he had bought every antique working vehicle and mining equipment that he could find.  Then he towed them to the top of Cleopatra Hill, above Jerome.  He collected hundreds of them.  It’s an incredible collection.

 This old mining ghost town has the most remarkable collection of vintage vehicles and items imaginable.

This place is literally “a site to see!”

This cool truck is a year younger than Grandma.  Both the truck and I are a little rusty around the edges, but at least my motor is still running.

It’s sort of like a miniature petting zoo in the middle of this ghost town.

They always said that the dry desert air is good for you.  Petra, the woman who lived in this home, lived for 108 years.  If the desert air works for Grandpa and me too, we have over thirty-two more years ahead of us!

Vintage 1948….both this truck and Grandpa.

All the stores and homes were filled with furniture and items from the early 1900’s….very cool and interesting to walk through a time from long ago.

Here is an reenactment from December 2019 when Grandpa lost his car keys in this ghost town….and, luckily, Sebastian found them in a crack in the boardwalk.

December, 2019:

Today—April 2024:

The boys have sure grown up in the last 4+ years.  Good thing Grandpa and I haven’t aged as much as they have!

We weren’t done with our cowboy adventure in the mountains.  Our next stop was the Fort Verde State Historical Park.

The infamous Buffalo Soldiers were stationed at Fort Verde.  This was the first all black cavalry….and every one of these soldiers was a volunteer.  

Here is a Buffalo Soldier and his wife, in love, having a day of fun.  In this photo, 137 years ago, she wore his cavalry hat, and he donned her bonnet.  His life was cut short, all too soon.  We wonder what became of Louise, his wife….

Three of the original fort buildings were open to the public.  They were part of the officers' quarters.  All the buildings were furnished with original belongings and artifacts from the mid to late 1800’s. 

An historical event took place on the porch where we entered the home of the commanding officer.  In the days of the Indian Wars, an Apache chief and 300 of his braves had surrendered to the commanding officer on this very same porch.

We felt as if we had stepped into a time machine today and went back 150 years into the past.  It made us realize how important it is for each of us to live our lives in the best way that we can.  There will be a time, all too soon, that we will be a part of history.  Grandpa and I want to make a difference in the lives of others, particularly those who we love.