Ghostly Tales From Arizona

As long as I can remember, I’ve always loved a good ghost story. With Halloween drawing near, there’s something in me that makes me love the “spooky” and unknown even more. So in the spirit of Halloween, I bring you creepy tales all the way from Arizona.

Pioneer Hotel

In 1970, Tucson suffered one of the biggest fire disasters of its history. On December 20, 1970 a fire began to engulf the upper floors of the Pioneer Hotel. While people on the lower floors managed to escape, the people on the upper levels were not so lucky. People who were trapped by the fire leapt to their deaths from windows. A mother, frantic by the idea of being engulfed by the flames, threw a mattress outside her window in a desperate attempt to save her children. All perished. Many others tried this attempt as well, only to be crushed against the pavement. Others died from smoke inhalation while trying in vain to wait for rescue from fire fighters. A 16-year old boy was later arrested and charged with the deaths of 29 individuals. Although the building has been restored and turned into office buildings, many have reported strange happenings. Late at night, employees have reported smelling acrid smoke and hearing frantic running on the upper floors. Some have heard screaming and the crying of children. Others have felt a sense of being trapped and desperation. More terrifying yet, is the account of a few who have seen the images of burnt bodies in the mirrors of the restrooms. One woman was so horrified, she quit her job the very day she saw the image.

Superstition Mountains

How far would you go in search for a treasure beyond your imagination?

Would you be willing to die for it? Legend tells of a mine that is unlike any other. It is called the Lost Dutchman’s Mine. Many who have gone in search for this elusive gold never return. In the Superstition Mountains the legend of this mine has taken a life of its own. The mountain itself is not one single mountain, but rather a chain of cliffs, peaks, plateaus, peaks, and mesas. Within this rough terrain, people have become lost, or have killed each other in their mad search for this gold. It is said that an Apache Thunder God who protects the mine from would-be-looters curses the place. When Francisco Vasquez de Coronado searched through here for the famed Seven Golden Cities of Cibola, his men began to disappear. When their bodies were found, many were headless, and mutilated. The rest of the Spaniards fled in terror, and Coronado dubbed the mountains, Monte Superstition. In the 1880’s, Don Miguel Peralta eventually discovered bits of gold. But the Apaches became angered by his presence. When he got word of their planned attack, he tried to escape with his men. It was to no avail, as all were massacred. It was said that 100-400 men perished in the massacre. A man by the name of Walz (who was the “Dutchman”) began to display vast amounts of gold throughout Phoenix in the late 1880’s. Although he was of German descent, the mine was dubbed after this miner. How he came about his vast amounts of wealth remains a mystery, although stories have speculated that he received a map from Peralta when he saved him from a knife fight. Over the century, dozens of bodies have been found scattered throughout the mountain range. Some have been mutilated and beheaded, while many had been shot through the head. All deaths remain a mystery to this day.