Treasure Troves in Flagstaff, Arizona
Flagstaff, Arizona, a city nestled amidst the towering Ponderosa pines and shadowed by the San Francisco Peaks, holds a history as rich and varied as its stunning landscape. Beyond its breathtaking natural beauty, Flagstaff, Arizona whispers tales of fortunes lost and hidden, of outlaws and industrious settlers, all contributing to the area’s captivating lore of buried treasure. This article delves into some of the most persistent and intriguing legends of hidden wealth that continue to fuel the dreams of treasure hunters in and around this northern Arizona hub.
The allure of lost riches is a powerful one, and Flagstaff, Arizona, boasts several compelling narratives that have kept prospectors and adventurers searching for decades. These stories, passed down through generations, speak of meticulously concealed caches of gold and silver, the remnants of a bygone era when the Wild West was still being tamed. Let’s explore some of these fascinating accounts, examining the historical context and geographical clues that might lead to the rediscovery of these legendary hoards.
The Flagstaff Trading Post and Herman Wolf’s Buried Fortune
One of the most enduring legends centers around the Flagstaff Trading Post, operated by a shrewd businessman named Herman Wolf. Wolf ran his trading post for thirty years, from 1869 to 1899, on the banks of the Little Colorado River. During this period, the Wild West was rife with bandits and highwaymen, and merchants like Wolf were prime targets for robbery. To safeguard his hard-earned profits, Wolf developed a unique and secretive system: burying his gold and silver coins in cans and jars around the perimeter of his property.
Wolf’s business flourished, generating substantial wealth in the form of gold and silver coins. Over three decades, the accumulated value of these hidden caches is estimated to have reached a staggering $250,000 – a considerable fortune in those days. The legend suggests that these "treasure troves" numbered in the hundreds of thousands of coins, scattered around the fences surrounding the trading post.
Despite the passage of time, the legend of Wolf’s buried treasure persists. In 1901, twenty U.S. gold coins were unearthed at the site, providing tangible evidence of the legend’s veracity. Then, in 1966, a bucket filled with Mexican silver coins was discovered, further fueling the belief that a significant portion of Wolf’s fortune remains hidden. The old trading post was strategically located on the Little Colorado River, near the junction of the California and Santa Fe Trails, close to the infamous Canyon Diablo. This location makes the area a prime target for treasure hunters hoping to stumble upon the main cache that has eluded discovery for so long. The story of Herman Wolf and his hidden wealth adds a captivating chapter to the history of Flagstaff, Arizona.
The Ashurst Ranch and the Rancher’s Secret
Another captivating tale revolves around William Ashurst, a rancher who owned a property approximately 25 miles southeast of Flagstaff, Arizona. His ranch was strategically situated near a reliable spring known as Ashurst Run, providing a vital water source in the arid landscape.
According to local lore, William Ashurst was a man of considerable wealth, and like Herman Wolf, he preferred to keep his fortune close. The legend claims that Ashurst buried several five and ten-pound cans filled with gold coins somewhere on his ranch property. The exact location of these buried caches remains a mystery, and the gold is said to have never been recovered after Ashurst’s death.
The lack of specific details regarding the location of the buried gold has made the search for Ashurst’s treasure particularly challenging. However, the persistence of the legend continues to inspire those who dream of striking it rich in the Arizona wilderness. The tale of the Ashurst Ranch and its hidden gold adds another layer of intrigue to the treasure hunting lore of Flagstaff, Arizona.
Morman Lake and the Outlaws’ Loot
The story of the hidden treasure near Morman Lake involves a daring stagecoach robbery and a series of unfortunate events that led to the loss of the loot. In 1879, a band of outlaws successfully robbed a stagecoach near Gila Bend, Arizona, making off with a significant haul of $125,000 in gold coins and 22 gold bars stamped "AJO." Not content with their initial score, the same gang robbed another stagecoach near Stanwix Station the following day, acquiring two chests containing $140,000 in gold coins and $60,000 in currency.
Flush with their ill-gotten gains, the outlaws fled northeast into the Tonto Basin, but their escape was short-lived. A posse quickly formed and began to pursue the gang. As the lawmen closed in, the outlaws turned northwest, hoping to evade capture. Eventually, the posse caught up with the gang, resulting in a fierce shootout. Two of the outlaws were killed in the confrontation, but two others managed to escape and flee to Holbrook, Arizona.
Seeking refuge in Holbrook, the surviving outlaws hoped to lay low and wait for the heat to die down. However, their criminal past caught up with them. One of the outlaws was killed in a dispute over a poker game. His surviving partner, a man named Henry Tice, retaliated by killing the other gambler. But justice, or perhaps vengeance, was swift. Someone felt that Tice had not paid for his crimes and fatally shot him, leaving no one alive to reveal the location of the hidden loot.
The stolen treasure is believed to be concealed somewhere in the rugged terrain around the cliffs between Morman Lake and Flagstaff. Despite numerous searches over the years, the cache has never been found, making it one of the most sought-after lost treasures in the area. The legend of the Morman Lake treasure continues to entice adventurers to explore the surrounding wilderness, hoping to uncover the lost fortune of the ill-fated outlaws.
Rogers Lake and the Sunken Gold Bars
The legend of the hidden gold bars at Rogers Lake is a tale of audacious theft, a hasty retreat, and a decades-long search for a submerged fortune. During the harsh winter of 1881, two outlaws named Henry Corey and Ralph Gaines committed a daring robbery at the Tip Top Mine near Gillette, Arizona. They made off with eight large gold bars, each measuring three feet long and four inches wide.
The outlaws transported their stolen loot to a cabin near Rogers Lake, where they initially buried the gold bars. Subsequently, they robbed a stagecoach near Flagstaff, acquiring $25,000 in gold and silver coins. Returning to the cabin with their latest acquisition, Corey and Gaines decided to combine their stolen wealth. They dug up the gold bars and, along with the stagecoach loot, placed everything into large wooden kegs. They then chipped a hole in the frozen surface of Rogers Lake and lowered the kegs of treasure into the icy depths.
However, their criminal activities did not go unnoticed. The local sheriff learned of the outlaws’ presence at Rogers Lake and, accompanied by a posse, set out to apprehend them. Spying the approaching lawmen, Corey and Gaines made a hasty retreat, abandoning their hidden treasure.
In the aftermath, Gaines was killed in a brawl, and Corey was later arrested during a holdup near Globe, Arizona, and sentenced to prison. After serving 24 years, Corey was released and, with the help of a friend, returned to Rogers Lake to search for the submerged treasure. Despite repeated attempts, they were unable to locate the sunken kegs. Corey died in 1936, his dream of recovering the lost gold unfulfilled.
Rogers Lake is a shallow lake, and during dry periods, portions of the lakebed become exposed, making it relatively easy to search. This has kept the legend of the sunken gold alive, and treasure hunters continue to explore the area, hoping to uncover the long-lost booty. The tale of the Rogers Lake treasure adds another compelling chapter to the rich tapestry of lost fortunes in Flagstaff, Arizona.
These are just a few of the many treasure legends that surround Flagstaff, Arizona. Whether based on historical fact or embellished with folklore, these stories continue to capture the imagination and inspire adventure. The rugged landscape, the echoes of the Wild West, and the tantalizing possibility of striking it rich all contribute to the enduring allure of treasure hunting in this captivating corner of Arizona. While the actual recovery of these legendary treasures remains uncertain, the stories themselves are a valuable part of the region’s heritage, reminding us of a time when fortunes were won and lost, and the spirit of adventure reigned supreme.
