Apache Junction and Superstition Mountain

Vi has been telling me about Apache Junction, and how it seems to retain its frontier town feeling despite the building boom that is taking place in the East Valley, the increase in population, and the influx every year of more and more winter visitors seeking relief from the weather in the northern States.

Vi says, that when she first came to AJ about ten years ago, it consisted mainly of trailer parks and RV parks. That is changing as the area grows and the population expands.

The main street in AJ is known as Apache Trail. Aptly named because it does follow the old Apache Indian Trail; the track once made by the whisper soft footfalls of moccasined feet. Now the trail caters to vehicles, and in the winter months, bumper to bumper traffic.

The great Chiefs, Cochise and Geronimo have left their mark on this land, as well as those who were here before them; the Salado and the Hohokam. Remnants of their villages are to be found throughout the area. Later, after the Apache, there were Spanish explorers, gold miners, and gamblers. There are gamblers today, too, attending the many Indian controlled casinos in the area.

Apache Junction itself lies at the foot of Superstition Mountain. It is a 3,000 foot volcanic plug that can be seen and recognized from great distances. It is the home of the legend of the Lost Dutchman Mine. Even today, treasure hunters continue to search for Jacob Waltz’s lost mine, believing that the treasure is still there waiting to be found. Waltz died in 1891, taking the location of his mine to the grave with him. There are remnants of mines scattered throughout the area.

The mountain has a personality of its own depending on weather conditions It can look beautifully grand, or it can be brooding, angry, or just plain mysterious.

Yep, if you can overlook the Wal-Marts, the sprawling shopping centers, and the human throngs of winter visitors, you can visualize AJ as the dusty frontier town of its youth

~Pris~