Nighthawk History

02/08/2022

Sorry for the long absence! I just thought I'd fill everybody in on what has been going on the last few months. We've been waiting to get some more gear to head back out into the Estrella's on the search for Don Joaquin's hidden gold. We have big things planned for that so stay tuned! Also, a website is in the works and should be done in the next couple of weeks. We also started a Discord server! I thought this would be a better way to reach out to people and hear stories that you wouldn't know unless someone else told you. It should be a fun hangout and the start of a community.

https://discord.gg/s5N7uKktRH

You can expect to see more posts in the coming months as there are a couple projects on the backburner.

11/12/2021

From all of us at Nighthawk History, thank you to all our fellow veterans.

11/03/2021

The Grand Gulch Mine was a copper mine started in the early 1870’s by Samuel L. Adams and Richard Bentley, both from St. George, Utah. The road to the mine from St. George is about 80+ miles through the Grand Canyon-Parashant National Monument and four wheel drive is recommended. Today, you can see two Euclid dump trucks that were used to carry ore along with a few scattered buildings, the smelter and an outhouse. The difficulty to reach the mine is mostly what kept it so well preserved. It is owned by the Bureau of Land Management and is a cultural heritage sight. Be sure to sign the guest book if you get a chance to visit. Just make sure to bring plenty of fuel and water.

10/31/2021

Arizona has a plethora of interesting species of animals. From the elusive coatimundi (the best way to describe a coati is a mix between a lemur and a raccoon) to the Mexican gray wolf, there are a lot of animals that most people in Arizona will never come across. Of all the sneaky critters that call this state home, none are as elusive as the Mogollon Monster…
Arizona’s version of Bigfoot, the Mogollon Monster is said to roam the pine trees of the Mogollon Rim and the Grand Canyon. The oldest reported sighting goes back to 1903 when a creature with “long white hair and matted beard that reached its knees” was seen drinking the blood of two cougars by a man named I.W. Stevens. Stevens said upon finding the creature, it threatened him with a branch like a club and “screamed the wildest, most unearthly screech”. Other people have had worse encounters, such as the story of two people being attacked and killed on their wedding day. So… if you’re ever hiking in the pine trees of AZ and you feel like you’re being watched, just remember there may be more than wolves and bears you need to worry about…

10/30/2021

(2/2) To make an example of what happens to thieves, John Lee Poston had him executed. This made the miners from Mexico quit and travel to Sonora.
It did not take long for the tales of missing silver waiting to be plucked out of the ground to make it to a group of outlaws from Sonora. The group traveled to the mine to find the silver but were unable to locate it. In their frustration, they burned the mine down and tortured and murdered John Lee Poston and two German workers.
Today, there is a grave on the side of a dirt road close to the old mine. Supposedly, John Lee Poston’s remains are entombed inside, however, I could not verify this and since it has been vandalized in the past by treasure hunters looking for the silver, there is a good chance the grave is empty.
The grave reads, “John Lee Poston 1830-1861 Murdered by Mexican Banditos” as well as the names of the family who restored the grave.

10/30/2021

(1/2) In 1861, $30,000 in silver bullion was stolen from the Heintzelman Mine (later known as the Cerro Colorado Mine and the Silver Queen Mine) in the recently formed Arizona Territory. This robbery would lead to an ex*****on, 3 murders and the destruction of the mine. The silver was never recovered.
A few months before the robbery, the United States pulled all cavalry from the area to direct resources to the Civil War. This vacuum meant less protection for the workers in the mine. Shortly after, a cave-in cost the lives of 15 miners from Sonora, Mexico, creating even more tension between the miners and the managers of the mine. It is said that stealing silver from the mine became more prevalent after the cave-in.
One of the miners, a foreman by the name of Juanito, decided to leave the mine for good, believing it was haunted by the 15 killed miners. On his way out of town, he managed to steal $30,000 worth of silver bullion. Adjusted for inflation, that’s almost 1 million dollars today.
The manager of the Heintzelman Mine, John Lee Poston, had just taken over the mine from his brother, Charles D. Poston who is known as one of the founders of Arizona. Mr. Poston was able to apprehend the foreman but was unable to locate the silver. Juanito is said to have buried the silver somewhere close to the mine.

10/28/2021

High up a canyon on the western slope of the Estrella Mountains sits this petroglyph. It is most likely from the Pima but could also have been from the Maricopa peoples or even the Spanish. A cross or “X” along with three stick figures can be seen scratched into the rock face. When the ruggedness of the terrain and history of the mountains are taken into consideration, they suggest that the petroglyph could be a treasure map. You’ll notice what looks like a meandering line going to the cross or X. There is supposedly lost gold from the mid 1800’s that has never been found. Stay tuned for more on the Estrellas.

10/20/2021

There’s a lot of history in the Estrella Mountains. One of the stories I am working on involves murder and a wagon load of Spanish gold that’s never been recovered. I’ll post the story soon. Until then, here’s one of the trips I took for work in the Estrellas.

10/20/2021