The Ghost Town of Stanton, AZ
Charles Stanton in front of his home/store in the late 1800's. (Unknown source) Original publication: Immediate source: http://www.ghosttowns.com/states/az/stanton.html |
Tuck inside Weaver Mountain in the Rich Hill District of
Arizona, sits the eerie little ghost town of Stanton. When you travel on Arizona Highway 89 and hit
the north end of Congress, you will find a dirt road which will lead you
there. The trek on this road is only 6
miles to Stanton, and is currently used as an RV park. The only old buildings standing are the
hotel, stagecoach station, and the red brick general store.
It all started in 1863 when Pauline Weaver guided a group of
explorers to the area. Weaver’s Needle
in the Superstition Mountains and the mountain range where Stanton is located
were named after Pauline. They hit the motherlode
(about a half million in gold), and in 1868, the place was known as Antelope
Station. At one time, over 3,000 souls
called the place home, and it was a decent place to live until Charles Stanton turned
up in 1871. Stanton decided that he was
running the town and ruled with an iron fist by hiring meanest ne’er-do-wells he
could find to keep order. Stanton once
studied for the priesthood, but was kicked out after being charged with
immorality. Stories are told that he
enjoyed drinking blood, eating fried rattlesnakes, and fighting mountain
lions. I am not sure if these are true,
but given the nature of his personality, it does seem possible. Also, every time someone was slain in the
settlement, he was usually accused but never convicted. Even when the general store manager, Barney,
along with his family were run out of town and then later found massacred, all
fingers pointed to Stanton. He no doubt
sent his henchmen after the innocent family to have them killed. By 1886, his luck had run out and he met his
demise by a man from Weaver who shot him to death. This man was known to be the leader of a
notorious gang of bandits. His body was
buried about a mile outside of town.
After Stanton’s passing, the community still flourished for
numerous years, but could not get rid of the bad omen that Stanton put on the
town. This place could not shake the
stigma of being an unsafe locale. By the
early 1900’s, the gold was all but gone, the post office closed, and the town
was left empty.
Today, all that is roaming on the quiet streets of Stanton
are all the souls who died there. They
say that it is haunted by Stanton’s victims who are trapped amongst the walls
of the old buildings which are still standing.
Sharon and I, along with another fellow investigator, have permission to
wander the streets and buildings of what is left of Stanton. We will conduct an investigation this week in
each structure and hopefully the very haunted cemetery nearby. There will be other ghost investigators there
as well. It promises to be a great night,
and I will share every detail of the place.
You know me; I will have tons of pictures to share.
This place is interesting!
ReplyDeleteI can't wait to see it in person!!
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