Mattie Earps grave site and the old town of Pinal

[Desert Digger]

The old town of Pinal was where they took the silver ore from the Silver King mine to be processed. If you have seen the movie Tombstone, Mattie was Wyatts squeeze, that was always looking for a bottle of laudanum to cure her headaches. After they broke up in Tombstone, history has it that Mattie moved to Pinal and set out making a living spending a lot of time being horizontal with the miners. She ended up dying here from too much booze and the pain killer laudanum at the age of 38. The cemetery where she is buried is located off the beaten path and is not kept up. I have included some pics of the other grave sites that have weathered over the years. It looks like every so often someone comes around and puts some plastic flowers on the graves. I have included some pics of the old Pinal town site where we will be swinging the detectors next weekend. This is a large area and will take many months to even make a small dent in it. The first pics are of the cemetery and the rest are of the old town, then and now. I will post any goodies that are found.

 

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[steve in so az]

Hi DD - I was at Pinal a couple years back. Friend dug a seated dime there, good luck, Steve i nso az

 

[fossis]

Welcome to Treasure Net, Desert Digger,
Great History & nice pictures, HH.

Fossis..................

 

[TreasureTales]

Very interesting info. Never heard of Pinal. Loved the movie Tombstone, the music is awesome too. Should be fun to detect that town. Good luck. Oh, and welcome to TNet. Looking forward to more of your posts.

 

[kevo]

wow that is fantastick, I could only dream of an opportunity like that, keep us posted!

 

[Bavaria Mike]

Awesome post, enjoyed the pictures and welcome to Tnet! Are there any signs posted as to this archaeological survey? How would one know if you did not see Mrs. Oroblancos post? If all else fails, maybe you can help preserve the relics by helping the Archies find them but, where will they go from there, a museum or someone's pocket? HH, Mike

 

[Desert Digger]

I have been to the old town many times and have never seen anyone from the forest service up there. I don't remember seeing any signs that say you cannot metal detect posted anywhere. I did notice that someone has put up signs that tell you to stay on the main roads. I guess I will steer clear of the place if the forest service doesn't allow detecting there. You are right about the trash, the place is covered in old crushed tin cans that drive a metal detector crazy. There probably aren't alot of old artifacts left up there because people have been going through there for the last 100 or so years. I do know that not far from there are some old indian dwellings, not much left there either except a few holes in the rocks to grind corn.

 

[Montana Jim]

Awesome pictures... you obviously did your research... I really see the potential!

Mrs. O is right... no permission slip - no detecting.

Just because there are no signs never means it's alright to go dig! Someone owns it... always.

And check into what Mike said, can you hook up with the archies and help or assist them as a volunteer? Maybe they are only interested in a certain area and can give you some boundaries to work outside of?

I'm talking out my butt... I know.

 

[tsgman]

Thanks for the story and pics. Very cool. Tsgman

 

[TreasureTales]

There is a USDA program that uses volunteers to help the Forest Service with archaeology. Sometimes if we can't beat them we can join them and change the system from within. OR, we could get acquainted with the paid archies and learn from them so that we can be better prepared for excavation if/when we find a site we can detect.

www.passportintime.com/

Where there's a will, there's a way.

 

[BARGuy]

We were on the Pinal site a coupla weeks ago, sans detectors...Again, did not see any USFS folks...BUT...did see some new pine stakes with writing on them!
Locals I've talked to don't seem to know any thing about any new official "digs".

I agree, the place is a mess! But then, it's been written up in every book/pamphlet/where-to-go published for the area! And nobody hauls out their own trash from BLM/USFS land around here.

D@#$ shame.

 

[Paul in WA]

Nice to see that the Forest Circus is still blowing millions of the tax payers dollars on rescuing rusty cans & nails. Maybe if they can get the funding, they can open a pull tab museum............. Wake up people.

Paul

 

[AzSports]

The pine stakes are still there, without much more activity.
I understood from a local the big house on the cliffside has been sold to the state. They have some interest/need for a large room there. It sounded like the intention is for some sweet offices, but he also said they may re-open the tours of the place.

 

[extractor]

Welcome to Tnet. Great story and pictures.

 

[treasurefiend]

Good luck, it looks like a great place to detect!!!

Welcome to TNet!!!

 

[BuckleBoy]

OK.

 

[BuckleBoy]

OK.

What a sweet old codger!

We must adopt TreasureNet Thaddeus as the TNet mascot.

He will be like our White's commercial fat guy.

That White's Fatty is like Jared from Subway--they filmed his gradual transformation into a skinny, buff dude...and they're promoting this change as completely due to exercise from MDing!  Each commercial he's a few ounces lighter--until at the end of the series 10 years from now, I've heard he turns into KirkPA.

It will be interesting to see from folks replies who actually bothered to look at the date of the post, or even read it for that matter.   

 

[get-r-dug]

We've not all been on here long enough to read every post and know every nook and cranny of this site so I found it very interesting. Even if it was already a year old! What does it matter if someone has an update they want to post to a year old thread? Let them.

Thanks from me anyway, I didn't even know there was such a place.

 

[RON (PA)]

I found it very nice too. Well, what did you find.

 

[BuckleBoy]

Probably rotting in jail even now.

Let this post live for forever, and serve to remind us always of the sad fate of the person, the person that started this thread, whomever he or she may be.

We will never forget you, person, you will always live on in the hearts of Marc, Jeff, PBJ, and all of the TNet faithful.

Amen. Shalom. Blessed Be. Ite Missa est.