Location: 3 miles West of Wickenburg along US Route 60, then 12 South down a Vulture Mine Rd, Maricopa County Map
Tel. 1 (602) 859-2743
Found: 1863
Vulture Mine is an abandoned ghost town located in Maricopa County in a state of Arizona, USA. The town of Vulture Mine was originally found in 1863. Vulture Mine started off a village of gold miners and attracted over 5000 people here in search for fortunate. Some died here, so got rich. Eventually gold ran out and Vulture Mine was abandoned by its inhabitants. Many of the houses and artifacts used in daily activities were abandoned where they laid. The settlement have been abandoned long time ago by its inhabitants, but many claim that many of its former structures are still inhabited by ghosts of the people who lived and died here decades ago. Regardless whether you believe in this Vulture Mine is worth a visit. This ghost town is a type of American Pompeii, where you scenes from the daily lives of the miners froze in time. It is an interesting part of frontier's history that soon will be destroyed by natural elements and time.
The story of the Vulture Mine begins in 1863 then Henry Wickenburg discovered gold deposit in the hills around future settlement. It is somewhat unclear who he was or where did he come from during California's Gold Rush. Some believe that his real name was Heinrich Heitzel and ran away from Germany or Austria after committing some crime. Very soon local investor Benjamin Phelps organized Vulture Mining Company to look for gold and bought these lands from Henry Wickenburg. However entrepreneur didn't pay the full price. Wickenburg spent all his money to fight the company in court. Eventually he lost everything and committed suicide by shooting himself with a revolver. His former cabin is still visible under a Hanging Tree, where community executed criminals and outlaws. Meanwhile Vulture Mine grew in size thanks to millions of gold and silver discovered here. Until 1942 the company extracted over 340,000 ounces of gold and 260,000 ounces of silver or over 200 million dollars. However it makes about half of total treasure discovered. The other half was probably stolen by the prospectors. Eighteen workers were hanged on the Hanging Tree for stealing company's money. At its peak the population of Vulture Mine numbered over 5000 residents. The mine was finally closed during World War II in 1942. It was briefly reopened few years later, but it didn't last very long. Eventually it was abandoned for good along with the town of workers that lived off silver and gold discovered here. Their residences, possessions and other things were simply left in the middle of the desert.
Vulture Mine is not only a ghost town, but is allegedly inhabited by ghosts of many people who died here. This includes disembodied voices, full body apparitions, and even full body contact when people were kicked or pushed by unseen force. One of the most haunted places in Vulture Mine is a so- called Hanging Tree. It was here that Wickenburg constructed his small cabin, thus marking a start of the city. It was also here that he took his own life after he lost all of his money in the legal battles over a gold and silver mine. Nearby tree was used to execute criminals and outlaws. Many people claimed to hear lamentations and begging of the victims who asked for forgiveness and mercy. In total about 18 people were hanged here. Most of them did not receive a proper Christian burial. Some were laid in the shallow graves, while others were simply tossed in the desert around the city.
Mining in Vulture Minewas always a dangerous job and new technologies hardly made them any safer. The main shaft that led to a series of underground tunnels a lot of accidents. One of them happened on February 22nd, 1914 when two Italian workers were setting up dynamite charges. The detonator went off before they expected and a blast threw the two man in different directions. Other workers who came here to retrieve their injured friends reported that they were still alive, but they both died before reaching the surface. Some claimed to see the two men walk through the tunnels. However trying to see these ghosts is exceptionally foolish thing to do. Decades of neglect left underground mine extremely dangerous for any exploration. Unless of course you want to become part of the haunted history of Vulture Mine.
A similar accident repeated just nine years later in 1923 then local prospectors decided to sneak inside the mine. They tried to cut geological material from the several columns that were left when the tunnels were cut. Unfortunately the greed took the best of them. They didn't realize that these columns in fact supported the structure. This region of the mine collapsed burying seven miners underground. Their bodies were never recovered and the only marker of their graves is a large depression that is still visible above ground. Some people claimed to hear screams from the underground. Others got high EMF reading and strange feelings that overcame over them.
Another commonly haunted place in Vulture Mine is that of a Power House. The legend goes that young man James "Jimmy" Davis worked here. He moved to a town of Vulture Town in 1912 along with his two parents and ten siblings. But on May 1st 1916 while working around engine a tragedy struck. He was fixing an engine when he accidentally caught himself on an engine belt. Powerful machine starting rotating him violently, breaking most of his bones. Eventually he fell on the floor. He whispered "For God’s sake, someone help me!" and soon passed out. He died five hours later around 3 am. He was buried in a nearby settlement of Wickenburg, but some witnesses claim that they hear loud knocks as if someone is still working around an engine. One of the episodes of Ghost Adventure was filmed in Vulture Mine.
Today the mine and ghost town are privately owned,
but tours are offered. Two-hour, dirt path guided walking tours at
the historic Vulture mine offers a glimpse of the olden days through
a tour of some of the remaining buildings of Vulture City, a booming
mining town.
The mine was a Lock-down site on Ghost
Adventures on the Travel Channel on October 29, 2010.