PINAL GHOST TOWN AND CEMETERY

SPIRIT PHOTOGRAPHY WORKSHOP

OCTOBER 16, 2004

 Everyone met at the rest area just inside of Superior, AZ at 5pm.   We formed a caravan and drove to the town site of Pinal, AZ.  There are no remaining buildings but you can still find a few foundations.  It was once the milling town for the nearby Silver King Mine.  It was originally called Pickett Post after Pickett Post Butte and boasted a population of over 2000 residents.  The post office was established in 1878 and discontinued in 1891 when the town population was down to only ten people. 

Ghost hunter (and old West historian expert) Mark Christoph was on hand to give us the history of Pinal.  He was also able to point out the center of town and gave us an idea where the dirt roads in front of us led over 100 years ago.  He then showed us where some of the old buildings stood.  He had located several old photos of Pinal and re photographed the same scenes with his camera for an interesting view of the sites today. 

We all dispersed in several directions taking pictures of the once thriving community. 

Most old ghost towns have a cemetery and Pinal is no exception.  Back across Highway 60, Debe and Kenton led the way to the Pinal Cemetery.  It is quite obscure and not easy to find.  The cemetery boasts one of the West’s famous celebrities, Mattie Earp, Wyatt’s common law wife.   Mattie died of an overdose of whisky and laudanum and was buried in the Pinal Cemetery.    

We sat up the lawn chairs around her marker.  Everyone had a chance to wander around the small cemetery to snap photos of the lost spirits in the long abandoned graveyard.  Debe showed us how to take a piece of red tissue paper and rubber band it over our flashlight lenses to keep the bright lights out of our photos (and out of each others eyes!)

While it still gives you enough light for your footing, your flashlight does not interfere with your ghost photography. 

A few of us took the road back into Superior and walked down old Main Street.  The deserted buildings and hotels made us wonder if spirits wander this modern day ghost town!   

 

The following 4 sets of pictures are something really cool workshop attendant Mark Christoph did for this workshop.
He took some old photos he found of Pinal and went back to the town site and re photographed the same scenes with his camera.

NOW

THEN

tn_pinal1B.jpg (5151 bytes)

tn_pinal1A.jpg (5889 bytes)

tn_pinal2B.jpg (5209 bytes)

tn_pinal2A.jpg (7297 bytes)

tn_pinal3new.jpg (5522 bytes)

tn_pinal3old.jpg (4378 bytes)

tn_pinal4new.jpg (6563 bytes)

tn_pinal4old.jpg (5875 bytes)
A big special thanks to Mark for all the hard work he did for the above pictures they are great!!

tn_GhostChasersOctober16,2004018_Karen_reduced.jpg (4331 bytes)

John & Carmen walking through the Pinal ghost town.
Photo by Karen Marchetti

tn_Abels_kids_graves_at_Pinal_Cemetery.jpg (3155 bytes)

Orbs at the Baby Graves at Pinal Cemetery
Photo by Robyn Abels

tn_Abels_pinal_Cemetery_orbs.jpg (3776 bytes)

Another tombstone at Pinal Cemetery
Photo by Robyn Abels

tn_Maddie_Earp_ecto.jpg (4462 bytes)

Ecto at Maddie Earp's grave marker
MVD Ghostchaser Nancy Heath
tn_GhostChasersOctober16,2004084_karen_reduced.jpg (6397 bytes)

Walking through the streets of Superior
Photo by Karen Marchetti