BLM has approved the placement of this GeoCache
Congratulations to AZtravelers for being the First to Find this
cache.
A Short
History of Frederick Brunckow and the Brunckow
Cabin
Born in
1830, Frederick Brunckow migrated to the United States in 1850.
Educated in Engineering at the University of Westphalia, he joined
the Sonora Exploring and Mining Co which brought him to Arizona. In
1858, Brunckow struck out on his own to develop his San Pedro
Silver Mine, located 8 miles southwest of where Tombstone would be
establish 11 years later.
Brunckow
exploited his claim to the fullest, relying on Mexican labor mostly
with Anglo supervision. His cabin sat atop of a hill where he could
oversee and protect his claim.
In 1860, Brunckow was working the mine with three other Anglo men
and about a dozen Mexican helpers. He and two of his men were
robbed and murdered at the cabin. Brunckow’s death was
especially vicious as he was killed with a mining drill and his
body thrown down a mine shaft. The only Anglo survivor was a German
cook who blamed the Mexican workers for the killings, though no one
ever faced justice for the murders.
In 1877,
Ed Schieffelin occupied the cabin as a base for prospecting the
area to the northeast of the cabin. It is said that he used the
fireplace in the Brunckow cabin to assay some of his samples after
he made the discovery. When Schieffelin told a soldier of his find,
the soldier allegedly stated that the only rock Schieffelin was
likely to collect in that dangerous area would be his own
tombstone. Undeterred, Schieffelin filed his claim under the name
"The Tombstone." A name the City of Tombstone would take in
1879.
In early
days of the Tombstone claim, the Brunckow Cabin was the scene
mayhem and carnage. There were numerous shootings, men would come
up missing, and that would end it. One man was supposed to have
been shot and thrown into a well, but as there was an abundant
amount of men in those days, an investigation was deemed needless.
It was an ideal rendezvous point for the bandits along Charleston
road, and the five bodies found there was a party of plunderers who
had raided a Wells Fargo bullion wagon and fought over a division
of the spoils. At one point a US Marshall took up residence in the
old cabin, only to be murdered weeks later. As many as 21 men found
their end in and around the cabin. Rumor has at least 3 graves in
the area, to include the final resting place of Fredrick Brunckow
himself.
In May
1897, The Tombstone Epitaph printed a ghost story featuring
Brunckow Cabin and the haunted mine. It mentioned that every night
a menacing ghost was seen stalking around and through the
dilapidated adobe shanty. People attempted to investigate, but upon
approaching (apparently near enough to speak) the apparition
suddenly vanished, only to appear as quickly at some other point,
lending would be captors on a lively and illusive chase.
Even
today, ghost hunters and paranormal investigators flock to the
Tombstone area to have a chance of investigating at the legendary
haunted Brunckow Cabin.
The ruins
of the Brunckow Cabin are identifiable, but are succumbing to the
desert environment fast. In a few years, it is possible nothing
will remain, so here is your chance to see where the legend of
Tombstone Arizona began.
If you
follow the trail for an additional half mile, you will find the
ruins of another mine with the foundation of a small stamping mill.
The whole area is a history lesson.
BE
SAFE
The best
approach is to turn off Charleston Road and park just inside the
gate. The area is part of the San Pedro Riparian and open to the
public. I double checked with BLM and they approved of the location
of this cache. The road itself is well maintained, but only opened
to administrative vehicles. Follow the admin road and it will take
you past a couple of mine shafts you can glance down from a safe
vantage before you head to the cache and the ruins 70 feet
beyond.
About the
Mine Shafts; All the shafts are well marked with well maintained
barbed wire and shiny new signs. Keep in mind, these shafts have
not been maintained in at least 130 years, and any supporting
timbers have long since rotted away. Those who wish to live a long
life, would be advised to keep out of them.