ArizonaRealCountry.com 11 February 2019 Your Property Is My Priority! • From my years of riding and showing horses, as well as using them on our ranch, I understand the needs of horse owners. • Whether you are looking for a home to call your own or an investment property, I can help you find it. • I am a resident of Wickenburg, a full time Realtor and I love what I do. they could. They sponsored the Elvis Lives Festival two years in a row, which once again, filled the streets of Apacheland. Everybody loves Elvis! They also worked with the State of Arizona and Apache Junction Film Commission in the pursuit of Hollywood movie makers. Their efforts led to the filming of The Taking of Maggie Keene, with Victoria Principal in 1993 and Blind Justice, with Armand Asante, 1994. The time was flying by and Apacheland seemed to be gaining momentum, getting a little stronger with every passing month. Then all of the sudden the impossible happened again. Disaster Strikes a Second Time It was 6:30 on the evening on Valentine’s Day, February 14, 2004, when steakhouse patrons realized the upstairs of the restaurant was on fire. They all evacuated safely. The alarm was called in. This time fire companies from Apache Junction, Gilbert, Chandler, and Mesa responded. The fire was contained in a few hours, but it had spread so quickly that there was nothing left except smoldering ashes. Apacheland had burned to the ground for a second time. Ironically, the chapel and the barn, the only two buildings to survive the first tragedy, had survived the second. However, the Queen was forced to close her stockade gates for the last time. The Epilogue Even before the smoke had cleared, nasty rumors had begun to circulate speculating why, who and how the fire had started. I guess it’s just what people do when they don’t know anything... much time, love and money had been spent getting the town back in shape. The fire was devastating to Sue and Ed Birmingham and to all their employees and close friends. Ed and Sue have always prided themselves in their efforts to preserve the movie history of the area. They made Apacheland Movie Ranch a special place for everybody who visited her dusty streets. It was a place where memories of our silver screen cowboy heroes came alive and reminded us of how important they were and continued to be in our lives. Good guys and bad guys were easily defined. The ranch reminds us that it spoke of a time that made us feel good about ourselves and those around us. It recalls to me that the Queen and the heroes who served in her court have all managed to disappear over the years—except in our hearts and memories. For those of us who were fortunate enough to play in her court, those memories run deeper. Fortunately, the Elvis Memorial Chapel and Apacheland Barn survived and were donated to the Superstition Mountain Museum through the generosity of Ed and Sue Birmingham. They are preserved here at the Superstition Mountain Museum to be shared by everyone and especially those who never had the opportunity to visit the Apacheland Movie Ranch. So when you hear someone say, “Return with us now to those thrilling days of yesteryear,” you’ll know just exactly what they’re talking about. Apacheland continued from page 9 Apacheland Barn and the Elvis Memorial Chapel preserved at the Superstition Mountain Museum. Superstition Mountain Enterprises, Inc. was formed to create a movie set to attract the Hollywood mainstream, who were regularly checking into the Valley Ho Hotel in Scottsdale. superstitionmountainmuseum.org