ArizonaRealCountry.com 9 February 2019 For the remaining results, please visit www.arizonajuniorrodeo.com water turned to steam and evaporated before it could reach the flames. Engineer Russell said the soundstage and all but two buildings were engulfed in the flames. However, by 6 am the fire was contained, but Chief Jones, nevertheless, assigned two men and a truck to stay to make sure nothing flared up again. What Was Destroyed Destroyed were eight buildings including the saloon with the collection of antique firearms and a stage used to entertain visitors, a doctor’s office with equipment once owned by Dr. L.M. Tompkins, who practiced medicine in Gilbert from 1919 to 1962, and the café owned by Nick and Virginia Wild from Mesa, Arizona. Also lost was a gift shop owned by Bob Shearer and Pete Lalear, the bank, print shop, sheriff’s office, ice cream parlor, and dressing rooms for the actors. The loss was estimated at $600,000 by Manager Keller, who said that only about half the construction was covered by insurance. About $10,000 worth of insurance was carried on the antiques, only a fraction of their value. The two buildings that survived were the chapel and livery and assay office (both in the barn). The soundstage also survived as it was roughly a quarter of a mile west of the town. After The Travesty Now to say Apacheland burning to the ground was a devastating disaster would be one of the greater understatements of all time. Not only was the town itself gone, but so were most of the plans and ambitions that investors had made to grow the area. (a) The Superstition Ho Hotel had been sold and was now under new hands doing business as the Superstition Inn. (b) The attempt to purchase the entire original Anderson homestead (Apache Junction proper) had gone south. (c) Geronimo Park never achieved the demographics necessary to support the baseball games and so the teams soon wanted no part of the whole deal for any number of reasons. (d) and the Doby Doc enterprise, not only lost several valuable collections in the fire, but there was no funding to reconstruct the “Last Frontier Village” anywhere! On top of all else, stock values were a shambles. Time to Rebuild—In a Hurry Nevertheless, fire or no fire, Apacheland was still under obligation to begin shooting the Death Valley Days series on July 25, 1969. She had to be made ready in a hurry. There was a spurt of filming going on, aside from occasional commercials in town and in the soundstage. In 1972 Second Chance with Brian Keith and Juliet Prowse came to the set—in 1973 Guns of a Stranger, with Marty Robbins and in 1976 a rather strange film called The Haunted starring Virginia Mayo and Aldo Ray. (Released: 1979 as Glass Cage) The Hippie Years Then there was an era known as the hippie years in late1970s. There were a few artisans and craftspeople living in town with shops, such as it were. And lack of serious management saw film dates slated that never made it to the silver screen. In 1979 Larry Hedrick came to town with his Civil War reenactment group and used the grounds to put on some pretty spectacular shows. Unfortunately, Apacheland wound up closed to the public by 1980. It was open for weddings and parties but not much else until 1983 when Gambler: The Adventure Continues with Kenny Rogers and Linda Evans invaded the old move ranch. It stayed open to the public for a while after that but then closed in August 1986. They turned off the lights, took down the flag and walked away. Rebirth—Almost The ranch just sat in the desert sun getting older and doing pretty much nothing else. After a few years, there was a venture called Haunted Hayrides that took place two years in a row, 1989 and 1990, but they were nothing more than futile attempts to draw attention to the place, maybe stir up some interest. Apacheland reopened early 1991 advertising Apacheland Tours & Chuck Wagon Dinners, Inc. It was poorly managed by a Colorado corporation and the whole scheme soon fell apart. It was fun while it lasted but the owner closed the place as soon as those boys left. The town was once again sat dormant. A New Beginning Finally, in 1993, Sue and Ed Birmingham decided to restore the town to as close to original set conditions as Construction after the fire in the 1960s. Apacheland was still under obligation to begin shooting the Death Valley Days series in 1969. Wickenburg Art Club’s 54th Annual Artisans’ Fair and Fine Art Show at Wickenburg’s Gold Rush Days At Stone Park - 164 E. Apache St. February 8, 9 & 10, 2019 from 9:00 - 5:00 website www.wickenburgartclub.org email artisansfair@wickenburgartclub.org continued on page 11