Cave Creek Museum
6140 E. Skyline Drive
Cave Creek, AZ 85331 (Physical Address)
P.O.Box 1, Cave Creek, AZ 85327 (Mailing Address)
The Cave Creek Museum
A "Most Loved" Place to Go On February 15, the Museum was notified that parents voted on Hulafrog to recognize the Cave Creek Museum as the Most Loved Place to Go for 2022! Hulafrog is the ‘go-to website’ for kid-friendly activities and events around town. We are proud of our youth programming and thank parents for giving us their strong vote of approval.
Feature Article:
...From the Collection
By Sarah Ziker, Collections Chair
We are excited to showcase art from the Cave Creek Museum’s collection this season! We are lucky to have some amazing and talented artists who have lived or worked in our community.
Jason Williamson was a prominent watercolorist and past Art Director at the Memphis College of Art and owner of the Golden Fleece Art Gallery in Carefree. He was a signature member of the American Watercolor Society, National Watercolor Society, and the founder of the Southern Watercolor Society. We have three of his paintings displayed that depict southwestern landscapes and themes. His Spirt of Freedom was painted as a response to events on September 11, 2001, and depicts a patriotic eagle in flight.
Another well-known area artist is Ray Swanson who was a member of the elite Cowboy Artists of America. Swanson was chosen to represent Arizona by the Library of Congress’s Local Legacy Program. He is famous for his paintings of cowboys and members of the Navajo Nation. We are highlighting four of his paintings.
We also have wonderful examples of art by amateur local artists. Catherine Jones, known for her sharp shooting and ranching skills (our own Cave Creek Annie Oakley) hand-tinted a photograph she took of Elephant Butte. A watercolor of Elephant Butte hangs below Catherine’s tinted photograph. This painting was done by Harold Scruggs, a retiree to Cave Creek and volunteer at the Museum. Compare and enjoy two different mediums by amateur artists showing one of Cave Creek’s beloved landscapes.
All the art displayed this year is from our collection. It is an honor to volunteer at the Museum and take care of these beautiful and meaningful pieces of art that represent our community and those who have lived here.
Images:
1) Navajo in Crowned Hat by Ray Swanson
2) Catherine Jones painted photo of Elephant Butte
3) Art work and bronze on display in the Ansbaugh Auditorium
March Events:
* March 12, Saturday (11:00 a.m. - 12:45 p.m.):THE AZ GOLD MINING EXPERIENCE - featuring Stamp Mill Demonstrations. (Museum Admission is Included / Free to Members) ClickHERE for info. Reservation a MUST. (Purchase HERE) Watch a video about this wonderful experience by clickingHERE. * March 13, Sunday (2:00 - 4:00 p.m.):Kiwanis Family Days: Acting 101 Led by Desert Foothills Theatre Click HERE for info. (This FREE event is possible thanks to the support of the Kiwanis Club of Carefree.) * March 19, Saturday (2:00 - 4:00 p.m.):Cave Creek Museum Presents: Do You Have a Revolutionary Patriot in Your Family Tree? (with Sara Ziker) ClickHEREfor info. * March 19, Saturday (9:00am):Cave Creek Rodeo Days Parade * March 22, Tuesday (4:30 - 8:00 p.m.): Annual Miners' Dinner at The Cave Creek Museum ClickHEREfor info. Click HERE to purchase. * March 25-27 Weekend:Cave Creek Rodeo Days
For additional information and more Cave Creek Museum events click HERE.
History:
CAVE CREEK MINING DISTRICT “Back in the Day” PHOENIX MINE LOCAL
Messer’s. Fleming and Shirley, two mining men of Chapparal Gulch, have purchased ten stamps from the Phoenix Mining Company and will ship the stamps north today.
Of the 100 stamps at the Phoenix mine but seventy remain and other parties are now negotiating for the purchase of thirty or forty more stamps.
A prominent mining man now in Phoenix said yesterday that the Phoenix Mine would yet prove one of the best properties in the country. A mistake, he said, was made in trying to run 100 stamps when enough ore was not being taken out to keep them running. The ore was of a good grade, but there seemed to be a body of it, but no defined loads (sic). There is every indication that the body is there and when it is found it will be a very rich one. The load (sic) could be picked up, he thinks, with an outlay not to exceed $5,000. The Phoenix is situated in a rich mineral belt most collaborative reports have been made on the property by the best mining engineers in the country. The mine, which is now in litigation, will probably be running full blast after the next term of the court.
The Maricopa is another promising property adjacent to the Phoenix Mine that will yet be a heavy producer. About 2,000 tons of the ore was run through the mill of the Phoenix mine at a good profit. The owners, Messrs. McDonaly and Shaw, will endeavor to lease about forty stamps from the Phoenix Mine, which on account of being so close, would be much cheaper than putting in a mill of their own.
The Gold Hill, about eight miles east of the Phoenix mine in the same district, is another good property.
The Mormon Girl in the same belt is now successfully working a five-stamp mill and continues turning out bullion. The Blue Bell and Gila monster are also fine properties and give promise of being very valuable in time.
~ Compiled by Charlie Connell
Explore more ‘mining interests’ at the Miners’ Dinner on Tuesday, March 22 starting at 4:30 p.m.
Phoenix 100-stamp mill at the Phoenix Mine. The mill site was located where the present Spur Cross Ranch Conservation parking lot is now located.
Don’t miss out on a lively evening of entertainment, delicious dining under the stars, silent auction, raffle and more starting at 4:30 p.m.
Meet members of the Cowgirls Historical Foundation and enjoy their vintage costumes. Cowboy Balladeer Mike Ewing will serenade us, and of course, the Dream Team will be firing up the stamp mill and showing off the new additions to give you the
AZ GOLD MINING EXPERIENCE.
Take a chance to fly high on a hot air balloon ride with a friend! $25 a ticket. Seating is limited. Don’t wait! Order your dinner tickets ($75 per person) and raffle tickets ($25) by clicking HERE.
or by phone at 480-488-2764.
Letter from the Board President:
March into an exciting month! Your calendar will be overflowing.
Sarah Ziker, our Collections Manager and also a member of the DAR, will describe how we can explore our family tree on Saturday, March 19. She brings a lot of experience and resources to help us find out if we have patriots or pirates in our past.
Don’t wait to get your tickets for the Miners’ Dinner on Tuesday, March 22. Space is limited but the fun sure isn’t! Always a special evening, this year we will have members of the Cowgirls Historical Foundation to entertain, along with Bob Ewing serenading us. Of course, our Dream Team will run the stamp mill and show us new additions to the AZ GOLD MINING EXPERIENCE. Our delicious catered barbecue dinner is guaranteed to be especially enjoyable dining under the stars. Oh! And don’t miss out on a chance to win a hot air balloon ride for two. Raffle tickets are on sale at the museum or online. I’ll be buying a few.
Round out the week with Cave Creek Rodeo Days Weekend on March 25-27 at Cave Creek Memorial Arena with three PRCA rodeo performances featuring top-ranking Professional Rodeo Cowboy Association (PRCA) and Women’s Professional Rodeo Association (WPRA) contestants. Each event is in some way connected to the skills and abilities required on the working ranches and open range that are a part of our heritage. The award-winning Cave Creek Rodeo is a supporter of the Museum.
Reg Monachino President, Board of Directors
A Smile for Our Museum
Did you know that AmazonSmile is a program donating 0.5% of your eligible purchases on Amazon to a charity of your choice? Do consider your charity of choice to be the Cave Creek Museum. This donation is made at no extra cost to you. The only difference is you will need to select your charity at smile.amazon.com and, then do your shopping at smile.amazon.com. True, the donation is only a small percentage of your purchase, but those small amounts will add up when many of us make this same choice. Then, quarterly The Cave Creek Museum will receive an electronic transfer of our accumulated donations. What an easy way to join together to support our museum!
From the Desk of Evelyn Johnson:
This year has already racked up some firsts for the Cave Creek Museum.
The January AZ GOLD MINING EXPERIENCE had more than 120 people attend. This showcase event also introduced the museum to home school groups, and we have booked two additional groups to learn about the culture and legacy of the Cave Creek area. The Dream Team brings meaning and substance to understanding the life of a miner. We have many people visit our grounds even when we are not open, so we have recently installed new identifying signs for the equipment in the mining campus. If you have guests who you want to show off the museum when we aren’t open, you can bring them to enjoy our outside exhibits.
The Town of Cave Creek has just added a trail to the front of the Museum Gardens that will be a welcome addition for pedestrian use along Skyline Drive and Basin Road. This path will bring increased visibility to the Museum.
Be sure to check out our events on our website for family-friendly events and educational programs for adults. If you have a suggestion for topics, please let us know now as we are currently planning for next season.
As you carry on with your life be sure to commit random acts of history.
~ Evelyn Johnson
Interim Executive Director
In Memoriam
Longtime member Alma Veres passed away on January 4. Alma was the original chairwoman of the “museum project” that was launched in 1969 and became Cave Creek Museum.
&
Ethel Hofer, mother of Museum volunteer Jane Heidel, peacefully passed away in Cincinnati, Ohio, on January 26.
Sue Willer, docent, member and volunteer for decades, passed away February 16. Sue was kind, quiet-spoken and knowledgeable about the early days of Cave Creek. She and the late Geri Voss happily and faithfully folded and labelled newsletters for many years.
Don’t “Spring Ahead” in Arizona
In April 1916, Germany adopted daylight savings time (DST) to reduce coal use. England followed in May 1916 and the USA in 1918. Following World War I, farmers opposed DST, and many countries repealed it including Germany, which dropped DST from 1919 to 1939 and from 1950 to 1979.
The U.S. Congress repealed DST after 1919. President Woodrow Wilson—an avid golfer—vetoed the repeal twice, but his second veto was overridden. Warren G. Harding, Wilson’s successor, opposed DST as a "deception," reasoning that people should instead go to work earlier in the summer. He ordered District of Columbia federal employees to start work at 8:00 a.m. rather than 9:00 a.m. during the summer of 1922. (Excerpt Wikipedia)
Arizona, as you know, joins Hawaii in eschewing the time change convention. Confounding the issue in Arizona is the adoption of DST on tribal lands, so when touring this summer, be mindful of losing an hour when entering Monument Valley and other similar sightseeing destinations.
Happy St. Patrick’s Day and Glorious Spring!
* Sharing Good News *
Congratulations to Ron Roberts, past president of the Museum Board, who was married on September 19, 2021.
A Membership Reminder Have you renewed your membership? Now, more than ever, the Museum appreciates your financial support. Please, send your tax-deductible membership donation to ensure a great year ahead. ClickHEREto renew you membership or make a donation.
Museum Store News:.
What does CCM have in store for you
for the month of March? ROCKS!
The weather's perfect to do a little rockhounding, and cool minerals and gems abound in our area. The Rocks, Gems and Geodes set is the perfect starter for young and old, with 36 sample rocks to help identifying your finds and a bonus "grow your own geode". (C'mon, you know you wanna!) Then sally forth with any one of our numerous rockhounding books---you might find Cave Creek Jasper, Agate, Quartz, Geodes--maybe even a flake of gold! Feeling less adventurous? The Museum Store has a great selection of Jasper arrowheads, local rocks, iron pyrite (Fools' Gold) and native copper. The best day to start a new hobby is TODAY!
Come see us!
And Remember:Members receive a ten percent discount on regularly priced items
in the Museum Store and, as a nonprofit, the Museum does not collect sales tax.
Event Recaps:
AZ Ghost Adventures
Feb 4:Guests attended yet another Sold Out Cave Creek Museum Haunted History & Paranormal Investigation. Attendees seemed excited and awed as they all selected pieces of paranormal equipment to conduct their own investigations, and there was activity a-plenty both in and out of the Museum. But then...Cave Creek's always been a bit rowdy---do you think death is going to make anyone change?
100% of ticket sales for the Investigation went to the Cave Creek Museum, and AZ Ghost Adventures donated a raffle basket full of Ghostly Goodies, with 100% of raffle ticket sales also going to the Cave Creek Museum.
Want to attend a Ghost Adventure? There are plenty of opportunities. To see upcoming events, please visit our friends' website at: www.azghostadventures.com
~ AZ GOLD MINING EXPERIENCE Feb 12: Many visited the Museum to enjoy yet another AZ GOLD MINING EXPERIENCE. If you've not yet experienced it yourself, take a moment to click HERE and view a video that will whet your appetite for experiencing the March event.
ABOVE
1. Al Zeman and Diane Huber, certified millman and a blacksmith in training, are cooking up some nails in the blacksmith shack!
2. Donkeys enjoy lots of attention from a record crowd at the stamp mill run in February.
3. As part of the AZ GOLD MINING EXPERIENCE, Bob Flach describes the workings of the arrastre, a more primitive gold mining mill.
~ February's Community Partner Visit Feb 12: Darrell Deopke of Berkshire Hathaway Home Services (left) loved meeting Dream Teamer volunteer Greg Barnhart and matching "expressions" as he learned about the early gold mining days at the February AZ GOLD MINING EXPERIENCE.
~ Kiwanis Family Days: Become a Desert Botanist Feb 13 : Kiwanis Family Day saw children creating their own Desert Guide Book, assisted by volunteers from Desert Foothills Land Trust and the Museum.
~ Cave Creek Museum Home School Project
Feb 15: Exploring mining, children ‘mine for chocolate chips’ in a yummy learning experience.
~ Cave Creek Museum Presents: Arizona Water
Feb 19: The Historic Church was packed when Thomas McGuire spoke on water issues, describing the background of water usage, water sources for Arizona and other aspects of concern and interest.
Bored? 'Looking for something fun to do? Discover the Riches in Volunteering!
Volunteer opportunities abound at the Cave Creek Museum.
Learn more about the area you call home while meeting new and interesting friends. Become part of a lively, engaging community of volunteers whose involvement ranges from docenting to sales to technology and more.
At the Cave Creek Museum, there’s a spot for you!
For more information, view the volunteering page on our website(HERE) or feel free to call the museum with any questions (480-488-2764).
Did you miss our February issue of Nuggets OR would you like to read it again?
No problem!
Simply clickHERE.
