Ever wanted to see what it was like in an old Arizona mining town? Haunted Scottsdale Ghost Tours is now conducting tours of the deserted ghost town of Stanton, Arizona.
Amy Currie Schrader and her crew greet guests at their rendezvous point, the Arrowhead Bar and Grill, north of Wickenburg just outside of Congress along Highway 89 North.
“Stanton is a little bit off the beaten path,” Schrader explains, “so it is better when we all caravan together to the townsite. We don’t want anyone getting lost!”
Stanton
The Stanton, Arizona post office was established in March 1875 and discontinued in June 1905. Stanton is situated at the base of Rich Hill—where the richest gold discovery in Arizona was made.
Today the old mining/stagecoach station stands with many of the original buildings intact. It once boasted a five-stamp mill, boardinghouse, store, opera house, saloon and jail along with several houses.
When Charles P. Stanton arrived on the scene, he changed the name of the town from Antelope Station to bear his name– Stanton.
Stanton was known to be a ruthless man who arranged the killing of people for his own benefit. He soon became the leader of a murder syndicate that left up to 50 people dead, including men, women, children. Anyone considered his competition or in his way was not safe! He was described by many, including newspapers, as ‘the Devil incarnate.’
The Store
The old Stanton store developed an awful reputation for deeds of violence.
In early days, George Wilson was murdered there. Stanton took over the store and soon paid the penalty, being brutally murdered himself. In 1891, he was shot and killed in the doorway of his store by two Mexican bandits. They had come to revenge Stanton’s insult to Cristos Lucero’s sister.
Finally, Pete Vendir, a strong and brawny Frenchman, took over the place. He was killed by bandits after a terrible struggle. His throat was slashed from ear to ear.
The Ghosts
Many of the town’s vicious crimes were left unsolved. Now Stanton is haunted by those who were murdered, including Charles Stanton! He’s often seen roaming the grounds, along with other spirits left behind.
Early newspapers reported: “Living in the age of ghosts, we can be assured the old store would be a prime spot for disembodied spirits.”
And that’s why we go there now!
The Tour
Guests with Haunted Scottsdale Ghost Tours are invited to investigate rooms in Stanton’s store where he was murdered. Guest can also investigate Stanton’s old hotel (aka bordello), the saloon, and opera house, which has bullet holes in the adobe walls.
There were many suicides and deaths in the Stanton Hotel, and many bodies were buried in unmarked graves along the wash.
Paranormal investigators are encouraged to bring their own equipment or borrow the ghost hunting devices provided by Haunted Scottsdale Ghost Tours. Group tours to this location are kept on a smaller scale.
Are Stanton spirits still lurking in the hills? Perhaps the ghosts will give the answers on your next visit.
Know Before You Go
If you plan an excursion to Stanton, take US 60 (Grand Avenue) Northeast to Wickenburg which is about 53 miles from Phoenix. At Wickenburg, take US 93 West to Arizona 89. Take Arizona Route 89 North. Turn right onto Stanton Road and travel about 15 miles to Stanton. It is on private property and permission to visit the grounds is necessary.
Tours begin about 7:30 PM and end around 10:00 PM. Check website for updated dates, times and prices. Reservations are required.
RSVP: www.hauntedscottsdaleghosttours.com/rsvp
Debe Branning has been the director of the MVD Ghostchasers–a Mesa/Bisbee, AZ based paranormal team since 1994. The team conducts investigations of haunted, historical locations throughout Arizona and has offered paranormal workshop/investigations since 2002. Debe has been a guest lecturer at Ottawa University, Central Arizona College, Arizona State University, Scottsdale Community College, and South Mountain Community College. She has been a speaker at science fiction conventions such as Phoenix ComiCon, CopperCon, FiestaCon, HauntedCon and AZParacon. Debe has been the guest speaker at many historical societies and libraries talking about historic/haunted Arizona.
She has appeared in an episode of “Streets of Fear” for FearNet.com which aired October 2009 and on an episode of TRAVEL CHANNEL’S “Ghost Stories” about haunted Jerome, Arizona in July 2010. She recently appeared as an extra in the 2017 horror movie “The Covenant”. She enjoys assisting in the research field for various Travel Channel TV shows such as ‘Ghost Stories’, ‘Haunted Highway’, and ‘Deadly Possessions’ and MTV’s ‘Fear’. She has traveled, toured and investigated at haunted locations across the United States, England, Scotland, Ireland and Mexico.
Debe is the author of “Sleeping With Ghosts-A Ghost Hunter’s Guide to AZ’s Haunted Hotels and Inns” (2004), “Grand Canyon Ghost Stories” (2012), “The Graveyard Shift–Arizona’s Historic and Haunted Cemeteries” (2012), “Dining With the Dead–Arizona’s Historic and Haunted Restaurants and Cafes” (2017) and a series of three children’s books, “The Adventures of Chickolet Pigolet: 1. “The Bribe of Frankenbeans” —-2. “Murmur on the Oink Express” —-3. “You Ought to be in Pig-tures”. For 7 years Debe penned 3 columns for Examiner.com titled: “Phoenix Travel Adventures,” “Arizona Haunted Sites” and “Haunted Places” so travelers could know where they might find a ghost or two when they visited Arizona and the United States. She was the Managing Editor of “Paranormal Investigator Magazine.” As a paranormal travel writer, Debe traveled to Europe to cover haunted castles, jails, ships, inns, cemeteries and ghost walking tours. She has been the guest of several US tourism departments such as Carlsbad, Historic Hotels of the Rockies, Salem, and Biloxi.
Debe is a preservation activist with a special interest in preserving historic cemeteries. She is on the board of directors of the Pioneers’ Cemetery Association and the Arizona Genealogical Advisory Board. She is also one of the co-hosts of the Association of Gravestones Studies in Arizona.
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It’s odd that I love horror movies and books and ghost-hunting TV shows, but I’m not brave enough to go on a ghost tour!