Being a native to Arizona, I thought it appropriate to share my own family history in the Phoenix area. My story begins as a young girl in the booming Southwest, well before the Arizona Cardinals, Indian gaming and massive urban sprawl. Not really the wild west, but not according to my Great Aunt - Cecile Storer.
Cec owned the Four Peaks Amethyst mine twice in the 1960s and into the early 70s - long story but she always seemed to own pieces of the same property multiple times. This mine is part of Four Peaks in the Mazatzal Range Northeast of Phoenix. These peaks are prime hiking and can get you views of the entire Phoenix Metropolitan area, as well as several of the surrounding lakes. Unfortunately, the smog has obstructed much of this view - but still pretty amazing. The mine is below the fourth peak and a trick to get to, but as a child, fun to be in. Now it is owned by a company that does still mine it, but the entrance is blocked with ‘No Tresspassing’ signs and barbed wire. The Four Peaks Amethyst is a beautiful purple gem and one can be found in the Spanish crown. It is also a gem that I never appreciated as a child since that is all I would get from Auntie Cec every Christmas and Birthday.
Cec and her husband Al (you would never say Al and his wife Cec by the way) did much of the mining themselves and the only means to get the ore off the mountain was by mule or helicopter. Or but unsuspecting hikers, which brings me to my anecdote, finally.
My Mom was sitting on a bench at Arizona State University on day in the 70’s when a few people sat near to her. She overheard their conversation about taking a hike in Four Peaks and going to the amethyst mine. They decided to explore the mine and came upon Auntie Cec with a rather large shot gun pointed at them. Since they were trespassing, she demanded that they help her with a bit of mining. Apparently, they were supposed to carry ore down the mountain, but I am not certain of the outcome since that is when my Mom, who was eavesdropping, butt in and pryed a bit. Now I probably would have walked away but not my Mom. She actually admitted to these people that that was her Aunt that had been holding a shotgun to them! Then again, why not admit the relation. Auntie Cec passed away worth several million $ because of her strength and business sense - and possibly by getting free labor from unsuspecting hikers. She was a very strong woman who was audited by the IRS almost annually since they couldn’t figure out how she got her money. They rarely, if ever, found any wrong doing.
Next installment of my family history…my relative who was tried for treason in the late 1700s for counterfeiting.
