Black Mountain

Not a Volcano Mormon Girl Mystery 100 Years Later

Looming almost 4,000 feet above the desert floor, Black Mountain marks the northern terminus of the Desert Foothills Scenic Drive.  Black Mountain is visible from miles away to those driving northward from Phoenix to Scottsdale.  Black Mountain is encircled by three "main" roads: Cave Creek Road to the north and west, Scottsdale/Tom Darlington Roads to the east, and Carefree Highway to the south.  The mountain gets its name from the color the basalt rocks on its western flank.

Carefree, Arizona is located on its eastern flanks.  To the west and north, the homes of Cave Creek residents cling to the lower reaches; Cave Creek Road and its commercial buildings are located just north of the mountain's base.  North Scottsdale begins just south of Black Mountain.

The topmost peak of Black Mountain is Maricopa County Park, which is preserved as scenic open space. A little hill jutting out on the far left holds the Mormon Girl Mine, which produced gold, silver and copper until the 1950s.

Not a Volcano

There are many extinct volcanoes in Arizona but Black Mountain is not one of them.   Black Mountain is a block-faulted peak.  When uplift formed the mountain two types of rock formations were exposed. Today, the results of this geologic event can be clearly seen.  Reddish-tan boulders on the east stand in sharp contrast to the dark basalt formations to the west. Each supports somewhat different plants.  While Black Mountain may look like a long dead volcanic caldera, it is not.

Unsolved Mystery of the Mormon Girl Mine

While many folks have heard the story of Joseph Wentz and the Lost Dutchman Mine, few know about the Taylor family and the lingering mystery of the Mormon Girl Mine. 

After the Civil War the Apaches lost control of the foothills area and prospectors swarmed in and filed claims. One of these adventurous souls was Samuel Taylor.

The Taylor's sad story begins in 1888 when Samuel Taylor came to work at the Mormon Girl Mine. He ended up co-owning the property with his father. Soon his brother's, ED and Frank, out of Nebraska came to help him work the mine.  Their father, Isaac, followed.

Together the Taylor labored to operate the mine.  The result of all their hard work, a hoard of small buttons of pure gold, was kept in a secret hiding place at the mine.  One day while they were away someone stole their entire cache of gold.   It was not long before the Taylors sold their claim and moved away.  Who robbed the Taylors?  What happened to the gold?  The mystery has never been solved. 

100 Years Later

The Mormon Girl Mine still survives as a patented mining claim; although it has not been worked since the 1960s. The tunnel and shaft are still there and the wagon road built by the Taylors is still visible winding its way up the mountain. Today, new homes press in close around the Mormon Girl.  Portions of the claim have been sold to home builders.

For More Information

Our information about Black Mountain comes from two excellent sources.  The first, Cave Creek and Carefree, Arizona - A History of the Desert Foothills by Frances C. Carlson, is the best book on the history of the area.  The second book, Carefree, Cave Creek Foothills - Life in the Sonoran Sun, provides a great deal of interesting information about the area's flora, fauna, history, geology and life-style.  Both books are available at the Cave Creek Museum.