Mattie Earp Gravesite

We had gone out to see Mattie this past week....everything is gone...no trace of ANYTHING. We put a picture of her up years ago..racked the rocks, etc. Nothing..not a trace of anything now!!!! What happened????? We are sick about it.

I heard the Park Service removed all signs of the grave to actually protect the grave itself.

Unfortunately the wrought iron placard and picture that was mounted to the railroad tie were stolen last year. My great, great, great, great grandmother is buried in that cemetery about 20 yards from Mattie Earp - my family has also been sick/disgusted with the vandalism

It is a sad thing that people in our country have gotten so low down as to take to vandalizing graves. And it's all due to the internet and the influx of low lifes into our state. Ten years ago, very few people knew about those graves. Very Sad.

Very true indeed. I grew up in Superior and had many parties out in the "boonies" but would have never disrespected hollow ground. I'm assuming most of the vandalism DOES come from locals raising cain in the wild. I don't think tourists going out of the way to visit the grave due to finding the coordinates on the 'net would do such a thing though.

Im sorry to hear about the site for Mattie-- WE were fortunate to get pictures of the grave marker about 2 years ago-and were thrilled to be able to "tour" the graveyard. I hate that people think they have the right to take from these sights - even tho the sight is very old, people still care, whether family, generations later or just people who enjoy history.

very sad :( SMH in disgust..... F'n HUMANS!

It was not vandals, the Tonto National Park Service took it down. When I questioned the archogilist he stated "Mattie was nothing but a prostitute and alcholic, who cares". I pointed our first and formost she was a human being. We are willing and able to put up a new marker. We have not been able to get TFS to give us permission to replace this marker with something they would find agreeable. They are stone walling us, even letters to our Senators have gained us anything.

No matter what negative perceptions people have of Mattie, she is a part of history just like Wyatt Earp, Doc Holliday and Johnny Ringo are. Johnny Ringo was an outlaw and has gravesite markers that aren't being removed. I think there is just an attempt to limit visibility of the Pinal Cemetery because it is too much for the Forest Service to be willing to maintain.

I drove to the cemetery not knowing there was nothing there for Mattie. I was very disappointed... note even something that said she was there somewhere. This is history...why are we hiding it?

Has TFS come back to you on this? I would be willing to generate interest if need be. As an Az history buff we were headed out to visit Mattie. To find this forum is not only disappointing but also frustrating...especially to find out an agency who is formed to protect our heritage and land dismantled a gravesite. There must be more to this...but to simply state she's a prostitute isn't the right answer. Even if they were to reconstruct it...it wouldn't be from original material. And what about the others buried there? It's simply disrespectful.

been there years ago before my mother in law passed away we werent looking for it just stumbled cross it

eva wrote:

Has TFS come back to you on this? I would be willing to generate interest if need be. As an Az history buff we were headed out to visit Mattie. To find this forum is not only disappointing but also frustrating...especially to find out an agency who is formed to protect our heritage and land dismantled a gravesite. There must be more to this...but to simply state she's a prostitute isn't the right answer. Even if they were to reconstruct it...it wouldn't be from original material. And what about the others buried there? It's simply disrespectful.

A grave site was not dismantled but an illegally constructed monument placed without Forest Service consultation or approval was removed. From the dog burials, "ghosters," those who want to "clean-up" the cemetery, partying, increased traffic/visitation and the resulting vandalism, I've watched the Pinal Cemetery degrade which accelerated when the monument was placed in the summer of 1995. It evolved into her de-facto grave with numerous embellishments which would have included an iron rail fence if the person constructing it had not been caught and told to remove his work. While more than enough respect has been shown to the memory of Mattie Earp the others interred are virtually forgotten and ignored by the casual visitor. Yes, you are right, this is more to this..........

It is very sad indeed that a pioneering woman from the 1800's should be treated with such disrespect. Although Mattie appeared to have lead a dissolute life style, l would imagine quite a few decent women in those times would have had to adapt to this life style in order to survive. Anyone who defiles a sacred place of burial is a total moron.