Jack Swilling

MINOTTO | PICTURES | ROADS | JACK SWILLING | TEN DAY TRAMPS

Arizona Pioneer & Cemetery Research Project

Presentation

Version 092307

BB/CCN Photo/Bruce Colbert

Neal Du Shane stands between two graves he discovered and marked with red flags at Jack Swilling’s cabin ruins in Black Canyon City. The grave on the right is believed to be that of 8-year-old Matilda; the grave on the left is believed to be where the bones of Swilling’s friend Col. Jacob Snively are buried.

Whose graves by Jack Swilling's cabin?

By Bruce Colbert - Big Bug Canyon Country News, Vol. 7, No. 5, Oct 18, 2006

The oft-debated question about who, if anyone, is buried at Jack Swilling's cabin in Black Canyon City is either solved or not. Like the legend of Swilling himself, it depends on interpretation.

"I'm almost positive that this one grave is Matilda, the daughter of Jack Swilling, and this other one is the bones of Col. (Jacob) Snively," said Neal Du Shane, professional grave dowser and historian of Western pioneer cemeteries.

Du Shane will talk about Swilling at the Black Canyon City Historical Society's 7 p.m. meeting Oct. 23 in the Old School House.

The remains of Swilling's cabin and stage stop are on the private property of BCC (Black Canyon City) residents Bob and Susan Marley. They gave permission for Black Canyon Historical Society President Bob Nilles and Du Shane to conduct research into the mystery of who is buried on their property.

Du Shane dowsed Memorial Park Cemetery this past spring at the request of cemetery Chairman Bob Cothern. Du Shane has researched and dowsed Tip Top, Gillette and McCabe cemeteries and founded Arizona Pioneer Cemetery Restoration Program.

After hearing of Du Shane and his work, Nilles said he thought Du Shane might be just the person to be able to finally solve the mystery at Swilling's cabin.

"It's just always been one of those questions that everyone has an opinion on, but no one can find the answer to," he said. "Now we know there are two burials here, and one is a female child, and the other is a very small male grave. We know that Swilling brought Snively's bones back with him in 1878, but we could never find a definite answer on whether he buried the bones at Gillette (now a ghost town) or here.

BB/CCN Photo/Bruce Colbert

Left to right, Black Canyon Historical Society President Bob Nilles, Bob Marley and Neal Du Shane compare an old photograph of Jack Swilling’s cabin. They are standing outside a doorway of the cabin. The probable remains of Col. Jacob Snively are marked with red flags near their feet.

"The other problem we had with the historical records is that Jack Swilling had two daughters, both named Matilda. The first Matilda was eight-years-old and died in 1876. The second Matilda was born in 1876 and died in 1878. So it's very confusing in historical documents when they refer to 'Matilda.' We never know which one they are referring to."

Du Shane is the member I of an international professional organization of grave dowsers. He can distinguish between male and female and estimate age based on the size of the grave his dowsing rods react to. He is I a published author and does prolific research of pioneer cemeteries before releasing his findings. He began his dowsing profession in his home state of Iowa.

"It's kind of strange to find them so close to the house," Du Shane said after marking the two grave boundaries with red flags. The cabin sits perched on the banks of

the Agua Fria River and that proximity may be one reason the graves aren't further away, Du Shane and Nilles speculate,

"And Black Canyon City is very different now than it was then," Nilles said. "Back then there were a lot of buildings around K- Mine and Swilling's place was kind of the hub of town with the stage stop here.”

Swilling died in Yuma County Jail in 1878 awaiting trial on stagecoach robbery charges stemming from a hold-up near Wickenburg. Swilling had gone to White Picacho Peak to retrieve Col. Snively's bones and bury his old friend nearer to him. On Swilling's return trip he was heard bragging about the robbery and buying drinks with gold from the mail sacks.

He was arrested shortly after returning to Black Canyon City in 1878. He carried Snively's bones in a gunnysack around the hamlet of Black Canyon City (at that time alternately called Canyon, Black Canyon, and Agua Fria District) until he buried them.

If Du Shane is right, and he has a documented record of success to back-up his conclusions, two graves are buried at Swilling's: one a little girl and the other a sack of adult male bones or possibly a little boy. According to Nilles and Du Shane, there is no mention of any small boys buried in or around Swilling's cabin in any historical documents they have researched.

After marking the gravesites, Du Shane and Nilles measure the grave plots and Swilling cabin with a laser range finder to establish exact dimensions.

"It helps to know the exact measurements to be able to compare to old photographs," Du Shane said. "Sometimes buildings are identified wrong in old photographs. This project is a nice change from what I'm used to. Usually I don't have any structures to measure."

More information about Du Shane and APCRP is, available by e-mailing n.j.dushane@comcast.net

Arizona Pioneer & Cemetery Research Project

Internet Edition

Version 092397

Reproduction Approval by: Bruce Colbert

MINOTTO | PICTURES | ROADS | JACK SWILLING | TEN DAY TRAMPS