Mansel Carter (May 12, 1902 – June 5, 1987), also known as "Man of the Mountain", was an American businessman and prospector. In 1987, ''The Phoenix'' named him one of "Arizona Legends". The San Tan Historical Society of Queen Creek recognized his gravesite at Gold Mountain in the San Tan Mountain Regional Park in

Queen Creek, Arizona Queen Creek is a town in Maricopa and Pinal counties, Arizona, United States. The population was 59,519 at the 2020 census, and is at a population of 83,700 as of 2024. It is a suburb of Phoenix, located in the far southeast area of the P ...

as a tourist attraction. In 2017, the town of Queen Creek named a new community park the "Mansel Carter Oasis Park" in his honor.

Early years

Carter was born in Quaker City, Ohio. When he was young, he studied photography and worked as a mechanic in his hometown. He moved to

Indiana Indiana ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Michigan to the northwest, Michigan to the north and northeast, Ohio to the east, the Ohio River and Kentucky to the s ...

and purchased an airplane with which he provided a shuttle service. During the

Great Depression The Great Depression was a severe global economic downturn from 1929 to 1939. The period was characterized by high rates of unemployment and poverty, drastic reductions in industrial production and international trade, and widespread bank and ...

, he worked as a lumberjack on the

Zuni Indian Reservation The Zuni Indian Reservation, also known as Pueblo of Zuni, is the homeland of the Zuni tribe of Native Americans. In Zuni language, the Zuni Pueblo people are referred to as A:shiwi, and the Zuni homeland is referred to as Halona Idiwan’a mea ...

.Exploring Carter and Kennedy’s San Tan Mountains
/ref>Queen Creek community park to be named after iconic resident.
/ref>Republic; September 22, 2001.
/ref>

Marion E. Kennedy

In 1941, Carter moved to the town of

Gilbert, Arizona Gilbert is a town in Maricopa County, Arizona, United States. Located southeast of Phoenix, Arizona, Phoenix, Gilbert is home to 288,128 residents. It is the fifth-most populous municipality in Arizona and is considered a suburb of Phoenix. I ...

, and opened a photography shop. He was drafted by the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the primary Land warfare, land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of th ...

during

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

and served a short tour of duty. He was eventually discharged on account of his age. He met and befriended Marion E. Kennedy (1874–1960), a

Cherokee Indian The Cherokee (; , or ) people are one of the Indigenous peoples of the Southeastern Woodlands of the United States. Prior to the 18th century, they were concentrated in their homelands, in towns along river valleys of what is now southwestern ...

from

Oklahoma Oklahoma ( ; Choctaw language, Choctaw: , ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Texas to the south and west, Kansas to the north, Missouri to the northea ...

whose job was delivering ice. Kennedy had at one time attended the Indian School in

Carlisle, Pennsylvania Carlisle is a Borough (Pennsylvania), borough in and the county seat of Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, United States. Carlisle is located within the Cumberland Valley, a highly productive agricultural region. As of the 2020 United States census ...

, where he studied geology.

Gold prospecting

Carter received a monthly pension from the military. Both Carter and Kennedy decided to try their hands as gold prospectors and moved to the San Tan Mountains in the town of Queen Creek. The

mountain men A mountain man is an explorer who lives in the wilderness and makes his living from hunting, fishing and trapping. Mountain men were most common in the North American Rocky Mountains from about 1810 through to the 1880s (with a peak population in ...

, as they became known, established various claims, and their campsite became their home. Kennedy taught Carter how to drill for gold, and they became life-long friends. When Kennedy died in 1960, Carter buried him near their campsite. Carter discontinued prospecting for gold after the death of his friend. He handcarved and sold "cactus curios" to the many visitors from different parts of the country. Carter was featured in "Arizona Road" with Bill Leverton. He kept a guest book, which along with some of his cactus curios and many of his personal belongings, were donated to the San Tan Historical Society's Museum after he died in 1987 of cancer. That same year ''The Phoenix'' named him an "Arizona Legend". Both Carter and Kennedy are buried where their campsite was located near the Goldmine Trail. Their gravesite is considered a historical tourist attraction by the San Tan Historical Society of Queen Creek. The mountain in which they prospected is known as the Gold Mountain and the area is now part of the San Tan Mountain Regional Park system. In 2017, the town of Queen Creek named a new community park the "Mansel Carter Oasis Park".

Gallery

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Carter, Mansel 1902 births 1987 deaths People from Gilbert, Arizona People from Guernsey County, Ohio Businesspeople from Arizona Mountain men People from Queen Creek, Arizona 20th-century American businesspeople American military personnel of World War II

Early years

Marion E. Kennedy

Gold prospecting

Gallery

Further reading

See also

Arizona pioneers

References