Living in the Shadow of the Superstitions by Larry Newton Clark & Barbara Clark Clouse

STANDING ON THE FLAT desert floor of the Valley of the Sun in the center of Arizona, you can identify where you are by the border of mountains in the far distance. In the small agricultural community of Coolidge, the Casa Grande Ruins National Monument still stands as a testament of how tribal lands existed in the past. From that focal point, you can find your bearings since the sun rises in the east. To the west, a shorter series of hills and mountains called Signal Peak looms over the cotton fields and broken adobe walls of the old structure known as the ruins. If you face south, you can see the saddleback outline of the Picacho Peak, an area designated as a State Park and scene of a Civil War battlefield.

On a clear day, you can look due north and see the purple toned outline of a long mountain range. When you live half-way between Phoenix and Tucson, you know that northern formation is the Superstition Mountains, located east of Phoenix and bordering Apache Junction, Arizona. The Superstition Wilderness Area has lured our family for generations, to dream of its treasure, to hike its trails, to seek the challenge of climbing the unknown paths, maybe to catch a glimpse of the Lost Dutchman’s Goldmine or the ghosts written about in myths of the past. Our family has walked across the desert surrounding the rocky slopes, climbed upward into the canyons, following the legends of the treasure, and returned with their own tales of adventure.

PART I

DURING THE 1950s, OUR father and some of our uncles made a daring decision to go search for the gold in the Superstition Mountains. With grandparents living in the farming community of Coolidge, Arizona, we were there one summer on vacation when the men decided to make the trip. Newton E. Clark (our father) from Muskogee, Oklahoma, was a treasure hunter at heart. He convinced Reuben Lawson and brothers Winson and Emmitt Underwood to make the approximate hour drive with him. Many years later, we found the photos that proved they had succeeded in climbing through the treacherous terrain.

After discovery of the 1950s photos, Larry Newton Clark, musician/singer/songwriter, selected one of the old black and whites for the cover of one of his latest albums: Superstition Mountain Music - Legends II by Greywolf.

PART II

SINGER/SONGWRITER/COMPOSER LARRY Newton Clark was born in Muskogee, Oklahoma. He discovered his musical heritage came from his father, Newton E. Clark, who could pick up any stringed instrument and play it with ease. Larry taught himself how to play the guitar at age fifteen and has been in pursuit of success since his high school days.

Mr. Clark lives in the desert community of Apache Junction, which is at the northeastern edge of what natives call the Valley of the Sun in Arizona. Due east of Phoenix and Scottsdale, the city is a haven for senior citizens who flock to the mild temperatures during the winter months while their homes in the north and east are covered in ice and snow. The area is also known for the southwest desert setting, museums about gold mining camps, dude ranches, and cowboy wild west tales. The largest tourist influence in the area is the presence of the Superstition Mountain Range and its legends of the Lost Dutchman’s Gold Mine.

Looming on the north east side of the city limits, the Superstitions rise majestically from the desert floor. The scene of many western movies, this mountain range is currently designated the Superstition Wilderness Area by the USDA Forest Service. With legends and tales of the hidden gold, Apache raids to protect the cache of buried treasure, ghosts of the miners wandering through the maze of the Peralta Canyon, visitors flock to the adventurous trails to hike the Superstitions, hoping to catch a glimpse of the gold.

At age 71, Larry is a recent survivor of the coronavirus COVID-19. Although Larry still suffers from the lingering side effects of this contagion, he perseveres in his musical career. Playing with his band, Greywolf, Larry continues his support of the American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars, and at local military or veteran related events.

Larry takes note of his 50+ years in the music business and his rocky road to a loyal fan base. He recently discovered that his albums are being played on the radio in Australia and New Zealand, and listeners from around the world are eager to hear his songs.

“I’ve been asked many times why I live in the Arizona desert near the Superstition Mountains. That’s an easy question to answer. Two events in my life drew me here, to live and work in these beautiful surroundings.

“When I was very young, we lived in Oklahoma and came to Arizona to see my grandparents, aunts, and uncles. They lived in a small town, about 30 miles southwest of the Superstitions. On one trip, in the mid 1950s, my dad, Newton E. Clark, and a few of our uncles, drove up to the Superstition Mountains to look for the Lost Dutchman goldmine. They spent the day and took several photos, and oh, yes, never found the gold but had some great stories.

“I have always remembered those photos, and they somehow affected me deeply. The wild west always comes to mind when I see them—my dad, standing proudly with his rifle and the Superstition Mountains in the background.”

“The second event from my childhood took place ten years later. My dad came out to Arizona and gave me my first rifle, and we all drove out to the Superstitions for the day. We climbed a very long way up the west face, on Siphon Draw Trail, and all the little kids made it all that way. We stopped and took a photo of the valley far below. We could see all the way across the valley to South Mountain. My dad and I got stuck with some Cholla cactus, a very painful experience, but it’s a part of living in the desert.

“My Dad went back to his home in Oklahoma, and I stayed in Arizona with my mom, stepfather, and my three sisters. I’ve lived in Arizona since the early 1960s. I became a musician in high school, moved to Phoenix after high school, and helped form a band. I’ve played music my entire life—writing songs, recording, touring, and playing concerts and clubs all over America.

“The Phoenix area was always my home base, and I raised my family there. I began playing in Apache Junction and Mesa, Arizona, in the 1990s, and loved the area near the Superstitions. I seemed to be drawn there. So, in 2000, I moved to Apache Junction and began researching the Superstitions for song ideas. I met many old timers and asked quite a few questions. I read lots of books on the Superstitions.

“I already knew how to play the American Indian flute, and that helped me get the stories across. Being a guitarist my entire life made it easy to compose songs of the southwest. I’ve released several CDs based on the Superstition Mountains. Every song on them was written, recorded, and produced by myself, with the help of my band, Greywolf.”

“A few years ago. I tried to find the exact spot, on Siphon Draw Trail, where my father’s picture was taken in the 1950s. I got very close with a photo of me in the same spot on the trail. I have come full circle from when I was inspired by my dad in the 1950s.’’”

“My dad loved the Superstition Mountains, and I do, too. I wrote a song on my first Legends of The Superstitions CD – ‘All in A Young Cowboy’s Dream’ - about his dream to find the Dutchman’s Gold. All the songs on the CD are about the Superstitions.’’”

—BARBARA CLOUSE is retired from the Department of Justice in 2009 after 20 years spent working in the Office of United States Attorney. She is a children’s book author and has published an inspirational novel for the middle grade reader, Eyes of the King (2005), a colorful Native American tale titled The Healing Lodge (2011), and a storybook about a rescue dog, Penny Finds a Home (2015). Clouse lives on a farm south of Muskogee with her husband Jerry, where she enjoys gardening, growing gourds for art projects, genealogy, and entertaining their grandchildren.