The football stadium at White Cliff Middle School in Kingman, AZ gives an entirely different meaning to the term “team spirit”. This football field was built on what was once the Pioneer Cemetery. The Pioneer Cemetery was used as the original cemetery in Kingman from 1900 to 1917. .jpg)
In about 1903, Jennie Bauters—Jerome’s most famous and loved madam—left Jerome, AZ and headed for a new boom town called Acne (now known as Goldfield). Jennie’s gambling suitor, Clement C. Leigh, followed her there. After a time, Jennie began to feel he was somewhat of a threat. In September 1905, Leigh needed money to settle a bad debt. With anger and a gun in his hand, he headed to Jennie’s place and demanded she hand over her cash. An argument ensued and Jennie tried to flee from the building. He chased after her, firing several shots which wounded her as she ran into the street. He approached the paralyzed woman and fired a fatal shot to her head. He then pointed the gun to his chest and fired again. He lay down beside her to die. But, instead, Leigh survived the suicide attempt and was carted off to jail. Jennie was mourned by all and laid to rest in the Pioneer Cemetery in Kingman. In 1907, justice was served and Leigh was hung. He too, was buried in the Kingman Pioneer Cemetery.
In 1917, the county began the task of moving the graves of the dearly departed to the new Mountain View Cemetery. Mohave County did not pay for your loved ones to be moved to the new location. That was the family’s responsibility. So, some of the not so dearly departed, whose relatives would not come forward, were not moved. They were left behind at the deserted cemetery.
Mohave County donated the old Pioneer Cemetery property to the school board to build a new high school. A stadium and parking lot replaced the hallowed grounds. They say that in the 1940’s, a group of youngsters playing on the football field began to unearth bones of the bodies that were never moved to Mountain View Cemetery. Many organizations were alarmed and took action to have the existing remains exhumed and placed in a solitary grave on the property. There is a plaque dedicated to the unknown buried pioneers on the school grounds. The old high school is now a Kingman middle school.
And as fate would have it, Jennie Bauters and her murderer, Clement Leigh, are now buried in the same grave and entombed forever in the end zone of a football field. So if you are ever attending a big football game at the old stadium and the excitement begins to magnify—beware the rising spirits might be more than just the cheering crowd.
For more info: www.mvdghostchasers.com
Debe Branning nazanaza@aol.com
Comments
Shivers!
Love all these stories. So many facts are unknown to most of us. What a neat way to learn more AZ history and chase ghosts too!!!
Just recently came across your site. I love it! My husband and I just recently moved to Kingman, so this ghost story in particular caught my interest. Would be interested in reading more Kingman ghost stories.
I READ THE STORY "GHOSTS AT THE GOAL POSTS" ABOUT KINGMAN HIGH
SCHOOL HOW THE MOUNTIAN VEIW CEMETERY WAS MOVED TO IT'S NEW
LOCATION IN 1917 AND THE FAMILY HAD TO PAY FOR REMOVABLE OF THE
GRAVE'S TO NEW CEMETERY NOW ON STOCKTON HILL. WHAT I DO UNDERSTAND
IS THE SCHOOL'S FOOTBALL FEILD IS NOW ON TOP OF GRAVES AND AS
THE CHILDREN ARE PLAYING SOME TIME AGO THEY WERE STEPPING ON BONE'S. SO THEY PUT WHAT IS NOW A FOOTBALL FEILD ONTOP OF THESE GRAVE'S NOT TO MENTION ONE'S THAT HAVE NOT BEEN TRIP UPON AS OF YET. I GUESSE THEY FIGURE A LITTLE CEMENT HERE AND THERE CAN COVER THAT UP.GEE WONDER WHY THE PLACE HAS GHOST'S AROUND THE
SCHOOL. HELL OF A THING TO DO AND HOW DOES BUILDING A SCHOOL ON
TOP OF A CEMTERY EVER PASS CODE? THERE IS NO MORAL'S IN THIS
COUNTY AND FEEL SOMETHING SHOULD BE DONE ABOUT THIS. THE SPIRIT'S
SPEAK OUT FOR I WAS JUST THERE AT THE STOCKING HILL MOUNTIAN CEMETERY YESTERDAY CHIRISTMAS DAY BRINGING FLOWERS TO GRAVE'S
THAT LOOK LIKE NOBODY HAS BEEN TO IN AWHILE .
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