M.A. Kleen

A sun-bleached ruin is all that remains of what many call the bloodiest site in Arizona history.

• This crumbling adobe structure dates back to 1858.
• As many as 22 violent deaths have been reported in or near the cabin.
• Tales of “unquiet spirits” haunting the area date back as far as 1881.

Crumbling adobe walls perch on a desolate hilltop, overlooking the dry, winding bed of a San Pedro River tributary. Beneath the blistering Arizona sun, ants and snakes weave through rocky soil, past the bleached bones of outlaws and fortune seekers buried in forgotten shallow graves. When night falls, an eerie chill grips the desert floor of the San Pedro Riparian National Conservation Area. Those brave enough to visit after dark often report ghostly encounters and an overwhelming sense of being watched.

Located south of Charleston Road between Tombstone and Sierra Vista, Arizona, this forsaken adobe ruin is known as Brunckow Cabin. Described by some as “the bloodiest cabin in Arizona,” it has become a magnet for ghost hunters and history buffs alike. After reading its grim history, and the chilling tales of restless spirits, I had to see it for myself. But erosion, vandalism, and time have taken their toll, and the site may not endure much longer.

The cabin’s story began with violence. In 1858–59, German mining engineer Frederick Brunckow and his associate T.F. White sought their fortunes in the hills near the San Pedro River. They staked a claim roughly eight miles southwest of present-day Tombstone and built a small adobe cabin and supply shelter.

Brunckow brought with him several men, including John Moss (or Morse), David Brontrager, and brothers James and William Williams. He also hired Mexican laborers to assist with the mining.

Finding the cabin today is no small task. Adventurous visitors are advised to use GPS coordinates (31.638500, -110.157500) and Google Earth. When I arrived, only a few decaying walls remained. But even in daylight, the site’s remote stillness felt oppressive. As I walked among the ruins, I couldn’t help but recall the violent events said to have taken place there.

In July 1860, William Williams left for Fort Buchanan to purchase supplies. When he returned, he found a scene of horror—Brunckow and the rest of the party had been savagely murdered. The Mexican laborers had ransacked the camp and fled, taking Brontrager hostage. He was later released.

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Hey, Sleuthhounds!

Write a journal entry from the point of view of a ghost who haunts Brunckow Cabin. What happened to you? Why are you still there?

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According to Joshua Hawley, author of Tombstone’s Most Haunted, up to 22 deaths have occurred in or near the cabin. In one chilling episode, five thieves took refuge inside the cabin, only to be found dead by their pursuers. It’s believed they turned on each other during a dispute over stolen loot, killing one another in a brutal shootout inside the cramped quarters.

Like so many others who perished at Brunckow Cabin, the men were buried nearby in hasty, shallow graves. Only a handful of these graves have ever been positively identified, leaving the rest to fade into the desert dust.

Whispers of supernatural activity soon followed. In 1881, the Arizona Democrat reported:

“The graves lie thick around the old adobe house…. Prospectors and miners avoid the spot as they would the plague, and many of them will tell you that the unquiet spirits of the departed are wont to revisit…. and wander about the scene.”

Generations of campers have tried to spend the night at the site, often retreating before morning. Several reported to Hawley that something clawed at the roof of their car. One group captured a ghostly blue-lit figure in a photograph of the cabin and fled in terror.

Hawley himself claimed to record a disembodied, whispering voice near the ruins that said either, “My good friend,” or perhaps, “My girlfriend.” With so many violent and untimely deaths, it’s no wonder the site has earned its haunted reputation.

If your travels take you near Tombstone or Bisbee, consider seeking out the haunted ruins of Brunckow Cabin. The harsh desert winds are slowly reclaiming the structure, and its violent history may one day be buried beneath sand and silence—along with the echoes of those who met their end in its shadow.

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