In 1872, at the height of the American Indian Wars, a band of raiding Apache horsemen were ambushed by a United States Cavalry force from Picket Post Mountain. After losing 50 men, the Apache retreated up the mountain later named "Apache Leap". According to local legend, in the face of defeat, the remaining Apache leapt to their death rather than being captured by the cavalry, thus giving the mountain its name.
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Superior (Western Apache: Yooʼ Łigai) is a town in Pinal County, Arizona, United States. Superior, which is in northern Pinal County, is the oldest town in that county. According to the 2020 census, the population of the town was 2,407. Superior was founded as a mining town for the Silver King and the later Magma mines; silver was mined at first, and then transitioned to copper. Currently, exploitation of the huge Resolution Copper deposit is being explored.
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Like nearby Globe, Ray, and Clifton, Arizona, Superior was once part of a huge Apache reservation, but after silver and copper deposits were discovered, those areas were withdrawn from the reservation and returned to the public domain.
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In 1872 the U.S. Calvary was sent from their outpost at Picket Post Mtn. to round up a raiding band of Apache Indians. The Natives were chased to the top of (Apache Leap) & rather than face capture they chose death by leaping off the mountain cliffs.
The Great Spirit looked down & turned tears of sorrow from their loved ones into stones.
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Deborah Kay
Deborah Sears
Dave Moreno
Hezekiah Coleman
Dale Shacklett
Debbie Olson
Leslie Martin
Kelli Elliot
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