June Santos. Rumors of valuable treasure at the site led the bank that owned the property to hire her as a guard. The auction was held and Doc Cavalliere bought a pot-bellied stove and took it to his place at Reata Pass. Years later Doc finally opened the stove and found a bag of turquois gems. Editor, 10/2014
From A Peek at the Peak, July, 1989
by Liz Stapleton
After Don Pablo was gone from Curry’s Corner, but before the auction, the bank installed a caretaker named June Santos. This was necessary not only because of the value of the collections housed in the buildings, but also because of the rumors that Don Pablo (the “Dutchman of Curry’s Corner”) had buried gold somewhere on the premises. The lure of a possibe treasure trove attracted far too many unauthorized visitors.
June was yet another ‘story. A definite character, she was a strong, colorful woman from the hills, who wore her long hair braided with bright cloth. Her main value to the bank was that she had the reputation of being an accurate shot, one who wouldn’t hesitate to pull the trigger.
Although tough, she was a lady who didn’t smoke, drink, or curse. She raised red-bone bloodhounds and also kept dogs with wolf blood in them, sometimes mixed with a little German Shepherd. The dozen or so dogs roaming the property, as well as the geese, kept June alerted to any trespassers.
People began to be afraid to stop at the corner because June would yell and the various dogs would bark, growl, and howl. If unauthorized people didn’t leave quickly, the “hill woman” had a tendency to “encourage” them with a few shots fired in their general direction. Her poor might probably contributed to her already suspicious nature.
The house where June lived amidst the clutter and confusion of Pablo’s many collections had no modern conveniences. She cooked on a wood stove, walked on dirt floors, slept in an old brass bed, hauled in water, and endured an outdoor john.
Local resident Frances Yerger recalls how she and her children became acquainted with June in 1972. The Yergers had some puppies they were taking into a Phoenix kennel to sell. They had been asked by the kennel owner to pick up and transport some of June’s red- bone hounds. Even though Frances phoned ahead to let June know they were stopping by, all the Yergers had reservations. The children huddled behind Frances. Fortunately, both women had Southern accents and soon developed,quite a friendship, probably the only one June had during the time she lived in the area.
June took her caretaking job for the bank very seriously, and occasionally had to be reminded not to overdo it. Once a week, when she went into town for groceries, all the dogs were let loose and no one could come near the place during the few hours she was away. Another time, when one of her dogs was bitten by a rattler, June refused to take the animal into the vet unless Frances and the children would stay and watch the place for her. Rattlesnakes were a constant problem, often getting into the living quarters, and June was always on the alert, killing many of them.
After the auction was over and all of Don Pablo’s belongings sold, there was no further need for anyone to watch the place, and June moved on. Before she left, June asked the Yerqers to stop by. She gave them a little bundle wrapped in a towel and said not to open this until they got back into the car. It turned out to be a tiny, six-week old blue tick hound, which the family named Pearl. It
The land at Curry’s Corner where Pablo’s old place once stood is now owned by Giant Industries. (Editorial Note, 10/2014: On the northeast corner of Scottsdale Road and Pinnacle Peak Road. The corner is now occupied by Safeway, Starbucks, and other retail stores.)
Liz Stapleton Ogen, a resident of the Pinnacle Peak area, was the founding editor of the publication that you are reading. She typed and laid out the first edition, the February 1983 issue, of A Peek at the Peak (The Peak) at her kitchen table. Her first creation was a six-page newsletter that was distributed to a few hundred Pinnacle Peak residents by the Greater Pinnacle Peak Homeowner Association. Liz served as editor for many years and established a standard for quality that contributed to the longevity of the magazine you are reading.late
Related Article
Reminiscing: The Character on The Corner by Liz Stapleton
Recent Comments