Mansel Carter facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Mansel Carter
Mansel Carter gravesite marker in San Tan Mountain Regional Park.
Born	May 12, 1902 Quaker City, Ohio
Died	June 5, 1987(1987-06-05) (aged 85) Queen Creek, Arizona
Nationality	American
Occupation	Prospector, Mountain Man

Mansel Carter (born May 12, 1902 – died June 5, 1987) was a famous Arizona businessman and prospector. People often called him the "Man of the Mountain." In 1987, a magazine named The Phoenix called him an "Arizona Legend." Today, you can visit his gravesite at Gold Mountain in the San Tan Mountain Regional Park. It's a popular spot for visitors. In 2017, the town of Queen Creek even named a new park, the "Mansel Carter Oasis Park," after him.

Mansel Carter's Early Life

Mansel Carter was born in a place called Quaker City, Ohio. When he was young, he learned about photography. He also worked as a mechanic in his hometown. Later, he moved to Indiana. There, he bought an airplane and used it to offer shuttle services. During the Great Depression, a tough time for many, he worked as a lumberjack. This job involved cutting down trees on the Zuni Indian Reservation.

Meeting Marion E. Kennedy

In 1941, Carter moved to the town of Gilbert, Arizona. He opened his own photography shop there. During World War II, he joined the United States Army. He served for a short time but was discharged because of his age.

While in Gilbert, he met and became good friends with Marion E. Kennedy (1874–1960). Kennedy was a Cherokee man from Oklahoma. He worked by delivering ice. Kennedy had studied geology, which is the study of Earth's rocks and minerals, at the Indian School in Carlisle, Pennsylvania.

Searching for Gold

Gold Mountain

Gravesite of Mansel Carter and Marion E. Kennedy with the Gold Mountain in the background.

Mansel Carter received a monthly payment from the military. He and Kennedy decided to try looking for gold. They moved to the San Tan Mountains in Queen Creek. These two men became known as "mountain men." They set up different claims and made their campsite their home. Kennedy taught Carter how to drill for gold. They became lifelong friends. When Kennedy passed away in 1960, Carter buried him near their campsite.

After his friend died, Carter stopped looking for gold. Instead, he started carving and selling "cactus curios." These were small, interesting items made from cactus wood. Many visitors from all over the country came to buy them. Carter was even featured on a TV show called "Arizona Road." He kept a guest book where visitors could sign their names. After he died in 1987, his guest book, some cactus curios, and other personal items were given to the San Tan Historical Society’s Museum. That same year, The Phoenix magazine called him an "Arizona Legend."

Both Carter and Kennedy are buried where their campsite used to be. This spot is near the Goldmine Trail. Their gravesite is now a historical place that many tourists visit. The mountain where they searched for gold is called Gold Mountain. This area is now part of the San Tan Mountain Regional Park. In 2017, the town of Queen Creek honored Mansel Carter by naming a new community park after him, the "Mansel Carter Oasis Park."

Gallery