Bilbry Stone Crosses

[Matthew Roberts]

I have always felt these are the Stone Crosses Mike Bilbry and Ed Farr found on the southwest end of Tortilla Mountain in 1983. Supposedly they were destroyed but I was never sure of that. The owner of these crosses who lived in Apache Junction died a few years ago. I tried to buy them when he was alive but he would not sell them. His family has them now and recently I tried to buy them again but they still won't sell them. I don't believe the Stone Crosses or the Latin Heart were ever destroyed, I believe, in my opinion, both are still in Apache Junction.


Mike Bilbrys photo of the actual Stone Crosses he found in 1983.

 

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[somehiker]

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I have always felt these are the Stone Crosses Mike Bilbry and Ed Farr found on the southwest end of Tortilla Mountain in 1983. Supposedly they were destroyed but I was never sure of that. The owner of these crosses who lived in Apache Junction died a few years ago. I tried to buy them when he was alive but he would not sell them. His family has them now and recently I tried to buy them again but they still won't sell them. I don't believe the Stone Crosses or the Latin Heart were ever destroyed, I believe, in my opinion, both are still in Apache Junction.

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Mike Bilbrys photo of the actual Stone Crosses he found in 1983.

The easiest way to stop those who pester or threaten you about things like the crosses or LH, is to spread the word that they no longer exist.
Looks like you're talking about Ray Ruiz and the crosses at the Bluebird Mine Curio Shop, Matt.
Those are actually a pair of plaster replicas that Jim Hatt made for Ray. I was also given a set by Jim, which he had hanging on the wall over his computer. His last set, he said at the time.

The originals are even more interesting, in that the backs appear to have been sculpted in the form of a relief map.
One is also somewhat thinner than the other.

View attachment Cross F&B.bmp

 

[Matthew Roberts]

somehiker,

I understand what you're saying. I have always had a big problem with the time line and how everything happened. Maybe you can clear it up for me.

Bilbry found the Stone Crosses in 1983, we know that for fact.

I was friends with Ray Ruiz and was at his birthday party at the Bluebird in July of 2009. Ray and I were talking about all the people in the mountains and he took me back to his desk and computer and showed me photos of people we knew in the Superstitions.

One photo was my friend Al Reser and he was holding the Bilbry crosses. The date on the photo was 1997. The photo was taken in back of the Bluebird while Al was visiting Ray.

Al passed away in January 2000 so the date on the photo was probably correct, at least it had to be before January 2000.

I dont believe Jim Hatt made any copies of the Stone Crosses before 2004 and probably after that.

If thats correct, Al had to be holding the Bilbry crosses.

And how did Jim Hatt make copies of the Stone crosses from the grainy photos that exist of them ? Its easy to make a good copy if you have the original cross but awfully hard to even come close from just a photo and a bad photo at that.

As I said, I hear what you're saying and am not arguing with it, I just cant in my mind make sense of the timeline involved. What am I missing, I know there must be something.

 

[somehiker]

The first article about the Stone Crosses was published in 1978.
Bilbrey, Farr, Kollenborn and Conatser were all quoted in the article.



Better quality photos were taken and archived by the Apache Sentinel at that time.







As I understood it, Tom K. obtained copies of the photos at some point and passed them on to Jim, who used them to fashion his first set of replicas, from which he then made silicone molds.
I can't say what year that was.

Although I've been hiking the Sups since 1995, I never had the opportunity to meet with Al.
Pretty sure I had a visit and interesting conversation with Bilbrey at his campsite in 2013 though.
Deducer tracked Bilbrey down a couple of years ago, but was informed that Mike had died a short time prior.

 

[Cubfan64]

The first article about the Stone Crosses was published in 1978.
Bilbrey, Farr, Kollenborn and Conatser were all quoted in the article.

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Better quality photos were taken and archived by the Apache Sentinel at that time.

View attachment 1905758

View attachment 1905759

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As I understood it, Tom K. obtained copies of the photos at some point and passed them on to Jim, who used them to fashion his first set of replicas, from which he then made silicone molds.
I can't say what year that was.

Although I've been hiking the Sups since 1995, I never had the opportunity to meet with Al.
Pretty sure I had a visit and interesting conversation with Bilbrey at his campsite in 2013 though.
Deducer tracked Bilbrey down a couple of years ago, but was informed that Mike had died a short time prior.

if Jim made the replicas using only photos, why would the backs have any sort of importance - he never would have seen the sides or backs would he?

 

[Gregory E. Davis]

Hello ClubFan64: I have a set of the copies of the stone crosses that Jim made. The back side of the crosses are flat, not colored, with his name on them. Cordially, Gregory E. Davis

 

[Cubfan64]

Hello ClubFan64: I have a set of the copies of the stone crosses that Jim made. The back side of the crosses are flat, not colored, with his name on them. Cordially, Gregory E. Davis

Ahh thanks Greg - so THAT begs the obvious question to Somehiker for which I suspect he is not at liberty to answer, but I'll ask it anyways . Have you seen the original Latin Hearts or do you know if they still exist? Where did you get the "side photos" that show the contoured backs?

 

[somehiker]

if Jim made the replicas using only photos, why would the backs have any sort of importance - he never would have seen the sides or backs would he?

Greg is correct. Both have "J HATT" in raised lettering on the reverse, and a wire loop for hanging them on a wall.
Mine are painted light brown, including the backs.. You are correct on the liberty thing, I'm not. But I have two B/W photos of a very darkly colored heart. Both are of the "Latin" side, and were likely taken at or near the place where they were found. You and I have been fairly close to that location before. Opposite side of the highway though.

 

[Cubfan64]

Greg is correct. Both have "J HATT" in raised lettering on the reverse, and a wire loop for hanging them on a wall.
Mine are painted light brown. You are correct on the liberty thing, I'm not. But I have two B/W photos of a very darkly colored heart. Both are of the "Latin" side, and were likely taken at or near the place where they were found.

Thanks for the info. - I had to ask the other question you know

hope you're doing well Wayne - it's been a few years now. Hope to make it out there this year and get a chance to say hello in person

 

[Matthew Roberts]

Somehiker and Greg,

When did Jim make the copies of the Stone Crosses and Latin Heart for you ?

 

[somehiker]

Somehiker and Greg,

When did Jim make the copies of the Stone Crosses and Latin Heart for you ?

I don't have a copy of the L/H, unfortunately. No idea when Jim started making replicas of the L/H or the SC's, or when he made the SC reps he gave to me. We only talked about the heart once, while he was showing me some of the photos he had on his desktop. He had said he was going to post or going to tape an interview with the man in one of the photos that I had asked him about.

 

[Gregory E. Davis]

Good afternoon Matthew. He did not make the Stone Crosses for me but for himself to sell. I do recall that he did come over and make copies of the photographs I made of the Originals. I met Mike Bilbrey and Ed Farr on June 8, 1978. They were introduced to me by Monte Edwards at his lay-over apartment near the Los Angeles Airport. At that meeting they told us the story behind the finding of the crosses. Several weeks later, Ed Farr brought the Crossers over to my parents home in Studio City where I photographed them for Ed. The pictures showing the crosses on a blue towel on a lawn chair are the photo I took. I used a blue towel for contrast to the reddish color of the crosses. I took pictures without the white power and then with white power over the marking to make them show clearer. Ed Farr eventually got disgusted with Mike and gave up on the Stone Cross Quest. By that time he was have money problems, had mortgaged his home for the search, and then had a family to contend with. Mike went on with Stone Crosses story but eventually got in trouble with the law for a scam he was pulling on another project. Yes, I have seen and held the Original Stone Crosses in my hands. Cordially, Gregory E. Davis

 

[somehiker]

Thanks for the info. - I had to ask the other question you know

hope you're doing well Wayne - it's been a few years now. Hope to make it out there this year and get a chance to say hello in person

Of course...
Yes i has been awhile, and I'm doing ok. I'm hoping to get down there this fall, providing there are no remaining travel restrictions. Itchin to get back at it.

 

[somehiker]

Hi Greg:
Do you know who shot the side-view photos ?
Looks like a brown towel, they're on.

 

[Gregory E. Davis]

The side views are my photos. The background is blue on the originals. The original pictures I took were with Slide Film. When you have prints made from Slide's, the colors have a tendency to get washed out. That is why the color of the background on some of the prints are different. Cordially, Gregory E. Davis

 

[somehiker]

Thanks Greg: That also answers what was going to be my next question....which was if you remembered the side profiles and thicknesses. Do you know if Bilbrey had developed heart problems while in prison or afterward ?

 

[Gregory E. Davis]

Hello Somehiker: I do not know. I lost track of Bilbrey about a year after me met. I went on to other research projects. Cordially, Gregory E. Davis

 

[somehiker]

Thanks Greg.
And BTW, thanks also for your service to both the country and to those of us in this hobby.
Always forgot to ask. Which AC did you fly while in the navy ?

 

[somehiker]

if Jim made the replicas using only photos, why would the backs have any sort of importance - he never would have seen the sides or backs would he?

I don't think he thought the back profiles and difference in thickness might be important at the time.
It was easier to make them the way he did.

Here's a shot of my own set, along with a brand new book he mailed to me about a week later, after I had emailed him a few photos I'd taken on that trip. He was sure the photos were of things Conatser had mentioned in the book.

 

[somehiker]

Thanks Greg.
And BTW, thanks also for your service to both the country and to those of us in this hobby.
Always forgot to ask. Which AC did you fly while in the navy ?

You said Monty Edwards had a "layover" place near LAX.
Did he work for the same company as you?