Poston Butte

This stone pyramid is a tomb for Charles Debrille Poston who was once referred to as "the Father of Arizona" among some of his most ardent supporters. Known for eccentricity, Poston also advocated for the statehood of the Territory of Arizona. He also earned notoriety for statements such as his claim that the ruins of an Apache structure was once a temple to a sun god and actions such as appealing to the Shah of Iran to construct a new sun temple on the same volcanic site. This colorful character is little-known outside of Arizona but remembered for these claims and actions as well as his advocacy for Arizona statehood.

Charles Debrille Poston was known as both a statesman and an eccentric promoter. He was born on April 20, 1825, in Kentucky and became an orphan at the age of 12. At 19, he moved to Nashville where he worked as a clerk for the Tennessee Supreme Court. After some time, he heard about the discovery of gold in California, so he moved to San Francisco. After the Gadsden Purchase of 30,000 square miles which later became southern Arizona and New Mexico as we know it today, a race began to be the first to stake a claim there.

In addition to being interested in the Gadsden Purchase and an advocate of Arizona statehood, Poston is remembered for his many adventures and claims. He took a boat to the Mexican city of Guaymas, where he ran into some misfortune as he was shipwrecked and arrested by Mexican officials who thought he was a scout for a potential American invasion. When he was released, he went up north and surveyed possible locations to set up mining claims. After a few years of enticing investors, he went to Arizona with $2 million. He made the Sonora Exploring and Mining Company in 1856.

In addition to his business ventures and support of Arizona Territory, he was fascinated by Zoroastrianism and also wanted to make a temple to the sun. At first, he tried to make a temple on a volcanic mound outside of Florence, but was not able to complete this effort owing to finances. He wanted people to call him “Colonel” Poston despite a lack of military leadership. When he died, he was buried in a pauper's grave in Phoenix, but some of his friends decided to create this 14-foot pyramid next to a land formation now known as Poston Butte. Friends of Poston relocated his body so that it faced the rising sun.

Poston Butte - Florence, Arizona, Atlas Obscura. Accessed February 2nd, 2023. https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/poston-butte.

Pyramid Tomb of the Father of Arizona, Roadside America. Accessed February 2nd, 2023. https://www.roadsideamerica.com/story/47429.