The Canyon of Gold, Buffalo Bill Cody, and the Legendary Iron Door Mine Treasure: The Santa Catalina Mountains Story (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9781939050120)

William Thomas Carter- "Flint"- to his friends, is a sophisticated primitive artist and author born in 1947 in Danville, Illinois. Flint, a seasoned prospector and miner, has held hundreds of mining claims for decades throughout the Santa Catalina Mountains, near Tucson, Arizona. After attending Danville High School, he served overseas in Panama as a military policeman during the Vietnam conflict, and received the National Defense and Good Conduct medals. Returning home, Carter attended Danville Junior College and later Southern Illinois University. A special interest in the design department, headed by Buckminster Fuller, inspired the building of Arizona's first solar heated and cooled museum. While in Arizona, Ted DeGrazia, whose work is now well-known in the realm of commercial art, was a mentor and a friend. He was the inspiration for the outdoor theater, "The Stage in the Sun," named in honor of DeGrazia's Gallery in the Sun. In 1985, "The Oracle Historian" published "The Story of Gold," a short story, followed by "The Legend," a brochure produced for SaddleBrooke Development Corp, and the book, "Treasures of the Santa Catalina Mountains." From 1995-2000, a special collection of minerals, prehistoric and historic artifacts, art, jewelry and related memorabilia from Arizona's Canyon of Gold has been shown at the Tucson Convention Center Gem and Mineral Show as an educational exhibit. For two years the collection has premiered in the Galleria entranceway to the show. Environmental accomplishments include a solar stucco design and a multi-million-dollar industrial toxic site clean- up. But, those toxins are now taking a toll and it's getting harder to maintain this heritage. After returning to Arizona in 1996, Carter continued to research the Iron Door Mine legend.