As America celebrates its 250th anniversary, Arizona war reenactors descend on an abandoned mining town to relive the days of the Civil War and the lesser-known Indian Wars. KJZZ’s Jill Ryan and Gabriel Pietrorazio travel to Vulture City on the outskirts of Wickenburg to capture both conflicts in action.
-
Gabriel Pietrorazio/KJZZIn the first of a two-part series, reenactors recently descended on an abandoned Arizona mining town to relive the days of the Civil War and the lesser-known Indian Wars. -
Gabriel Pietrorazio/KJZZWhat’s unique about Massai Leon and his family is that they're not only reenactors, but this to them is all about reliving their literal history. Their ancestor, Charles Martine, enlisted in the U.S. Army as an Indian Scout.
1 of
— reenactors-civil-war-line-20260217.jpg
Reenactors line up during a mock Civil War skirmish in Vulture City.
Jill Ryan / KJZZ
2 of
— reenactors-civil-war-road-20260217.jpg
Vulture City, an Arizona ghost town on the outskirts of Wickenburg.
Jill Ryan / KJZZ
3 of
— reenactors-civil-war-20260217.jpg
Civil War reenactors at Vulture City.
Jill Ryan / KJZZ
4 of
— (Jill) Andrew Kuhl, Confederate solider reenactor .jpg
Andrew Kuhl displays the version of the Confederate flag used in a Civil War reenactment in Vulture City.
Jill Ryan / KJZZ
5 of
— gilbert-alonzo-reenactor-20260217.jpg
Gilbert Alonzo, a Phoenix resident, portrays a Union soldier in Vulture City.
Jill Ryan / KJZZ
6 of
— devon-ross-reenactor-20260217.jpg
Devon Ross, reenactor and captain of the Helm’s Arizona Guard, in Vulture City.
Jill Ryan / KJZZ
7 of
— dave-williamson-reenactor-20260217.jpg
Dave Williamson, president of the nonprofit Arizona Civil War Council, in Vulture City.
Jill Ryan / KJZZ
8 of
— vulture-city-20260217.jpg
A sign for Vulture City, west of Phoenix.
Jill Ryan / KJZZ
9 of
— vulture-city-confederate-surrender-gp-20260131.PNG
A Confederate soldier surrenders to a Union officer during a war reenactment on the outskirts of Wickenburg in Vulture City on Jan. 31, 2026.
Gabriel Pietrorazio / KJZZ
10 of
— vulture-city-civil-war-union-troops-gp-20260131.PNG
Union soldier reenactors with the nonprofit Arizona Civil War Council loot dead Confederate troops in the ghost town of Vulture City on Jan. 31, 2026.
Gabriel Pietrorazio / KJZZ
11 of
— az-civil-war-council-banner-gp-20260131.jpg
A fabric banner for the nonprofit Arizona Civil War Council.
Gabriel Pietrorazio/KJZZ
12 of
— apaches-win-reenactment-gp-20260131.jpg
Apache resistance fighters celebrate winning their reenacted skirmish in Vulture City.
Gabriel Pietrorazio/KJZZ
13 of
— martin-leon-apache-indian-war-gp-20260131.jpg
Martín Leon plays dead during their Indian Wars reenactment.
Gabriel Pietrorazio / KJZZ
14 of
— az-civil-war-council-reenactors-line-gp-20260131.jpg
Reenactors line up to share tidbits of history from the Indian Wars with a crowd.
Gabriel Pietrorazio / KJZZ
15 of
— us-cavalry-troops-gp-20260131.jpg
Cavalry troop reenactors fend off Apaches and ex-Confederates in Vulture City.
Gabriel Pietrorazio / KJZZ
16 of
— apache-reenactor-resistance-gp-20260131.jpg
Indigenous resistance war reenactors Martín Leon (left), Massai Leon, Edmund “Guido” Arguello and Tyrus Johnson at camp.
Gabriel Pietrorazio / KJZZ
More Arizona history stories
-
Battles were fought across the country during the U.S. Civil War more than 150 years ago. A few of those battles were fought right here in Arizona. -
“This is our telephone,” said Sarah Biggerstaff. “There’s about 20 clips, and they range from, like, 20 seconds to a minute. You can pick it up — give it a couple seconds — but then you hear him actually speaking. And at our opening, it was really moving.” -
It’s part of an effort to use advances in DNA technology to attach names to those the military was unable to identify after the aerial assault 85 years ago. -
Darlene Justus is determined to preserve two military barracks from Camp Papago Park — a World War II POW camp. -
KJZZ contributor Robrt Pela has been going to Durant’s for decades. About a year ago, he joined us in studio in the wake of news that the restaurant would be closing temporarily. After 75 years, it had been sold to new owners — the Mastro family, who own a couple other steakhouses in Phoenix. -
The first of its kind in the Grand Canyon State, the museum was created to share the history of the game in Arizona through photographs, memorabilia, alternating exhibitions and personal stories. -
As the country celebrates its 250th anniversary, states including Arizona are rolling out their own celebrations: A semitruck carrying a traveling museum will be pulling up to all 15 counties. One of its stops was the Glendale Public Library. -
Arizona isn’t really included in lessons about the Great Migration that brought generations of Black Americans out of the South and across the country. Mcdell Otha Jackson came here as a girl in the 1940s — and moved to south Phoenix. -
A coalition of public lands advocates and historians has filed a federal lawsuit against the Trump administration, accusing it of censoring American history and science at national parks, including several in the Mountain West. -
There was once a separatist community in the middle of the desert — made up entirely of women — outside of Tucson. It was called Adobeland.
