Bella_Mantenere_

EARLY HISTORY

Edward G Cave, better known as "Old Rackensack", came to Arizona as a deserter from the Confederate Army in 1870 and was the colorful prospector for which the surrounding canyon is named. He discovered many of the area mines which he subsequently sold to miners who worked them. Old Rackensack was a philosophical sojourner who often penned eloquent letters to area newspapers detailing his many adventures. The publication of his witty exploits made him somewhat of a roguish celebrity during the era.

The only mines ever to be patented in Rackensack Canyon were the Dallas, Ft. Worth & El Paso claims which had been worked since the 1800's but were not patented until 1914 by the Parker Mining Company. Most Gold veins in the area are known as "pinch veins" which may produce rich ore for a short distance and then pinch off to nothingness only to reappear further down the line. This made commercial mining unfeasible and led to the demise of all large scale operations in the district.

Pictures at right show the Fort Worth Mine as it appears today

Lower photo by Ross Mason

The property is now called "BELLA MANTENERE" which means Beautiful Preserve and the Underwoods live there full time. They are totally self-sufficient utilizing rainwater harvesting and off-grid power. Photos depict the Underwood Studio & Casitas that were sculpted from Rammed-Earth excavated at the site. Cliff and Charles, along with his wife Ginger, spent numerous hours researching environmental principles to eventually decide upon Rammed-Earth, "The Ultimate Sustainable Building Material". All buildings survived relatively unscathed during the recent Cave Creek Forest Fire.

RECENT HISTORY

In 1997, former Rodeo Cowboys and Native Arizonans, Cliff & Charles Underwood returned to their beloved Home State after managing their Luxury Leathergoods Firm in DALLAS, Texas for 20 years. Astonished by the rampant growth, they began searching for property which had the wide open vistas of their childhood. As fate would have it, they stumbled upon a long dormant mining claim named DALLAS which along with Ft. Worth and El Paso just happened to be on the market. They purchased the 62 acre property in February 1998 and spent the better part of four years procuring a legal easement to transform the mine's mule trail into a winding scenic road.

CAVE CREEK COMPLEX FIRE

On June 22nd, 2005 the second largest fire in Arizona's history overran the area. It was the first time this area had burned in over 94 years. Although devastating at the time, it has proven to be invaluable for planning the future of BELLA MANTENERE. The Underwood "Rammed Earth" compound took a direct hit and is a testament to the survivability of such an event by using fire retardant materials in a defensible space. The rapid re-vegetation of the Chaparral landscape is absolutely amazing as shown in the following photos. Distant panoramic vistas provide much of BELLA MANTENERE'S allure and were for the most part unaffected.

Studio above Ft. Worth Mine in July 2005 shortly after fire

Five months later in Dec.2005