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 Wayne
Ellsworth “Barney” Barnard was an old salty pioneer
of the Arizona desert who lived at the base of
Superstition Mountain. He came here with a vision to
build a guest ranch for dudes. Through hard work and
sweat, sometimes not his own, he constructed the
once famous B – B Guest Ranch on the slopes of
Superstition Mountain.
He was one of Apache Junction’s earliest pioneers,
belonging to an honor roll of those who suffered the
hot summers before the advent of cooling or air
conditioning. Imagine living through summer months
in this desert without any kind of cooling.
Barney was a man known for his tall tales. Some
people will say he was the biggest windbag in all of
Arizona. Others will tell you he was one of the
great pioneer storytellers of the Southwest and a
noted authority on the Dutchman’s Lost Mine. He and
his heirs published a booklet on the subject of
Jacob Waltz and his mine for some twenty-one
editions from 1954-1977.
 Wayne
Ellsworth Barnard was born August 8, 1886, in
Manchester, Delaware County, Iowa. Stories say he
left the sanctuary of his strict Presbyterian home
at the age of 16 to begin his wanderlust way of
life. He wanted to wander the West and find his
final niche in life. Sometime around 1906 Barnard
arrived in Mesa, Arizona Territory looking for a
job. He walked toward Goldfield searching for a cow
outfit where he might find work. According to
Barnard’s own story he became lost in the desert and
after wandering for several hours he found a water
seep near the base of Superstition Mountain. Liquid
gold, as he called it, saved him from perishing from
thirst on the desert.
Barnard joined the United States Army in September
of 1917 at the Jefferson Barracks in Missouri. He
served with the “Fighting 77th Army Division” during
World War I. He was thirty-one years old when he
shipped overseas. He saw combat action at Verdun and
was wounded. Barnard returned to Arizona permanently
in 1933. He first squatted on five acres of land
just south of Lost Dutchman Blvd. and then
homesteaded it in the 1940’s.
Barney established the B-B Guest Ranch and Resort in
the late 1930’s and entertained service men from
Williams Army Air Base in the 1940’s. He would strum
his guitar, sing and tell stories. When Barney had a
couple of coins to rub together he was off on a
journey chasing his family genealogy.
You might say Barney Barnard was a pioneer in the
travel trailer vacations. He had his trailer painted
with a logo and signs advertising the B-B Guest
Ranch. He also promoted Apache Junction with its
clean air and mild winter climate. He was Apache
Junction’s national ambassador of good will for many
years during the 1950’s. He traveled from Maine to
Washington promoting the region.
 Barney
Barnard was a charismatic individualist who liked
people to gravitate toward him, but he always wanted
to be able to distance himself when it was
desirable. When his visitors and friends listened to
his stories and tales they soon realized here was a
man who had found his niche in life. He cherished
the opportunities to tell stories and tales about
the mountains. He personified the American West and
the cowboy. Barney, his life and love for the West,
placed him in an immortal hall of fame, not one you
can visit, but one you can visualize each time you
look at Superstition Mountain. His memory and
pioneering spirit will never be forgotten.
Remembering Barney Barnard is recalling the
nostalgic western past of Apache Junction’s
lifestyle when cowboys and miners visited the old
Apache Junction Inn and bar.
Barney was also a community- minded individual. He
provided the resources for the Apache Junction
Volunteer Fire Department to buy their first pump
truck from Williams Air Force Base. He was active
with the volunteer fire department for several
years. He also was active with the Apache Junction
Business Club in 1960, which eventually became the
Apache Junction Chamber of Commerce. Barney also
owned, maintained and operated a water company for
several years. He married in his later years and had
a son he proudly named Barney Barnard Jr.
Barney’s final days were spent thinking about and
recording his life story. He died at the Phoenix
Veteran’s Hospital on April 17, 1963, at the age of
77. He will be remembered as one of our first and
earliest storytellers. He dared to be different and
strike out on his own searching for his own private
niche in life. Barney Barnard found success in life
beneath the facade of Superstition Mountain and in
the shadows of the old Dutchman’s haunts.
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