Denizens of the dark will breach the barrier between the living and the dead on Halloween in the Old West town of Harker Creek. The creatures will rule the town for two nights, pouncing on unsuspecting visitors with devilish delight. And town owner Rick Harker is busy preparing for the ominous event.
Harker, his wife Penny, a set-up crew and eight actors plus extras are bringing back Ghost Town at Harker Creek for the first time since 2003.
The town sits on an acre near South 12th Avenue and West Drexel Road where Harker lives in a mobile home with his wife. He built the Old West town in his backyard out of donated lumber.
The self-described semi-retired entrepreneur got the idea to start a Halloween event about 13 years ago.
"A neighbor invited me over to see his haunted house. He kept asking me when I was going to do Halloween," said Harker, 49. "He said my place would be a great place for Halloween."
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Harker grew up watching television Westerns. An eight-month stint as a stuntman at Old Tucson Studios in 1981 fueled his passion for the Old West and stunt work. He didn't shake the dust off his boots when he left that job — he carried it with him.
"I wasn't getting a lot of work. So, I thought I could get more work if I struck out on my own," he said. He formed his own stunt team, The Commancheros, in 1984.
The Commancheros performed live Old West stunts and skits for businesses and organizations. "I wanted to take the Old West to the tourists," said Harker. "A lot of times, people can't get up to Old Tucson. It's expensive."
An accident in 1988 left Harker paraplegic. Harker was encouraged by visits from his stunt-team friends and his family. "They didn't want me to quit."
In 1991, Harker bought three dirt lots that had no buildings, although they did have a couple of junk cars and lots of weeds. He had previously built two Old West towns on other people's property.
"A friend said, 'You built two towns. You should build one of your own,' " he said.
Harker Creek has a dozen-plus buildings, some of which are not full-scale. The marshal's office has a working jail cell. The saloon has a bar. The general store has a counter and a wood stove. The ramada has a stage, a refrigerator and a grill.
Filling the town with period pieces took a lot of time and patience because most of the items were donated or found at yard sales. "I look at this as therapy." Harker said.
In 1995, the neighbor who had haunted houses pronounced his haunting days were done and turned his props over to Harker.
"He gave me a couple of mannequins, a coffin and wardrobe." said Harker.
Take that caldron of props, add an Old West town and a stunt team. Mix in Harker's directing, special effects and choreographing skills, and you have a frightful brew.
"We used to have an actor enter with the paying customers," Harker said. "Another actor would yank him out of the group and 'chop' his head off with the guillotine. A few of the adults asked if we could tone down the violence. So we cut that part out."
After scaring the neighborhood for eight years, Harker decided to call it quits.
"I lost interest," he said.
At the urging of neighbors and friends, Harker rediscovered the motivation to resurrect the ghost town.
It took six months of preparation to recreate the horrific happening. Harker assembled a crew to set up the props. Friends such as Kenny Rogers make up the crew and help out with the event.
"The kids have fun and it's always been like a dream thing to have a haunted house, but here you get a whole haunted town." said Rogers, 49.
south side
Follow the screams
What: Ghost Town at Harker Creek.
Where: Harker's Old West Museum.
Address: 6031 S. Fontana Avenue.
Phone: 741-8361.
Hours: Tours start at 7 p.m. Oct. 31 and Nov. 1.
Admission: $3 per person.
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