▁Texas ▁in ▁ 1 9 1 3 . ▁Prince ▁attended ▁Arizona ▁State ▁University ▁and ▁became ▁a ▁lawyer , ▁pract icing ▁law ▁for ▁a ▁time ▁in ▁Phoenix , ▁Arizona . ▁But ▁soon ▁he ▁and ▁his ▁wife ▁Jan et ▁moved ▁to ▁the ▁M oj ave ▁Des ert ▁on ▁Highway ▁ 9 1 ▁and ▁opened ▁their ▁first ▁Th ing ▁road side ▁att raction ▁and ▁cur io ▁shop , ▁between ▁Bar st ow ▁and ▁Baker . ▁However , ▁the ▁expansion ▁of ▁the ▁road ▁into ▁an ▁inter state ▁highway ▁brought ▁about ▁the ▁loss ▁of ▁the ▁building , ▁and ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 5 ▁the ▁Prince ▁family ▁pack ed ▁up ▁The ▁Th ing ▁and ▁moved ▁to ▁the ▁current ▁location ▁in ▁Arizona . ▁Prince ▁chose ▁the ▁location ▁to ▁be ▁near ▁Texas ▁C any on , ▁a ▁site ▁that ▁he ▁had ▁become ▁" en ch anted " ▁with . ▁A ▁heart ▁condition ▁and ▁several ▁stro kes ▁led ▁to ▁Prince ' s ▁death ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 9 ▁at ▁the ▁age ▁of ▁ 5 6 . ▁Jan et ▁ran ▁the ▁att raction ▁for ▁several ▁years , ▁but ▁eventually ▁re located ▁to ▁Baltimore . ▁ ▁The ▁origin ▁of ▁The ▁Th ing ▁was ▁established ▁by ▁Sy nd ic ated ▁column ist ▁Stan ▁Del ap lane , ▁who ▁interview ed ▁Jan et ▁Prince ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 6 . ▁Prince ▁told ▁him , ▁"[ A ] ▁man ▁came ▁through ▁here ▁about ▁six ▁years ▁ago . ▁He ▁had ▁three ▁of ▁[ the ▁bodies ] ▁he ▁got ▁somewhere . ▁He ▁was ▁s elling ▁them