Southern Arizona: Ghost
Towns
Charleston: Cochise County.
Eight miles Southwest of Tombstone. Park
at San Pedro River bridge, walk North 1/2
mile to ruins of silver mill and large adobe
houses built abound 1880. A wild river
camp, smaller and tougher that Tombstone,
center for rustlers and employees of crushing
mills for ore mined at Tombstone.
Contention City: Cochise
County near Tombstone. Contention City
was another of the "mill towns" where
ores from Tombstone were processed. Heaps
of ruins and rubble.
Dos Cabezas: Cochise
County on Route 186, 15 miles Southeast of
Willcox. Semi-ghost town where a few
residents still support a small Post Office.
Formerly an active supply center for surrounding
mines and cattle ranches. Wells Fargo
Station in 1885. Vacant, crumbling adobes,
and a stage station.
Duquesne: Santa Cruz
County. 19 miles east of Nogales. Established
around the turn of the century. Former mining
center and peak population of 1000 residents, including Westinghouse
of Westinghouse Electric, who lived here
while taking some $4,000,000 in ore from
his nearby mine. Post Office established
in 1890. Ruins. (Washington Camp is 2/4 mile
beyond).
Helvetia: Pima
County. 30 miles southeast of Tucson. Former
mining town established in 1880's. Ruins
include cabins, foundations, and large pile
of jet-black copper slag. Some of these
buildings and mines are posted against trespassing.
Hilltop: Cochise
County. 36 miles south east of Willcox
on Route 186. The Hilltop mine established
by Frank and John Hands. The town of
Hilltop was first started on the west side
of the mountain, then a tunnel was put through
to the east side where an even larger town
was established. Hilltop was a summer
colony during periods of inactivity. Today
it's a ghost town.
Johnson: Cochise County. 2
miles north of Route 86, from a point 16
miles northeast of Benson. Old adobe
cabins, mill, assay office, boarding house
(privately owned) and several buildings posted "No
Trespassing"
Oro Blanco: Santa Cruz
County. 15 to 20 miles west of Nogales. Active
between 1873 and 1932. $1,130,000 in
gold was taken from this locality. Adobe
ruins.
Paradise: Cochise
County. 6 miles northwest of Portal. Briefly
active mining town dating from the early
1900's. Paradise is still "home" to
a few old timers who are glad to point out
the old town jail and ruins of various businesses.
Pearce: Cochise
County. One mile off US 666 from point 29
miles south of Willcox. This old gold
camp once had a population of 2,000 - all
of them well supported by the wealth of the
Commonwealth mine. It was discovered
by Johnny Pearce in 1894 and in its hey-day
the old Commonwealth was the richest gold
diggings in southern Arizona. Operating
store and post office with many vacant adobes,
mine and mill ruins.
Sunglow: Cochise
County. 30 miles southeast of Willcox.
on Route 181. Johnny Ringgold commonly
called Ringo, is buried about 1 1/2 miles
from old Sunglow post office. Sunglow
has only a dwelling or two remaining.
Eastern
Arizona Ghost Towns
Gold Field: Pinal
County. 5 miles from Apache Junction
of State Route 88. Mining town in the
middle nineties. Four of the original
mine shafts, stopes and timbers can be seen.
McMillin: Gila
County near US 60 about 10 miles north east
of Globe. Supported by celebrated Stonewall
Jackson Mile, discovered in 1876. In
'77 owners of Stonewall exhibited in San
Francisco, specimens of silver ore valued
at $65,000. Mine is believed to have
produced close to $3,000,000. Cabins.
and ruins.
Metcalf: Greenlee
County. Sits astraddle US 666, 7 miles
Northwest of Clifton. Settled in 1872
as a gold mining camp but achieved brief
fame from later discoveries of copper. First
RR in Arizona Territory linked this place
and Clifton, in 1878. Formerly a prosperous
town of 2,000 persons, now completely deserted. Ruins.
Western
/Central Arizona Ghost Towns
Congress: Yavapai
County. Approximately 2 miles from Congress
Junction. Site of rich Congress gold mine. Ruins
of old cabins and rubble strewn flats. (Mine
and adjacent buildings closed to trespassers.)
Jerome: Yavapai
County on US 89A. 33 miles northeast
of Prescott. Established in 1876, this
famous copper camp hit a peak population
of 15,000 in about 1929. Its main mine
produced some $500.000,000 in ore before
closing in 1952. Many picturesque buildings
and ruins, museum and other points of interest.
McCabe: Yavapai
County. 2 1/2 miles west of Route 69
at Humboldt via year of Iron King Mine. Mining
and milling town dating from the late 19th
century. Remains of old cabins, cemetery,
ruins of large mill, mine dumps, rubble.
Stanton: Yavapai
County. 6 miles east of Arrowhead Station
on US 89, 42 miles southwest of Prescott. Named
for Charles B. Stanton who kept a store and
stage station and was the postmaster in 1875.
Later an active mining camp. Remaining buildings
in fair-t0-good condition. All privately
owned.
Tiger Yavapai
County. Located near Wagoner on Hassayampa
Creek. Named from the Tiger mine discovered
about 1870. It was said to have been
the first silver mine of import discovered
in northern Arizona.
Walker: Yavapai
County. Six miles south of Route 69
from a point 4 miles east of Prescott. Captain
Joseph Walker in 1863 led a gold prospecting
expedition into Yavapai County. As
a result of the success, Walker came into
being. Mill and mine ruins, a few old
buildings. In early 1900's a 2 mile
tunnel was dug through the mountains to the
town of Poland, making it possible to ship
the ore to Poland Junction. It was deserted
in the 1920's. The tunnel can still be seen.
Weaver: Yavapai
County. 2 miles beyond Stanton on the same
side of the road. A very picturesque
town named after Pauline Weaver, guide, whose
party accidentally discovered a rich gold
find. When this rich placer was exhausted
the town was a hangout for thieves and murderers. After
30 years of lawlessness the gangs were chased
out and Weaver became a ghost town. Little
remains except mine trails.
Ehrenberg: Yuma
County. The only thing of original Ehrenberg
to be seen is the cemetery, about 300 yards
from the Colorado River north of US 60/70. It
was named for Herman Ehrenberg who
surveyed mining properties in the area before
he was killed at Dos Palmas, CA in 1866. The
town was established with his name in 1869
upon the site of Bradshaws' Ferry.
Harrisburg: Yuma
County. Approximately 8 miles south of Wenden.
First town in this part of the desert. Gold
was discovered near town site of Bill Bear
around 1886. The town was started by
Capt. Charles Harris on the site of the old
Centennial stage station. Considerable
gold was taken from her mines. As
ore deposits played out, the citizens left
until only one main remained, Bill Bear. For
30 years he was the only citizen and at his
death in a Yuma hospital his last request
was that he be brought back the last mile
by burro and buried beside his
wife - sixteen years later his request was
finally carried out and today a massive monument
stands near the marker of Mary and Bill Bear's
grave.
Signal: Mohave
County. Site on Big Sandy River 42 miles
SE Yucca on old Route 66. Established late
in 1870's as milling town for ore from McCrackin
and Signal mines. In its hey-day had
stores, shops, hotels, saloons and a brewery
to supply beer for the thirsty miners. Freight
was shopped from San Francisco to Yuma thence
to Aubrey Landing, from there it was hauled
by mule 35 miles upgrade to Signal. Prosperous
for many years. Mills ruins, one old saloon,
foundations, rubble and cemetery.
Mineral Park: Mohave
County. About 15 miles northwest of Kingman. One
of the county's most important early towns
and county seats 1877-1887. Stone and
adobe ruins.
Gold Road: Mohave
County. 29 miles southwest Kingman. Gold
first discovered by John Moss and party in
about and party in about 1864. A new strike
was made by Joe Jerez, Mexican prospector,
in 1902. In 1949 most of the remaining
mining operations and buildings were razed
to escape taxes.
Oatman: Mohave
County. 32 miles southwest of Kingman Gold
mining town active 1900-1942. Many empty
buildings and picturesque ruins. Some small
places of business operated by a hardy group
of "never say die" citizens.
La Paz: Yuma
County. 8 miles north of Ehrenberg. Flourished
for 7 years as gold center and river port.
During that time $8,000,000 supposedly washed
from sands. In 1867 the river cut a new channel
leaving the town three miles inland. Very
little remains.
