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In addition, if you have any questions about this site or Arizona History, feel free to e-mail Jeffrey
The first mineral to be found in Arizona was, like many other regions, gold. Jacob Snively hit the first gold strike in Gila City, Arizona around 1857. It was Arizona's first boom town. This strike would set the stage for Arizona's most profitable resources, mining. Arizona would not be known so much for its gold or silver, for which early on it had many strikes in the cities of Globe, Chloride, Bullhead City, Oatman, Pearce, Quartzsite, Apache Junction (where the lost dutchman's mine is hidden, but not necessarily naturally), and Salome. Silver were also prominent, historically with the Spanish, in the cities of Tubac and Superior. However, Arizona would most prominently be known for its copper. It would eventually become known as one of Arizona's Five C's or resources.
The first copper strike by an anglo was by Henry Clifton, in the area now known as Clifton, in 1864. No claim was staked there because the area was too dangerous to mine. In 1870, Robert Metcalf staked a claim there, then sold controlling interest to Henry and Charles Lesinsky. They later formed the Longfellow Copper Mining Co. in Las Cruces, New Mexico. They set up camp and called it Clifton. Clifton later became one of the largest copper mining communities of Arizona. The value of copper, however, did not take off until 1893. For a further explanation, here is an excerpt from the publication The Mission, Means and Memories of Arizona Miners:
"...the development of the alternating current (AC) system of electricity by Nikola Tesla, a former employee of Thomas Edison. Contracting with Westinghouse, Tesla demonstrated his AC power at the World Exposition in Chicago in 1893. This system, which was superior to Edison's direct current, provided for long-distance transmission of electricity and greatly expanded the use of electricity, using copper as a conductor. The birth of the electrical age was, in turn, a major boon to the copper industry. Copper had not only been proven as an excellent conductor of electricity, it was also plentiful in supply and inexpensive."
This new use of copper resulted in the boom of one of Arizona's greatest resources. By 1910 Arizona produced more copper than any other state in the nation. It would eventually fuel many of its political struggles as well. The election of the governor of Arizona in 1916 became a critical one in the future of copper history. Governor W.P. Hunt was up for re-election facing Thomas E. Campbell. Campbell better represented the factory owners of the copper industry, while W.P. Hunt was a bigger supporter for the working man. Campbell won the initial election while Hunt contended that he had actually had more votes and refused to leave the governor's office. Campbell was later declared the winner, and then a higher court reversed the decision. Meanwhile, with Hunt's power in the governorship negated factor owners such as Phelps Dodge cleaned house.
The Bisbee and Jerome Deportations in 1917 best represents how critical copper was for Arizona, as the factory workers and factory owners were pitted against each other for a resource in high demand. The owners would be the victor, read more about the Bisbee Deportations and what it meant for Arizona here.
Arizona still maintains 65% of all copper produced in the United States
even though many closures took place in the 1950s on. Jerome
was an interesting example of a city's rebirth. Originally shut down in
the 1950s, it became a haven for an alternative culture to move in and
get away from city life. It is now a place for artist communites, and some
say a modern day Mayberry.
The Mission, Means and Memories of Arizona Miners: A History of Mining
in Arizona from Pre-History to Present by James McBride (Published by Arizona
Mining Association)
http://www.azcu.org/historyofmining/index.html
Arizona Mining Association Home Page
http://www.azcu.org/index.html
Arizona Deparment of Mines and Mineral Resources
http://www.admmr.state.az.us/
Arizona Mining and Mineral Museum
http://www.admmr.state.az.us/musgen.htm
Chicano Research Collection--Arizona Mining and Labor History. Consists
of a list of manuscript collections that deal with Arizona Mining history.
Can be found on the fourth floor of the Hayden Library at ASU.
http://www.asu.edu/lib/archives/chicmine.htm
How to search for Mining Information at the Arizona Historical Foundation
http://www.asu.edu/lib/ahf/howmine.htm
Link Inactive (site has been archived below)
http://jeff.scott.tripod.com/ahfhowmine.html
Copper as a commodity: Past and Present Glossary of Terms
http://www.azcu.org/cucommodity/vocabularylist.html
History of mining in Arizona / editors, J. Michael Canty, Michael N.
Greeley.
TN24
.A6 H57x 1987 v.1-2
The Mineral industries of Arizona : a brief history of the development
of Arizona's mineral resources / prepared by the Arizona Bureau of Mines
staff, T.G. Chapman, editor.
TN24
.A6 A53 1962
Geology of Arizona / Dale Nations, Edmund Stump
QE85
.N38 1996
History of mining in Arizona / compiled by Frank J. Tuck.
TN24.A6
A522x 1963
Fifty years of mining in the State of Arizona, 1912-1962 / by Frank
J. Tuck.
TN24.A6
T82x 1962
Stories of Arizona copper mines; the big low-grades and the bonanzas,
by Frank J. Tuck (Copper Mining)
TN443
.A6 A5 1957
The economics of a one-industry town / by John Wallace Leonard.
HC108.A265
L46x
The mineral industries of Arizona / by J.B. Tenney.
TN24
.A6 A53 1928
Rock to riches; the story of American mining, past, present and
future, as reflected in the colorful history of mining in
Arizona, the nation's greatest bonanza, by Charles H. Dunning with
Edward H. Peplow, Jr. Illus. by Larry Toschik.
TN24
.A6 D8
Mining in Arizona : its past, its present, its future / by F.P. Knight.
MR
1.2:M 45/2/970
Phelps Dodge : a copper centennial, 1881-1981. (Copper Mining)
TN443
.Z6 P413x
A history of Phelps Dodge, 1834-1950 by Cleland, Robert Glass
HD9506
.U64 P433
Deep enough : a working stiff in the western mine camps / by Frank A.
Crampton
TN433.A5
C7 1982
"Strikitos" : race, class, and work in the Arizona copper industry,
1870-1920 / by Andrea (Copper Mining)
Yvette Huginnie.
HD9539.C7
H84x 1991
Arizona mining: fabled past, solid future/ by Arizona Mining Association.
TN24.A6
A7x
Mines and mining collection, 1865-1971 (bulk 1880-1931) [manuscript]
MS
FM MSS 34
Miscellaneous mining records, 1881-1941 [manuscript]
MS
FM MSS 33
Poston, Charles D. (Charles Debrille), 1825-1902. Collection
MS
FM MSS 44
Daniel Ellis Conner collection, 1954-1964 [manuscript]
MS
CM MSS 30
Bailey, Philip A., 1885-1970.Papers, 1842-1965, (bulk 1906-1948) [manuscript]
MS
CM MSS 91
Brodie, Alexander O.Papers, 1849-1918 [manuscript]
MS
FM MSS 28
Alexander, Joseph L. B., 1857-1931.Papers, 1872-1954 [manuscript.]
MS
CM MSS 11