Harshaw, Arizona
Harshaw, Arizona | |
---|---|
MST (no DST )) | |
Post Office opened | April 29, 1880 |
Post Office closed | March 4, 1903 |
GNIS ID | 29768 |
Harshaw is a ghost town in Santa Cruz County in the southeastern part of the U.S. state of Arizona. The town was settled in the 1870s, in what was then Arizona Territory. Founded as a mining community, Harshaw is named after the cattleman-turned-prospector David Tecumseh Harshaw, who first successfully located silver in the area.[2] At the town's peak near the end of the 19th century, Harshaw's mines were among Arizona's highest producers of ore, with the largest mine, the Hermosa, yielding approximately $365,455 in bullion over a four-month period in 1880.[3][4]
Throughout its history, the town's population grew and declined in time with the price of silver, as the mines and the mill opened, closed, and changed hands over the years. By the 1960s, the mines had shut down for the final time, and the town, which was made part of the Coronado National Forest in 1953, became a ghost town.[2][3][5][6]
Today, all that remains of Harshaw are a few houses, some building foundations, two small cemeteries, and dilapidated mine shafts. Most of the buildings were torn down by locals or by the Forest Service in the mid to late 1970s.[3][7][8]
History
Early settlement
The earliest known residents of what is now Santa Cruz County were the
The accounts of Spanish missionaries who traveled through the area shortly after the founding of Tubac state that the site that was to become Harshaw was originally a Spanish settlement and ranch.[11] The settlement was known as Durazno, meaning "peach" or "peach orchard," supposedly due to the peach trees which had been planted there at some time in the past.[12][13][14] According to a missionary account from 1764, the settlement of Durazno was attacked and destroyed by Apache Indians on February 19, 1743, with significant loss of life. Along with the nearby Salazar ranch, which was also attacked on that day, the lives of 44 residents were lost.[11]
When the United States acquired all of present-day Arizona as part of the Gadsden Purchase in 1853, the numerous Mexican mining and ranching settlements still in existence became part of the United States, and American settlers moved into the area.[9][15]
Founding and early town history
David Harshaw was stationed in
After a few years of prospecting in the region, Harshaw staked claims to several deposits of silver ore, one of which he sold to the Hermosa Mining Company around 1879.[2][3][18] In addition to digging and working what was to become the Hermosa mine, the company also began construction on a nearby twenty-stamp mill designed to process or "stamp" the silver ore into fine powder in preparation for smelting. The combined need for miners and mill workers caused the town to grow rapidly. The post office opened on April 29, 1880, under the name Harshaw in order to honor its founder. The Hermosa Mill commenced operations on August 5, 1880,[4][19] and the company soon employed approximately 150 people in the mine in addition to those working the mill.[2][3][8] At the town's peak, the mining and milling of silver was performed cheaper in Harshaw than in any other mining settlement in the Arizona Territory, and the mines were considered to be potential rivals of the productive Tombstone mines.[4]
Harshaw was soon home to some 200 buildings, 30 of them commercial, including eight or ten
Harshaw was dealt a devastating blow when the Hermosa mine and mill both closed down in late 1881 due to a drop in the quality of silver ore extracted from the property.[2] Coupled with the Hermosa closures, severe thunderstorms which caused a large, damaging fire that same year almost put an end to the settlement.[3][8] Shortly thereafter, in 1882, The Tombstone Epitaph noted Harshaw's decline, and wrote that over 80% of the town's 200 buildings stood empty "with broken windows and open doors."[3][8]
Rebirth and subsequent decline
In 1887, Harshaw was reinvigorated when Tucson resident James Finley purchased the Hermosa mine for $600.[2][3][8] In addition to the rebirth of the mining industry, 1887 also saw the end of Apache raids in the area. The last recorded raid took place that year when 20 Indians raided Harshaw, resulting in the death of one man in an area mine.[6][16]
As of 1891, Harshaw was connected to the Arizona and New Mexico Railway lines, and had mail service three days a week. It still housed seven businesses, as well as a school and a hotel. In addition, David Harshaw's initial reason for coming to the area was still very much a factor in its use, as the land was noted for its exceptional grazing, and stock raising was second only to mining in area industries.[23] The Hardshell Mine that David Harshaw discovered in 1879 and sold to R. R. Richardson began to produce silver in 1896, further spurring the town's growth.[24] This smaller incarnation of the town continued until just around the start of the 20th century when the market price of silver declined, and mine owner James Finley died in 1903, closing the Hermosa mine again.[2][3] Most residents left the town and the post office closed on March 4, 1903.[2]
Continued activity
Despite a dwindling population, Harshaw gained some notice in 1906 when it was reported by the national press that Ben Daniels, one of Theodore Roosevelt's Rough Riders, was arrested for fraud associated with selling a Harshaw district mine to a business associate for $800, even though Daniels had no ownership of the property.[25]
In May 1929 when a forest fire swept through the Patagonia Mountains, Harshaw was reportedly down to 50 residents, all of whom were forced to evacuate, along with residents of other nearby mining camps. On May 13, 1929, after four days, and the burning of 15,000 acres (61 km2; 23 sq mi), the fire was contained, and the blaze was extinguished just in time to spare Harshaw from destruction as it had been directly in the path of the fire.[26][27]
The town again saw activity between 1937 and 1956 when the Arizona Smelting and Refining Company (ASARCO) worked the Flux and Trench mines located nearby,[3] and tapped into the region's non-silver ore.[28] After 1956, when ASARCO left, Harshaw returned to its status as a ghost town.[2][3]
In 1963, Harshaw ran afoul of the
Remnants
Several historic buildings remain in Harshaw, although most are on private property belonging to the Hale Ranch.[30] The most prominent building still standing is the James Finley House, now preserved and listed on the National Register of Historic Places as of November 19, 1974. Built around 1877 as a residence for the superintendent of the Hermosa Mine, the house was located just 100 yards (91 m) from the Hermosa Mill. When the mine was later purchased by James Finley, he took up residence in the house. The house is important historically as one of the few remaining buildings from Harshaw's mining heyday, and architecturally as a representation of period building styles in Arizona Territory. Notably, the house is of red brick construction rather than the adobe brick used in most other period buildings.[31][32]
Other remains at the site include the foundations of the Hermosa Mill, an assay office, a small church, a two-room schoolhouse, the remains of an adobe house/pool hall located on the outskirts of town, and two small cemeteries. Several other partial wood and adobe structures, as well as scattered mining remnants, are also located throughout the area. Of the remains, the cemeteries and the nearby adobe ruin are most easily accessible, as they are on the side of Harshaw Road, today designated as
As of 2009, efforts are underway by the Center for Desert Archaeology to have the Santa Cruz Valley, including the remains of Harshaw, declared a National Heritage Area.[31]
Geology
The 5 miles (8.0 km) wide Harshaw Mining District is a rough and rugged landscape of numerous gulches,[33] with areas of lush forests and grasslands[8][34] interspersed with areas of exposed rock and jutting mountains.[34] It is bordered by the Patagonia District to the south, the main ridge of the Patagonia Mountains to the west, Meadow Valley Flat at the north end of the San Rafael Valley to the east, and Harshaw Creek to the northeast.[33]
The
In smaller areas, the bedrock is a narrow, 3 miles (4.8 km) long strip of
Mineral deposits are varied, with the andesite and rhyolite yielding surface deposits of silver, as well as
Mining
The Hermosa Mine was the largest ore producer in the area during the last decades of the 19th century, processing 75 short tons (68 t) of ore per day,[36] and peaking at about $365,455 in ore production over a four-month period in 1880.[3] Mine works at the Hermosa are extensive, with a total tunnel length of 7,000 feet (2,100 m) by 1915, including five levels of tunnels descending 500 feet (150 m). As of a 1972 survey, the existing works were actively caving in, rendering them not viable for further mining use.[18]
Local ore was plentiful, and other mines sprung up in the area around the town throughout the 1880s and 1890s. Some of the mines closest to Harshaw included the Bender, Alta, Salvador, Black Eagle and American mines.
Including the Hardshell property, the area in and around Harshaw, known today as the Harshaw District, is home to approximately 50 mine sites, some dating back to the 1850s, and others mined during the early- to mid-1900s. In addition to silver, the area is rich in numerous other minerals, including zinc, copper, manganese, rhyolite, quartz, lead, and many others. Through the mid-1960s, total production from the Harshaw District mines included 86,000 short tons (78,000 t) of zinc, 72,000 short tons (65,000 t) of lead, 9,200,000 troy ounces (10,100,000 oz; 290,000,000 g) of silver, 3,100 short tons (2,800 t) of copper and 4,300 troy ounces (4,700 oz; 130,000 g) of gold.[33]
As of 2006, interest in mining the area resurfaced when the Canadian Wildcat Silver Corporation acquired an 80% share in the Hardshell property and began feasibility assessments.[38][39] Initial reports, published in 2007, were positive, and tentative plans called for the annual production of 2,750,000 troy ounces (3,020,000 oz; 86,000,000 g) of silver, 12,600,000 pounds (5,700,000 kg) of zinc, 670,000 pounds (300,000 kg) of copper, and 84,400,000 pounds (38,300,000 kg) of manganese over an expected productive life for the mine of 13.5 years.[40] A 2009 assessment also included lead among the expected products of the mine.[41] Wildcat is currently assessing a plan to construct an on site mill capable of processing 1,500 short tons (1,400 t) tons of ore per day.[40]
Similar assessments are underway in other nearby parts of Santa Cruz County, which historically accounted for one percent of the state's mining production by weight, and ten percent of the state's total lead and zinc production. Some residents are opposed to restarting mining operations as they are concerned about the impacts on the environment, on property values, on the tourist trade, and on traffic. Assessments are ongoing.[42]
Geography
Harshaw is located on the northern fringe of the Patagonia Mountains
At its peak in the 1880s and 1890s, Harshaw's location was considered scenic as it was surrounded by oak forests, lush pastures, and enough pure mountain water to adequately run the mill and work the ore.
Climate
The climate in the Harshaw Creek basin includes sub-zero temperatures and freezing precipitation in the winter, with snow accumulations at higher elevations sometimes lasting for several weeks, while summer frequently brings severe thunderstorms. Due to Harshaw's status as a ghost town, there is no local weather station, and the nearest stations at Canelo Pass and the San Rafael Ranch, and Nogales are not representative of the weather in Harshaw due to significant differences in environmental factors, such as differing elevations and their various locations relative to mountains.[34]
Demographics
Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
---|---|---|---|
1880 | 640 | — | |
1890 | 260 | −59.4% | |
1910 | 150 | — | |
1920 | 377 | 151.3% | |
1930 | 259 | −31.3% | |
1940 | 150 | −42.1% | |
1950 | 100 | −33.3% | |
1960 | 0 | −100.0% | |
Source:[48] |
Although by some accounts the town grew to 2,000 residents by 1881 at the peak of its mining prosperity, the fact that the town was already in decline a few years later along with the timing of population data collection makes that theory difficult to document.[3][28][49]
According to
See also
- American frontier
- Boomtown
- History of Arizona
- List of ghost towns in Arizona
- Silver mining in Arizona
References
- ^ a b c U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Harshaw
- ^ ISBN 0-8061-0843-6.
- ^ ISBN 1-932082-46-8.
- ^ a b c d e Gleed, Charles Sumner (1882). From river to sea: a tourists' and miners' guide from the Missouri River to the Pacific Ocean via Kansas, Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona and California. Rand, McNaly. pp. 143–151. Retrieved September 28, 2009.
- ^ a b Davis, Richard C. (September 29, 2005). National Forests of the United States (PDF). The Forest History Society. p. 14. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 28, 2012. Retrieved September 25, 2009.
- ^ a b c d e f g "Town Is a Squatter in National Forest". Fredericksburg, VA: Free-Lance Star. July 24, 1963. p. 12. Retrieved September 25, 2009.
- ^ a b United States Geological Survey Circular 1103-A: Harshaw Townsite and Cemetery. United States Geological Survey. 1994. Retrieved December 22, 2014.
- ^ ISBN 1-930193-28-9. Retrieved September 8, 2009.
- ^ a b c "Santa Cruz County: History". Santa Cruz County. 2003. Retrieved September 30, 2009.
- ^ a b De Long, Sidney Randolph; Arizona Pioneers' Historical Society (1905). The history of Arizona: from the earliest times known to the people of Europe to 1903. The Whitaker & Ray company. pp. 161–166. Retrieved September 30, 2009.
santa cruz county pima county 1899.
- ^ ISBN 0-8165-0696-5. Retrieved September 29, 2009.
- ISBN 0-87026-016-2. Retrieved September 29, 2009.
- ISBN 0-9617061-1-2. Retrieved September 29, 2009.
- ISBN 1-60354-003-2. Retrieved September 29, 2009.
- ^ Farish, Thomas Edwin (1916). History of Arizona, Volume 3. The Filmer brothers electrotype company. pp. 226–231. Retrieved September 30, 2009.
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- ^ a b c d e f "Town a Squatter in Forest". Eugene Register-Guard. Eugene, OR. July 4, 1963. p. 8. Retrieved September 25, 2009.
- ^ Congressional serial set. United States. Government Printing Office. 1897. pp. 367–368, 1213. Retrieved September 29, 2009.
- ^ a b c d Chatman, Mark L. (1994). Mineral Appraisal of Coronado National Forest, Part 7: Patagonia Mountains-Canelo Hills Unit, Cochise and Santa Cruz Counties, Arizona (PDF). Denver, CO: U.S. Department of the Interior Bureau of Mines. pp. A44, A120–A121. Retrieved October 23, 2009.
- ^ "Engineering and mining journal". Engineering and Mining Journal. 30. Western & Co.: 114 1880. Retrieved July 15, 2011.
- ^ a b c d e Hamilton, Patrick (1881). The resources of Arizona: its mineral, farming, and grazing lands, towns, and mining camps : its rivers, mountains, plains, and mesas : with a brief summary of its Indian tribes, early history, ancient ruins, climate, etc., etc. : A manual of reliable information concerning the Territory. Arizona: Arizona Legislative Assembly. pp. 32, 42, 97. Retrieved September 22, 2009.
harshaw arizona.
- ISBN 0-910190-15-1. Retrieved September 22, 2009.
- ^ "About this Newspaper: Arizona bullion". Chronicling America. Library of Congress. Retrieved October 6, 2009.
- ^ a b c Report on the internal commerce of the United States. United States Treasury Dept., Bureau of Statistics. 1891. p. 80. Retrieved September 22, 2009.
- ^ a b "Hardshell Mine (Manto Mine; Eagle-Picher|Eagle-Picher properties), Hardshell Gulch, Harshaw, Harshaw District, Patagonia Mts, Santa Cruz Co., Arizona, USA". MineDat.org. Retrieved July 16, 2009.
- ^ "Ben Daniels Arrested: President's Arizona Appointee as Marshal Now Accused of Fraud". New York Times. New York. February 17, 1906. p. 1. Retrieved September 25, 2009.
- ^ "Forest Fire Perils Camps in Arizona". Milwaukee Journal. Milwaukee, WI. May 12, 1929. Retrieved September 25, 2009.
- ^ "Today in Arizona history". Arizona Daily Star. May 13, 2005. Retrieved September 25, 2009.
- ^ a b Norman, Bill (November 24, 2005). "Discover Arizona's frontier mining past". East Valley Tribune. Phoenix. Retrieved October 19, 2010.
- ^ "Ghost town haunts government". Reading Eagle. July 7, 1963. p. 6. Retrieved October 31, 2015.
- ISBN 0979026105.
- ^ a b c "Santa Cruz Valley National Heritage Area Feasibility Study". Center for Desert Archaeology. April 2005. pp. 136, 223. Retrieved October 16, 2009.
- ^ "National Register of Historic Places". Record: 154725: National Park Service. Retrieved October 21, 2009.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: location (link) - ^ a b c d e f "Harshaw District, Patagonia Mts, Santa Cruz Co., Arizona, USA". MineDat.org. Retrieved October 23, 2009.
- ^ a b c d e f Scalamera, Robert J. (June 30, 2003). "Total Maximum Daily Load For: Upper Harshaw Creek, Sonoita Creek Basin, Santa Cruz River Watershed, Coronado National Forest, near Patagonia, Santa Cruz County, Arizona" (PDF). Arizona: Arizona Department of Environmental Quality, Water Quality Division. pp. 3–5, 14–17. Retrieved October 16, 2009.
- ^ Vikre, Peter G., et al., 2014, Succession of Laramide Magmatic and Magmatic-Hydrothermal Events in the Patagonia Mountains, Santa Cruz County, Arizona, Economic Geology, v. 109, pp. 1667–1704 Abstract
- ISBN 0-88394-013-2. Retrieved October 16, 2009.
- ^ a b "Mining Company and Property Database". Hardshell. Global InfoMine. 2007. Retrieved July 16, 2009.
- ^ "Mining Company and Property Database". Hardshell: Reported Ownership. Global InfoMine. 2007. Retrieved July 17, 2009.
- ^ "Mining Company and Property Database". Hardshell: Property News. Global InfoMine. July 6, 2009. Retrieved July 17, 2009.
- ^ a b "Wildcat Silver Releases Preliminary Assessment Report - 53.6 Million Ounces Contained Silver" (PDF). Wildcat Silver Corp. Press Release. Global InfoMine. February 13, 2007. Retrieved July 17, 2009.
- ^ "Wildcat Silver Improves Processing at Hardshell" (PDF). Wildcat Silver Corp. Press Release. Global InfoMine. November 24, 2008. Retrieved July 17, 2009.
- ^ Davis, Tony (March 12, 2007). "Mining firms eye prospects in Santa Cruz County". Arizona Daily Star. Retrieved July 12, 2011.
- ^ "History: Pima County". Pima County Justice Court. September 27, 2000. Archived from the original on May 27, 2010. Retrieved September 30, 2009.
- ^ "Santa Cruz County". Arizona State Library Archives and Public Records: Arizona History and Archives Division. August 4, 2009. Archived from the original on September 15, 2009. Retrieved September 30, 2009.
- ^ "Hermosa Mine, Hermosa group, American Peak, Harshaw District, Patagonia Mts, Santa Cruz Co., Arizona, USA". MineDat.org. Retrieved July 16, 2009.
- ^ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Hermosa Mine
- ^ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Hardshell Mine
- ^ ISBN 0-8108-3033-7.
- ^ Kreutz, Doug (December 31, 2006). "One Man's Gift". Arizona Daily Star. Tucson. Archived from the original on November 6, 2012. Retrieved July 12, 2011.
External links
- Harshaw at Ghosttowns.com
- Patagonia Back Road Ghost Towns including Harshaw at LegendsofAmerica.com.
- Ghost Town of the Month, with an entry for Harshaw including recent photos and visitor information.
- Harshaw photos on Flickr.
- Harshaw Archived August 14, 2009, at the Wayback Machine at Arizona Pioneer & Cemetery Research Project.
- Harshaw – Ghost Town of the Month at azghosttowns.com