The history of mining in Yavapai County dates from the discovery of the rich placers in Weaver Gulch. In May, 1863, a party headed by the old pioneer, Pauline Weaver, discovered these diggings, which bear his name. In the same year, a Mexican in the employ of Jack Swilling, who was mining on Antelope Creek, crossed over the mountain to the Weaver Camp, happened on the world-famed deposit of native gold in Rich Hill. Here, in a depression of the mountain, five thousand feet above tidewater, coarse gold was found lying on the very bedrock. Pieces of pure metal worth several thousand dollars were picked up and upwards of $500,000 was taken from an acre in extent within a few months. The mountain top, gulches and ravines running down from the mountain and surrounding country are very rich in placer gold and gold ore.
These stories of rich placer discoveries and the resulting gold rush stampedes immediately resulted in the migration to Granite, Hassayampa and Lynx Creek of thousands of pioneers of California and the East; and despite the hostility of the Apaches, millions were taken out of the sands of these streams. Prescott owes its present beautiful situation in the heart of the mountains of Yavapai County to the fortunes made by placer miners on Granite Creek. Over $3,000,000 in dust and nuggets was taken out of Groom Creek placers alone. These placers, situated fifteen miles southwest of Prescott, recently have been worked over for the sixth time.
In Yavapai County, this mineral section embraces an area of, at least, one thousand square miles. The containing rock is nearly uniform throughout this entire section, producing a continuous yield of gold, silver, copper, iron, lead and zinc. While this vast mining field has been habited for barely four decades and its mineral discovery and development are scarcely commenced, it has already added over a hundred millions to the world's wealth. Within the boundaries of Yavapai County there have been found and are yet to be discovered rich veins and bonanza deposits of gold, silver and copper ore sufficient to energize armies of men and millions of capital. Yavapai County is a region of mountains and valleys with a mean elevation approximately of one mile. Crossing it diagonally is that great mineral belt, which signalizes its entrance into northern Arizona by the golden outburst of Mohave County and leaves as parting gift, the world famous copper mines in and near Bisbee.
Due to the heavy demand for copper and the condition of the metals market, during the war year of 1916, Yavapai's principal industry showed a wonderful increase and brought prosperity to hundreds of her citizens, as well as to successful investors throughout the United States. With the opening of that wonder mine "the United Verde Extension," better known locally as the "Little Daisy," an impetus was given the mining industry which has awakened the world to the fact that here is located one of the richest, if not the richest, mining districts in America.
Among the most famous mines of the world is that of the United Verde Copper Company, situated nearly in the center of Yavapai County, the history of which reads like a modern Arabian Night tale. Its liquid stream of molten copper has poured millions each year, for many years, into the bank account of its fortunate owner, ex-U. S, Senator Clark. Even with its tremendous output, lately requiring a smelting capacity of 1500 tons daily, its great bodies of ore have given rise to the necessity for a mammoth smelter, which has been constructed at Clarkdale at a cost of over $3,000,000. The production of the United Verde mine to date has reached $41,197,000.
Since the opening of the United Verde Extension mine at Jerome, that city, which was formerly the center for the United Verde mine alone, has teemed with life and today there are hundreds of investors in that district, opening up new properties and developing ground which a few months ago remained dormant. There is no question but what Jerome has been and will continue to be the center of attraction of the mining investing public for many years to come. During the past year a record has been made on the property of the Consolidated Arizona Smelting Company at Humboldt. This magnificent smelting plant has a daily capacity of over 850 tons and the opening of the ore bodies at the Blue Bell and De Soto mines have assured this property of a long-life term. At Mayer and vicinity, including McCabe, noticeable activity is apparent in the working of the copper properties and also old silver ore producers of days gone by. In Copper Basin, adjacent to Prescott, much work is being done by both the Commercial Mining Company (Phelps Dodge) and also at the Loma Prieta, where a systematic development of the ground gives every reason to believe will develop into a large copper producing district. At Crown King the pulse of the mining industry is being felt each day, old properties being revived and the opening of new bodies of ore holding the center of attraction. To the south, in the Eureka mining district, much development work is being prosecuted by the owners of the various properties and it is the belief of those most conversant with the mining industry that at no late date this district will rival in production the famous Verde district.
To enumerate each and every mining property which is now being actively developed or to take up each mining district and give it its just due would require a booklet in itself. Broadly speaking, the ledges so far discovered lie in and near three mountain ranges: the great Yavapai Schist Belt, with which the name of the famous Jerome and Verde districts may always be identified; the Bradshaw Range, including the famous Crown King Section, which is more active at the present time than at any other period in its history ; and the Sierra Prieta Mountains. Of the most sought metals gold, silver, copper, lead, zinc, tungsten ore, antimony, vanadium ore, molybdenum, and in fact every metal in the mineral kingdom all occur to some extent in the ores of each range named; but usually either one or more of these markedly predominate. It is the confident belief of persons qualified to judge, that the Yavapai schist will be found to contain greater deposits of copper,
while the other two mountain ranges, with their spurs and foothills, contain ledges of gold and silver as rich or richer than any district of like area in the known mineral world. Tungsten is being mined principally in the Tip Top and Eureka districts, although the whole county is being prospected for the more precious metals. In copper, no area of equal size the world over can compare with Yavapai. Onyx, marble, tufa, granite, red sandstone, limestone, cement, clays and fire clay are also found in large quantities in this district. As a proof of the superior quality of the native granite and as an incentive to the opening up of a large quarry in Yavapai County, the Board of Supervisors let a contract for the facing of the entire news courthouse, which is being constructed at a cost of $250,000, with native Yavapai County granite.
Attractive, Yavapai County has been and will be to the prospector, who will find in her extensive mountain ranges districts as yet very slightly explored. Veins are here as rich in gold and silver as those which dazzled the pioneers of the '60's and '70's, merely waiting for those persons industrious enough to tear away the often slight covering which conceals them from the careless seeker. However, to another class of mining men, there is presented an even more attractive opportunity. This is found in the thousands of discovered prospects whose owners, having located the croppings of valuable ore and having developed the property as far as their varying resources would permit, must now turn over the work to individuals or companies with the capital necessary for their complete development and equipment for economical operation. In this class of embryo mines, the mountains of Yavapai are particularly rich. Many of them amply deserve further investment and will repay those who, with good judgment and capital, shall seek them out and convert them into mines. The price basis upon which these properties can be obtained is usually very reasonable.
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